B+
New England Patriots
A masterclass at the trade table lands the Patriots a B+.
by J-KC ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 6 steals
· 2 reaches
The Patriots did not so much draft Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint as overpay for him, 44 picks clear of his grade. It sets an uneasy tone for the weekend. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B+.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. The Milton III pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. The Patriots indulged a want in Stover while a need in edge rusher and interior defensive lineman stayed open.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through edge rusher.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 11 they get a plug-and-play piece up front at fair value. A real need, handled.
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Rome Odunze at the 27th pick is the proof. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
Keon Coleman at pick 42 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A straight-up fair deal on J.J. McCarthy at No. 44, value and slot in agreement. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Patrick Paul in Round 3, Pick 4 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
A surprising call. With edge rusher and interior defensive lineman still to address, they spent the Round 3 slot on Cade Stover, a TE-EDGE they were not short of.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Maason Smith adds a DT-EDGE and leaves edge rusher and interior defensive lineman untouched.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint in Round 4, Pick 3 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Cam Hart in the Round 5 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A minor itch, scratched.
Josh Proctor at slot 182 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
A quarterback of that caliber at pick No. 188 is the definition of value, full stop. A need, and now a little less of one.
Erick All is a better player than pick 224 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It fills a real need, too.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Jase McClellan in the 232nd overall pick. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.