B
New England Patriots
The Patriots checked most of the boxes and earned a B.
by Rob ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 1 steals
· 5 reaches
Nobody had Josiah Ezirim this high, and it is not close. The Patriots reached 98 spots to get him at No. 193. Good, not great, and the B says as much.
Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Whatever else happened, they won the night they took Wiggins.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 5 they get a long-term starter on the line. A real need, handled.
The board had Nate Wiggins higher than the 34th pick, and the cornerback fell to them anyway. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Troy Franklin at No. 37 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Jaylen Wright in Round 3, Pick 4 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Christian Mahogany at pick No. 69 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. It fills a real need, too.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Christian Jones in the 103rd overall pick, miles early. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. at pick 137 is a conviction pick that outran the value. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Ryan Flournoy this early at the 180th overall pick. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Josiah Ezirim in pick No. 193 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Donovan Jennings at the Round 7 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.