A-
New England Patriots
McCarthy is the Patriots' new face under center. Grade: A-.
by patricksiska ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 1 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. J.J. McCarthy is the Patriots' quarterback, full stop. They executed a plan and it shows in the A-.
The phones were where this weekend was really won. They banked enough surplus on McGlothern to cover a lot of smaller sins.
A whole weekend of picks and interior defensive lineman is somehow still a want. They will need Hunt to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it.
Bottom line, with J.J. McCarthy leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
By-the-book stuff, J.J. McCarthy at pick 22 squarely in line with his ranking. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Amarius Mims at the 34th pick is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Graham Barton in slot 50 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It fills a real need, too.
Xavier Worthy in No. 53 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
They paid sticker price for Devontez Walker in the 68th overall pick, and that is fine. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
No drama and no debate, Cole Bishop went about where he belonged in Round 4, Pick 3. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They paid up for Jalyx Hunt at pick No. 137 when waiting would have done the job. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They let Kamal Hadden come to them and pounced at the Round 6 slot. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
You do not let a cornerback like Dwight McGlothern reach the 193rd overall pick and blink. They did not. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
They took Trevin Wallace at par in the 231st pick, which is nothing to complain about. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.