B
New England Patriots
The Patriots worked the phones like thieves and earned a B.
by the cat ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 8 picks
· 1 steals
· 2 reaches
Give the war room a raise for the dealing alone. The Patriots came out ahead on every exchange that mattered, and it was not close.
The James pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots. A whole weekend of picks and edge rusher is somehow still a want. Every board in the league had Worthy lower, and that gap is the story.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 7th overall pick they get a red-zone target to build around. A real need, handled.
A reach on J.J. McCarthy in the Round 2 slot; the board had better options right there. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
A wild overpay on Xavier Worthy in pick No. 38, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Cam Hart at Round 3, Pick 31 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
A curious use of No. 98. Edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots needed the pick; a cornerback in DJ James did not.
They took Audric Estime at par in the 104th pick, which is nothing to complain about. The roster fit checks out.
By-the-book stuff, Cornelius Johnson at slot 182 squarely in line with his ranking. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
They paid sticker price for Keaton Bills in pick 229, and that is fine. It fills a real need, too.