D
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Tracy Jr. fall and pounced. Final grade: D.
by LOL ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 17 picks
· 7 steals
· 0 reaches
The Patriots lost the trade war and it was not close, handing partners the better end again and again. Too much went sideways, and the D is the honest tally.
They banked enough surplus on Tracy Jr. to cover a lot of smaller sins. The Patriots clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before.
They left with edge rusher solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
A rough weekend that leaves the roster with more questions than answers.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 20 they get a potential shutdown corner. Need was not the driver here.
Chop Robinson at pick 34 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Fair-plus on Keon Coleman, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Payton Wilson in the 68th overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
They read the board right and Roman Wilson was the payoff at pick No. 94. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Michael Hall Jr. at the 95th pick is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the interior defensive lineman. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
No edge and no loss on Audric Estime in slot 98; it is a wash and a sensible one. A need, and now a little less of one.
Nice patience on Cade Stover, who had no business lasting to pick 104. The roster reasoning here is anyone's guess.
Michael Pratt in pick No. 108 lands just on the right side of the ledger. It fills a real need, too.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Jaden Hicks in the Round 4 slot. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
They took Beaux Limmer at par in the 139th pick, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jaylin Simpson in No. 182 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
A straight-up fair deal on Jaylan Ford at Round 6, Pick 10, value and slot in agreement. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
They paid sticker price for Bub Means in the 197th overall pick, and that is fine. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Tylan Grable at the Round 7 slot is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
The board had Tip Reiman higher than pick No. 238, and the tight end fell to them anyway. The roster fit checks out.
Circle this one: Tyrone Tracy Jr. at slot 241 is a fall that decides a draft. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.