B
New England Patriots
Quarterback settled, McCarthy in the fold, and a B for the Patriots.
by Rob ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 15 picks
· 2 steals
· 9 reaches
Somewhere a scout is still blinking. The Patriots spent pick 180 on Kimani Vidal, a name the board had a full 73 spots lower.
The whole projection now runs through J.J. McCarthy; hit there and everything else looks smarter. They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. The Jones value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 11th pick they get a long-term starter on the line at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
In slot 24 they get the arm they will build around. A real need, handled.
Cooper DeJean is a better player than No. 35 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
Christian Mahogany at the 68th overall pick is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Leonard Taylor III. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Value said wait; Johnny Wilson in pick No. 104 says they were not listening. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They paid a round early for Christian Jones in pick 121, more than the board wanted. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Elijah Jones at slot 137 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Luke McCaffrey in the 145th overall pick is fair value, right on his grade. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
A real head-scratcher, Ryan Flournoy in Round 5, Pick 26 is miles ahead of his ranking. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
A wild overpay on Kimani Vidal in the Round 6 slot, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A need, and now a little less of one.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jordan Magee in the 193rd pick, miles early. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
Josiah Ezirim at pick No. 226 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Donovan Jennings in No. 231 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Rasheen Ali well ahead of where he belonged. The roster fit checks out.