B
New England Patriots
The Patriots bet the future on Maye. The board says B.
by Rob ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 1 steals
· 2 reaches
It is the swing that defines the weekend: Josh Wallace in Round 7, Pick 11, a good 62 spots before the room expected him. They moved the roster forward and banked a B for it.
Drake Maye gives the offense a face and a plan, and the grade leans heavily on whether he hits. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it. Landing Tracy Jr. that late papers over a lot of smaller sins.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 5 they get their quarterback of the future. A clean fit for the roster.
Adonai Mitchell in slot 34 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A reasonable price with a little left over, Cooper Beebe in Round 3, Pick 4. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Trey Benson at the Round 3 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Good price on Christian Mahogany in the 103rd pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Tyrone Tracy Jr. slid further than he should have, and pick No. 137 is lovely value for the wide receiver. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A conviction pick on Ryan Flournoy at pick No. 180 that the board grades a round light. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
No edge and no loss on Nathan Thomas in the 193rd overall pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Josh Wallace. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.