A-
New England Patriots
The steal of the weekend belongs to the Patriots and Polk: A-.
by Lewi ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 5 steals
· 1 reaches
Call it larceny. Ja'Lynn Polk sat on the board until the Round 4 slot, and the Patriots did not need to be asked twice. Little to argue with here, and the A- says so.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped interior defensive lineman, which is a strange place to end up.
The cost of the Worthy reach is exactly the players who went right after him. The Patriots clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before.
Few war rooms will sleep better than this one tonight.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 15 they get a building block for the line. A real need, handled.
Bo Nix at the 39th overall pick is money in the bank, a quarterback taken below his worth. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Xavier Worthy at slot 46 is a conviction pick that outran the value. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing T.J. Tampa in the 68th pick. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Somehow Ja'Lynn Polk was still sitting there in Round 4, Pick 3, and they pounced on premier wide receiver value. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
The board had Josh Newton higher than pick No. 137, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Good price on Cody Schrader in the Round 6 slot, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Trente Jones at pick 193 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A tidy bit of business in No. 231, where Zion Tupuola-Fetui graded well above the range. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.