C-
New England Patriots
McCarthy is the plan now, and the Patriots grade out a C-.
by Brady ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 15 picks
· 4 steals
· 7 reaches
The Patriots spent the pick that matters most on J.J. McCarthy, and a roster that has been waiting on a passer can start to take shape.
They will need Tagovailoa to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere. They will regret leaving interior defensive lineman for another day if the season turns on it.
Getting Coleman where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.
If J.J. McCarthy and a couple of the gambles land, hindsight will be kinder than this grade.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 14th overall pick they get a long-term answer under center, though the board says they badly overpaid. A clean fit for the roster.
Troy Fautanu is a better player than slot 34 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A slide stopped in the Round 2 slot, with Keon Coleman worth more than the price. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They paid sticker price for Kingsley Suamataia in No. 52, and that is fine. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
They reached into another round for Brenden Rice, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Cade Stover in pick No. 75 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing DJ James in pick 98. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
They did well to land Braelon Allen in the 112th pick, just ahead of his grade. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
A straight-up fair deal on Ben Sinnott at No. 128, value and slot in agreement. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
A premium they did not need to pay, Javontae Jean-Baptiste a notch or two before his time. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A big swing on LaDarius Henderson at the 218th pick, well ahead of any board in the building. It fills a real need, too.
They talked themselves into Taulia Tagovailoa at pick No. 231, and the board did not agree. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Ryan Cooper Jr. at the 239th overall pick is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
They took Jalen Coker at par in pick 256, which is nothing to complain about. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
They jumped the gun on Eyabi Okie-Anoma, taking him earlier than his grade liked. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.