B-
New England Patriots
A franchise passer in Maye headlines a B- weekend for the Patriots.
by jgeorge21 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. Drake Maye is the Patriots' quarterback, full stop.
The Byrd pick is the one the value grade keeps tripping over. The interior defensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
If one pick saves this weekend, it is Mustapha. On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with edge rusher the one that mattered most.
Good work on the whole, with interior defensive lineman the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 3rd overall pick they get their quarterback of the future. A real need, handled.
Adonai Mitchell in the Round 2 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
A straight-up fair deal on Patrick Paul at Round 3, Pick 4, value and slot in agreement. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Johnny Wilson well ahead of where he belonged. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Jarrian Jones at pick 137 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Malik Mustapha slid further than he should have, and pick No. 180 is lovely value for the safety. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
They reached into another round for Keith Randolph Jr., and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A wild overpay on Solomon Byrd in slot 231, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.