C+
New England Patriots
Maye is the plan now, and the Patriots grade out a C+.
by jgeorge21 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 1 steals
· 4 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Patriots spent their marquee pick on Drake Maye, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback.
The dealing is the wound this class cannot quite close. If Byrd pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about.
On value alone, McGlothern makes the weekend a net positive. A whole weekend of picks and running back is somehow still a want.
In the end, a coin-flip class: fine today, with a wide range of outcomes ahead.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 8 they get the arm they will build around. A real need, handled.
Xavier Legette in the Round 2 slot is fair value, right on his grade. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Patrick Paul at No. 68 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Leonard Taylor III at the 103rd pick jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Jared Wiley at slot 137 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
A reach on Tykee Smith in the 143rd overall pick; the board had better options right there. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Taking Dwight McGlothern in pick No. 180 is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
A straight-up fair deal on Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint at pick 193, value and slot in agreement. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Solomon Byrd this early at No. 231. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.