B+
New England Patriots
The Patriots left with their quarterback, and a B+ to match.
by Rob ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 3 steals
· 4 reaches
Start where it matters. The Patriots took Jayden Daniels to run the offense for the next decade, and every other decision this weekend bends around that one.
If McLachlan pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. They banked enough surplus on Bullard to cover a lot of smaller sins. They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own.
The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 7 they get the face of the franchise at fair value. A real need, handled.
Steal is underselling it; Olumuyiwa Fashanu at Round 2, Pick 2 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Rome Odunze in the Round 2 slot should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
A reach for Christian Mahogany in pick No. 68; a little patience would have been rewarded. The roster fit checks out.
Taking Javon Bullard in the 103rd pick is close to grand larceny; a safety that good had no business lasting this long. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Javon Baker. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Christian Jones at No. 182 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
They talked themselves into Tanner McLachlan at the 224th overall pick, and the board did not agree. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.