B-
New England Patriots
Nothing loud, just a tidy B- for the Patriots.
by J-KC ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 1 steals
· 2 reaches
For all the names on the card, the loudest question went unanswered. The Patriots walked out of the weekend still thin at edge rusher, a hole that has a way of deciding seasons. They moved the roster forward and banked a B- for it.
However the rest shakes out, Corum at that price is a win they earned. The cost of the Milton III reach is exactly the players who went right after him. A modest surplus at the table, banked quietly.
The roster is better shaped than it was, with wide receiver chief among the fixes.
A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a No. 1 receiver at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
In the 23rd overall pick they get an anchor for the offensive line. A real need, handled.
Cooper DeJean at the 34th pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Fair-plus on Keon Coleman, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Cade Stover in pick No. 68 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
The board fumbled Blake Corum all the way to pick 103, and they scooped it up. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They took Roger Rosengarten at par in slot 137, which is nothing to complain about. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Joe Milton III in No. 180, miles early. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A straight-up fair deal on Justin Rogers at pick No. 193, value and slot in agreement. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A conviction pick on Josh Proctor at the Round 7 slot that the board grades a round light. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.