B+
New England Patriots
Grand theft in the 229th overall pick: the Patriots steal McCaffrey and grade out a B+.
by Milk ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 6 steals
· 0 reaches
Thirty-one other rooms let Luke McCaffrey slide, and the Patriots were the ones holding the card at No. 229. Highway robbery.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. The edge rusher spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
The veteran additions, Calvin Ridley chief among them, give the class a floor the rookies alone would not. Wide receiver is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.
Pick-by-Pick
In Round 1, Pick 4 they get a cornerstone up front at fair value.
Quinyon Mitchell in pick 34 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Bo Nix at the Round 3 slot is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. The roster fit checks out.
They barely believed it either: Ricky Pearsall still on the board at the 104th pick. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A cornerback of that caliber at the 172nd overall pick is the definition of value, full stop. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
They robbed the room for Tykee Smith here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Taking Luke McCaffrey in pick No. 229 is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.