B
New England Patriots
A solid, sensible weekend for the Patriots: B.
by Rob ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
The Jalen Sundell pick is the one that will follow the Patriots into the fall. They took him 57 spots ahead of his grade, and the board is not shy about saying so. No fireworks, but a solid B.
Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. The McCaffrey pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 5 they get a matchup problem out wide. The biggest hole, addressed.
They let Amarius Mims come to them and pounced at pick 34. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Brian Thomas Jr. at the Round 2 slot. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Christian Mahogany in Round 3, Pick 4, miles early. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Trey Benson. A need, and now a little less of one.
Christian Jones at the 104th pick is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Value said wait; Johnny Wilson in No. 106 says they were not listening. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
Michael Pratt in slot 136 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. It fills a real need, too.
They will replay Luke McCaffrey at pick 182 for years; that is how good the value is. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Jalen Sundell this early at the Round 7 slot. It patches a soft spot without any drama.