PATRIOTS MOCK DRAFT GRADE A-

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Pats'24 A-

URL pats24-2015

Letter grade with a four-component score, written analysis, and a pick-by-pick breakdown for every selection in this saved mock.

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A-

New England Patriots

The Patriots bet the future on McCarthy. The board says A-.

by Lewi · 2024 NFL Draft · 15 picks · 7 steals · 1 reaches
Value B
Need B
Trades A+
Future A+

They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. J.J. McCarthy is the Patriots' quarterback, full stop.

Smith-Wade at that cost is the sort of edge that compounds over a roster. The phones were where this weekend was really won.

They punted on interior defensive lineman, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. The Patriots paired the rookies with proven help, Christian Kirk leading the way.

Add it up and few war rooms did better this weekend, J.J. McCarthy and all.

Pick-by-Pick

R1.20 · Pick 20 · J.J. McCarthy · QB · rank 27
J.J. McCarthy at Round 1, Pick 20 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R2.2 · Pick 34 · Terrion Arnold · CB · rank 20
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Terrion Arnold at the Round 2 slot. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R2.16 · Pick 48 · Payton Wilson · LB · rank 39
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Payton Wilson at the 48th pick is the proof. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
R3.4 · Pick 68 · Austin Booker · DE-EDGE · rank 68
They took Austin Booker at par in No. 68, which is nothing to complain about. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R3.20 · Pick 84 · Dadrion Taylor-Demerson · S · rank 80
Dadrion Taylor-Demerson in pick No. 84 lands just on the right side of the ledger. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R3.33 · Pick 96 · Christian Mahogany · OG · rank 99
No drama and no debate, Christian Mahogany went about where he belonged in pick 96. The roster fit checks out.
R4.3 · Pick 103 · Will Shipley · RB · rank 117
They paid up for Will Shipley at slot 103 when waiting would have done the job. It fills a real need, too.
R5.1 · Pick 137 · Jared Wiley · TE · rank 137
Jared Wiley in the 137th overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R6.6 · Pick 181 · Jaylin Simpson · CB · rank 158
Taking Jaylin Simpson in Round 6, Pick 6 is close to grand larceny; a cornerback that good had no business lasting this long. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
R6.13 · Pick 188 · Cornelius Johnson · WR · rank 160
They robbed the room for Cornelius Johnson here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R6.18 · Pick 193 · Grayson Murphy · DL-EDGE · rank 197
A straight-up fair deal on Grayson Murphy at slot 193, value and slot in agreement. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R7.7 · Pick 227 · Jalen Coker · WR · rank 211
A slide stopped in the 227th pick, with Jalen Coker worth more than the price. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R7.11 · Pick 231 · Chau Smith-Wade · CB · rank 175
Chau Smith-Wade at pick 231 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
R7.33 · Pick 253 · Tylan Grable · OT · rank 224
Tylan Grable in the 253rd overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R7.34 · Pick 254 · Jackson Sirmon · LB · rank 255
Jackson Sirmon in the Round 7 slot is fair value, right on his grade. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
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