B
New England Patriots
The Patriots cashed the board's mistake on Smith-Wade: B.
by Milk ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 6 picks
· 4 steals
· 0 reaches
Somebody in the Round 7 slot was going to get robbed, and it turned out to be the rest of the league. The Patriots sat still while Chau Smith-Wade, the No. 133 name on the board, slid all the way to them, then sprinted to the podium. They moved the roster forward and banked a B for it.
They punted on interior defensive lineman, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Edge rusher is handled and the depth chart looks a good deal healthier for it.
They came away with juice, if not much beef up front. Adding Riley Patterson by trade rounds out the weekend beyond the rookies.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but interior defensive lineman.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a weapon on the perimeter at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
A top-tier tight end at a bargain, Brock Bowers in the 34th overall pick, plain and simple. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Jordan Morgan in pick No. 68 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Darius Robinson at the 104th pick is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Michael Pratt in No. 136 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They robbed the room for Chau Smith-Wade here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.