B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots bet the future on Maye. The board says B-.
by EMANPATSFAN ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 0 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. Drake Maye is the Patriots' quarterback, full stop. They moved the roster forward and banked a B- for it.
Oladapo at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up.
On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with wide receiver the one that mattered most. Almost all the early capital went to that side of the ball.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 3 they get the arm they will build around. A clean fit for the roster.
By-the-book stuff, Ladd McConkey at the 34th pick squarely in line with his ranking. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
No edge and no loss on Patrick Paul in the 68th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Trey Benson is a better player than pick 103 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. The roster fit checks out.
They did well to land Christian Jones in Round 5, Pick 1, just ahead of his grade. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
You do not let a cornerback like Dwight McGlothern reach the Round 6 slot and blink. They did not. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Circle this one: Kitan Oladapo at pick No. 193 is a fall that decides a draft. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Trevin Wallace in No. 231 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.