C+
New England Patriots
The Patriots finally solved quarterback, and it carried them to a C+.
by jgeorge21 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 1 steals
· 5 reaches
The Patriots spent the pick that matters most on Drake Maye, and a roster that has been waiting on a passer can start to take shape.
The Byrd reach is the anchor dragging on the value grade. The McGlothern pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped safety, which is a strange place to end up.
They were the ones paying the moving tax this weekend.
It grades out a shrug today, with plenty of room to move either way.
Pick-by-Pick
By-the-book stuff, Drake Maye at slot 8 squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Nothing to complain about; Adonai Mitchell went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Patrick Paul in the 43rd overall pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. The roster fit checks out.
No drama and no debate, Ruke Orhorhoro went about where he belonged in No. 68. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Johnny Wilson at Round 4, Pick 3 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Tommy Eichenberg at pick No. 137 is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Somehow Dwight McGlothern was still sitting there in pick 180, and they pounced on premier cornerback value. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They took Trente Jones at par in the Round 6 slot, which is nothing to complain about. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
A premium they did not need to pay, Jared Wiley a notch or two before his time. It fills a real need, too.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Solomon Byrd well ahead of where he belonged. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.