B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots bet the future on Milton III. The board says B-.
by Rob ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 3 steals
· 5 reaches
There is reaching, and then there is Joe Milton III at slot 23. The Patriots jumped the board by 178 and dared it to prove them wrong. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
Joe Milton III is the bet, and the class will be judged on how it pays off. For all the activity, edge rusher went untouched, which is hard to explain. The Latham pick alone nudges the whole weekend up a notch.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick No. 11 they get a difference-maker at receiver, outstanding value to boot. The biggest hole, addressed.
In Round 1, Pick 23 they get a long-term answer under center, though the board says they badly overpaid.
Circle this one: JC Latham at pick 34 is a fall that decides a draft. The roster fit checks out.
Christian Mahogany in slot 68 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
The board had cheaper options than Leonard Taylor III at the 103rd pick, and it noticed. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
They paid a round early for Tyrone Tracy Jr. in No. 137, more than the board wanted. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
They took Cornelius Johnson at par in slot 180, which is nothing to complain about. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Ryan Flournoy at the 193rd pick is a conviction pick that outran the value. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A tidy bit of business in pick No. 231, where Jordan Magee graded well above the range. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.