A-
New England Patriots
The Patriots won the night they stopped Bertrand from sliding. Grade: A-.
by EMANPATSFAN ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 7 steals
· 1 reaches
If you want a masterclass in dealing, watch the Patriots, who turned every swap into a profit this weekend.
Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Bertrand at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. They will need Rattler to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it.
Adding Zach Allen by trade rounds out the weekend beyond the rookies.
In the end it comes back to Brock Bowers, and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a seam-stretching tight end. A real need, handled.
Keon Coleman in pick No. 46 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A straight-up fair deal on Patrick Paul at No. 68, value and slot in agreement. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Ja'Lynn Polk at the 81st pick is money in the bank, a wide receiver taken below his worth. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A quiet steal in the 82nd overall pick: Jaylen Wright for less than the market said. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
The board had cheaper options than Spencer Rattler at slot 103, and it noticed. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Blake Fisher in the 118th pick is fair value, right on his grade. The roster fit checks out.
Jaylin Simpson at pick 137 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
The board had Tommy Eichenberg higher than No. 158, and the linebacker fell to them anyway. A minor itch, scratched.
Dwight McGlothern in slot 180 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Nice patience on Tip Reiman, who had no business lasting to pick No. 191. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A tidy bit of business in Round 6, Pick 18, where Fabien Lovett graded well above the range. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Frank Gore Jr. in the 231st overall pick. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Steal is underselling it; JD Bertrand at the Round 7 slot is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.