A-
New England Patriots
The Patriots worked the phones like thieves and earned a A-.
by blueinarkansas4 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 11 picks
· 3 steals
· 2 reaches
Call it belief, call it a gut call, but Taulia Tagovailoa at the 174th overall pick is 115 spots clear of consensus, and that is the headline. It holds up to a second look, which is why it earns the A-.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. They punted on safety, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest.
The Sainristil pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with safety, running back and other spots still on the board. However the rest shakes out, Watson at that price is a win they earned.
Add it up and few war rooms did better this weekend, Kool-Aid McKinstry and all.
Pick-by-Pick
In slot 25 they get a press-man option on the boundary. More want than need.
Brian Thomas Jr. in No. 34 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
No edge and no loss on Kingsley Suamataia in Round 2, Pick 24; it is a wash and a sensible one. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
They took Jeremiah Trotter Jr. at par in the 68th pick, which is nothing to complain about. A minor itch, scratched.
Of all the spots to shop, they chose cornerback. Mike Sainristil in pick No. 87 leaves safety, running back and other spots for later.
Gabriel Murphy in the Round 4 slot is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Luke McCaffrey at No. 137 is a conviction pick that outran the value. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A big swing on Taulia Tagovailoa at Round 5, Pick 38, well ahead of any board in the building. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Jordan Jefferson in slot 180 is fair value, right on his grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
They paid sticker price for Trente Jones in pick No. 193, and that is fine. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
The board had Nathaniel Watson higher than the Round 7 slot, and the linebacker fell to them anyway. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.