A
New England Patriots
The Patriots let Pearsall fall and pounced. Final grade: A.
by Milk ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 8 steals
· 0 reaches
The Patriots spent the weekend waiting on one name, and it fell: Ricky Pearsall, the No. 59 name on the board, in the Round 4 slot. A near-flawless weekend of work, and a A to cap it.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. That interior defensive lineman hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
Bottom line, they left the weekend a clearly better team, and they earned every bit of it.
Pick-by-Pick
In No. 21 they get a long-term starter on the line at a price that makes it sweeter. A real need, handled.
They did well to land Bo Nix in the 34th pick, just ahead of his grade. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Xavier Legette at the Round 2 slot is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Nice patience on Payton Wilson, who had no business lasting to pick 68. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
You do not let a wide receiver like Ricky Pearsall reach the 103rd overall pick and blink. They did not. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
A cornerback of that caliber at slot 137 is the definition of value, full stop. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Somehow Jarrian Jones was still sitting there in pick No. 180, and they pounced on premier cornerback value. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.
Grayson Murphy in Round 6, Pick 18 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Nathaniel Watson in Round 7, Pick 11 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.