B
New England Patriots
A franchise passer in Maye headlines a B weekend for the Patriots.
by Rob ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 13 picks
· 2 steals
· 6 reaches
The search is over. The Patriots handed the keys to Drake Maye, and the whole operation now runs on his development. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B.
If Taylor pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain.
Thomas Jr. falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get the arm they will build around. A real need, handled.
Amarius Mims is a better player than No. 34 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Brian Thomas Jr. in slot 35 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They reached into another round for Kingsley Suamataia, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Javon Bullard in Round 2, Pick 24 is fair value, right on his grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Cooper Beebe at pick No. 58 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
No edge and no loss on Trey Benson in the 68th overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Elijah Jones at pick 103 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
They paid up for Tyrone Tracy Jr. at pick No. 112 when waiting would have done the job. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They talked themselves into Sataoa Laumea at Round 5, Pick 1, and the board did not agree. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
By-the-book stuff, Luke McCaffrey at slot 148 squarely in line with his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Trey Taylor in the Round 6 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They liked Tyler Owens enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 231. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.