B-
New England Patriots
Maye is the Patriots' new face under center. Grade: B-.
by NE4EVER ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 1 steals
· 2 reaches
You can hear the double-takes from here. The Patriots took Austin Stogner at slot 231, roughly 117 spots before his name belonged. Good, not great, and the B- says as much.
Whatever Drake Maye becomes, the front office has tied its fortunes to the answer. The safety spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at. Getting Barton where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the safety spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 3 they get the arm they will build around. A real need, handled.
The board had Graham Barton higher than the Round 2 slot, and the offensive lineman fell to them anyway. The roster fit checks out.
Devontez Walker in No. 68 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Caelen Carson in the 103rd overall pick is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
A tidy little value on Christian Jones in Round 5, Pick 1, a step better than break-even. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Nothing to complain about; Grayson Murphy went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Myles Murphy in slot 193, miles early. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Value said wait; Austin Stogner in pick 231 says they were not listening. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.