B+
New England Patriots
Williams is the plan now, and the Patriots grade out a B+.
by Rob ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 1 steals
· 4 reaches
Some picks age like wine; Cornelius Johnson at pick 229 will need to, sitting 151 spots clear of his grade. A dependable weekend that grades out a B+.
Whatever Caleb Williams becomes, the front office has tied its fortunes to the answer. They won the margins on every swap, and it adds up fast. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman.
Getting McKinstry where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
Caleb Williams at slot 9 is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A need, and now a little less of one.
Kool-Aid McKinstry in No. 34 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A minor itch, scratched.
Blake Corum at pick 68 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It fills a real need, too.
Christian Mahogany at the Round 3 slot is a conviction pick that outran the value. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
They went early on Darius Robinson in the 104th overall pick, and the value did not follow. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They reached into another round for Christian Jones, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Cornelius Johnson at the 229th pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.