B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Simpson fall and pounced. Final grade: B+.
by EMANPATSFAN ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 1 steals
· 3 reaches
Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Patriots were there to profit. Jaylin Simpson, the No. 137 name on the board, should have been long gone before the 169th overall pick.
Reaching for Rattler left real value on the table behind him. Leaving interior defensive lineman unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
All told, a draft that does its job without fuss, and there is real value in that.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 13 they get a double-digit-sack hope at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
A tidy little value on Xavier Legette in Round 2, Pick 9, a step better than break-even. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Good price on Kamari Lassiter in the 44th overall pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. A minor itch, scratched.
A clean, defensible pick in the 68th pick with a little surplus value in Kingsley Suamataia. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Spencer Rattler this early at the Round 3 slot. A need, and now a little less of one.
Value said wait; Theo Johnson in No. 103 says they were not listening. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Christian Jones in slot 137. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jaylin Simpson at pick No. 169 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
A conviction pick on Tanor Bortolini at slot 180 that the board grades a round light. It fills a real need, too.
No edge and no loss on Steele Chambers in the Round 6 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
No drama and no debate, Frank Gore Jr. went about where he belonged in No. 231. It patches a soft spot without any drama.