A
New England Patriots
Grand theft in slot 152: the Patriots steal Puni and grade out a A.
by Milk ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 7 steals
· 0 reaches
Somewhere a general manager is explaining how Dominick Puni got past him. The Patriots do not have to explain a thing at Round 5, Pick 16.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. The Patriots indulged a want in Tampa while a need in edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots stayed open.
They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. The Patriots paired the rookies with proven help, James Conner leading the way.
Add it up and few war rooms did better this weekend, JC Latham and all.
Pick-by-Pick
A clean, defensible pick in the 21st overall pick with a little surplus value in JC Latham. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Good price on Bo Nix in Round 2, Pick 3, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Cooper DeJean slipping to the Round 2 slot is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Xavier Worthy at pick 76 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, T.J. Tampa adds a cornerback and leaves edge rusher, interior defensive lineman and other spots untouched.
You do not let a safety like Renardo Green reach slot 99 and blink. They did not. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Dominick Puni in the 152nd pick is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Walter Rouse at pick No. 222 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Circle this one: Tatum Bethune at pick No. 254 is a fall that decides a draft. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.