B+
New England Patriots
Larceny in the Round 7 slot lands the Patriots a B+, King and all.
by Pats87 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 5 steals
· 2 reaches
The real work happened on the phones. The Patriots fleeced their trade partners, turning their picks into a noticeably bigger pile than they started with. A dependable weekend that grades out a B+.
However the rest shakes out, King at that price is a win they earned. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. McCaffrey has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
Fair-plus on J.J. McCarthy, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Good price on Tyler Guyton in Round 2, Pick 2, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Javon Baker at the 64th pick jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and T.J. Tampa at slot 68 is the proof. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Theo Johnson at pick No. 103 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They liked Luke McCaffrey enough to skip the value, taking him in the 137th overall pick. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
The board had Kitan Oladapo higher than the Round 5 slot, and the safety fell to them anyway. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They will replay Dallin Holker at slot 180 for years; that is how good the value is. It fills a real need, too.
Dominique Hampton in pick No. 193 lands just on the right side of the ledger. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Kalen King at No. 221 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Cody Schrader at the 231st overall pick is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A need, and now a little less of one.