After circling the position for what felt like forever, the Patriots committed. Michael Penix Jr. is the quarterback now, and the roster gets built to his timeline.
Whatever else happened, they won the night they took Newton. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck.
They will need Hartman to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. Spending an early pick on cornerback with edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots open is the decision the grade keeps circling back to.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up.
In the end it comes back to Michael Penix Jr., and a haul good enough to build on right away.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.12
· Pick 12
· Michael Penix Jr.
· QB
· rank 9
In the Round 1 slot they get a long-term answer under center at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
R1.15
· Pick 15
· Rome Odunze
· WR
· rank 11
In pick No. 15 they get a difference-maker at receiver. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
R2.3
· Pick 35
· Kool-Aid McKinstry
· CB
· rank 19
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Kool-Aid McKinstry at Round 2, Pick 3. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R2.16
· Pick 48
· Tyler Guyton
· OT
· rank 40
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Tyler Guyton in No. 48. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R3.4
· Pick 68
· Adonai Mitchell
· WR
· rank 32
Adonai Mitchell at the 68th pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R3.18
· Pick 82
· Blake Fisher
· OT
· rank 100
Blake Fisher at pick 82 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R4.3
· Pick 103
· Tyrice Knight
· LB
· rank 115
They paid up for Tyrice Knight at slot 103 when waiting would have done the job. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
R4.16
· Pick 116
· Josh Newton
· CB
· rank 59
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went cornerback with Josh Newton while clear needs at edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots sat open.
R5.36
· Pick 172
· Daijun Edwards
· RB
· rank 132
Daijun Edwards at pick No. 172 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R6.7
· Pick 182
· Sam Hartman
· QB
· rank 211
They reached into another round for Sam Hartman, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It fills a real need, too.
R7.4
· Pick 224
· Trevor Keegan
· OG
· rank 234
Trevor Keegan at the Round 7 slot jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
