A-
New England Patriots
The Patriots robbed the room for Pritchett. Final grade: A-.
by Lewi ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 6 steals
· 1 reaches
The Patriots spent the weekend waiting on one name, and it fell: Nehemiah Pritchett, the No. 143 name on the board, in pick No. 180. This is how you run a draft, and the A- reflects it.
They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. For all the activity, interior defensive lineman went untouched, which is hard to explain.
Reaching for Rattler left real value on the table behind him. The Deebo Samuel pickup adds a known quantity to a class of unknowns.
The kind of weekend a front office frames and hangs on the wall.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 31 they get a long-term starter on the line, and a steal at that. A real need, handled.
Dallas Turner in the 34th overall pick should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A cornerback of that caliber at Round 2, Pick 31 is the definition of value, full stop. It adds depth where they could use a little.
No drama and no debate, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. went about where he belonged in the Round 3 slot. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
A reach on Spencer Rattler in pick 103; the board had better options right there. A need, and now a little less of one.
A quiet steal in the 137th pick: Johnny Wilson for less than the market said. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
The board fumbled Nehemiah Pritchett all the way to pick No. 180, and they scooped it up. A want dressed up as a pick, at a spot they had covered.
Delmar Glaze in No. 193 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Evan Williams slipping to slot 231 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.