B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots left with their quarterback, and a B- to match.
by Brady ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 0 steals
· 3 reaches
The search is over. The Patriots handed the keys to Drake Maye, and the whole operation now runs on his development. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B-.
Every board in the league had Vidal lower, and that gap is the story. Leaving interior defensive lineman unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
A market-rate quarterback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Drake Maye. The roster fit checks out.
Tyler Guyton in Round 2, Pick 2 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Xavier Legette in the Round 3 slot is fair value, right on his grade. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Brenden Rice in the 103rd overall pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Trevor Keegan in slot 137 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A premium they did not need to pay, Trente Jones a notch or two before his time. A need, and now a little less of one.
A reach for Jaylen Harrell in the 193rd pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Kimani Vidal in No. 231 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.