A-
New England Patriots
Hardy should have been long gone. The Patriots pounced, and earned a A-.
by patricksiska ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 5 steals
· 0 reaches
Call it larceny. Daequan Hardy sat on the board until the 229th pick, and the Patriots did not need to be asked twice.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Adding Darius Slayton by trade rounds out the weekend beyond the rookies.
Bottom line, they left the weekend a clearly better team, and they earned every bit of it.
Pick-by-Pick
Joe Alt at No. 6 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Fair-plus on Bo Nix, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They let Keon Coleman come to them and pounced at the 47th overall pick. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Value with a capital V on Kingsley Suamataia in pick No. 68, a genuine coup. It fills a real need, too.
A quiet steal in slot 104: Cam Hart for less than the market said. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Theo Johnson in pick 136 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A need, and now a little less of one.
Isaiah Davis in the 182nd pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Steal is underselling it; Daequan Hardy at Round 7, Pick 9 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.