B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Johnson fall and pounced. Final grade: B+.
by PoppaShart ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 7 steals
· 1 reaches
The rest of the league will want that one back. Cornelius Johnson tumbling to the Patriots in Round 7, Pick 11 is a gift they did not have to think twice about. They moved the roster forward and banked a B+ for it.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. The interior defensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. Jean-Baptiste has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced.
The Patriots paired the rookies with proven help, Gerald Everett leading the way.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a building block for the line. A clean fit for the roster.
Bo Nix at slot 34 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They paid sticker price for Keon Coleman in pick 43, and that is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Fair-plus on Chris Braswell, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A tidy bit of business in the 68th overall pick, where Kingsley Suamataia graded well above the range. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Taking Kamari Lassiter in Round 3, Pick 5 is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Blake Corum slid further than he should have, and pick No. 103 is lovely value for the running back. A need, and now a little less of one.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Chau Smith-Wade at the 137th pick is the proof. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Roger Rosengarten slipping to pick 143 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Tommy Eichenberg at pick No. 150 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
AJ Barner is a better player than the Round 6 slot suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
M.J. Devonshire in Round 6, Pick 18 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
They jumped the gun on Javontae Jean-Baptiste, taking him earlier than his grade liked. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They robbed the room for Cornelius Johnson here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.