B+
New England Patriots
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Patriots and Sainristil: B+.
by EMANPATSFAN ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 0 reaches
You could see the war room lean forward. Mike Sainristil at the 103rd overall pick is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did.
For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain. The Alexander Mattison pickup adds a known quantity to a class of unknowns. It is a bet on later, and a defensible one for a team playing the long game.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 13 they get a security blanket over the middle, and a steal at that. A real need, handled.
Xavier Legette in pick 34 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
They paid sticker price for Cooper Beebe in slot 44, and that is fine. The roster fit checks out.
Patrick Paul at the 68th overall pick is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Jaylen Wright in the 77th pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Somehow Mike Sainristil was still sitting there in pick No. 103, and they pounced on premier cornerback value. A minor need, but a need all the same.
They took Jaylin Simpson at par in the Round 5 slot, which is nothing to complain about. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
They barely believed it either: Dwight McGlothern still on the board at Round 6, Pick 5. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Tip Reiman at slot 193. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Good price on Frank Gore Jr. in the 231st overall pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.