B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots bet the future on McCarthy. The board says B+.
by Pats13 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
The one hole that towered over the rest is filled. The Patriots spent their marquee pick on J.J. McCarthy, and for the first time in a while there is a real answer at quarterback. They moved the roster forward and banked a B+ for it.
However the rest shakes out, Proctor at that price is a win they earned. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck.
The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 19 they get a franchise quarterback, reach and all.
Ennis Rakestraw Jr. at pick No. 43 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Jarrian Jones in slot 143 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
They barely believed it either: Mason McCormick still on the board at the 179th overall pick. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Jordan Magee in the 180th pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
The board had Tahj Washington higher than pick 193, and the wide receiver fell to them anyway. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Josh Proctor in No. 231 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
Circle this one: Julian Pearl at the Round 7 slot is a fall that decides a draft. It fills a real need, too.