C+
New England Patriots
Best value of the weekend goes to the Patriots for Wiley: C+.
by PoppaShart ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 17 picks
· 7 steals
· 3 reaches
Somebody in pick No. 229 was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Patriots sat still while Michael Wiley, the No. 197 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium.
The trades bled value they could not afford to lose. They will need Barner to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it.
The Solomon pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at interior defensive lineman. The interior defensive lineman spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
The verdict is a shrug for now, with the swing picks left to write the real ending.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 19th pick they get a plug-and-play piece up front. A clean fit for the roster.
They jumped the gun on J.J. McCarthy, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It fills a real need, too.
Patrick Paul at the 50th overall pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Ricky Pearsall at the Round 3 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A tidy bit of business in pick No. 90, where Johnny Wilson graded well above the range. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Mike Sainristil in pick 100 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A curious use of No. 104. Interior defensive lineman needed the pick; an OLB-EDGE in Javon Solomon did not.
Audric Estime at Round 4, Pick 16 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The roster fit checks out.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Kamal Hadden adds a cornerback and leaves interior defensive lineman untouched.
No edge and no loss on Cedric Gray in the 137th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Will Shipley in Round 5, Pick 17 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Keith Randolph Jr. in slot 160 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Ty'Ron Hopper in pick No. 170. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
AJ Barner at pick 171 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Dadrion Taylor-Demerson at the 182nd pick. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Sam Hartman. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They will replay Michael Wiley at the Round 7 slot for years; that is how good the value is. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.