A-
New England Patriots
The Patriots turned the phones into found money: A-.
by Wheels ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 14 picks
· 5 steals
· 6 reaches
Somewhere a scout is still blinking. The Patriots spent pick No. 184 on Bub Means, a name the board had a full 77 spots lower.
They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. However the rest shakes out, Wiley at that price is a win they earned. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman.
The Patriots clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before.
Bottom line, with Brian Thomas Jr. leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In the 27th overall pick they get a go-to option on the outside at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
They jumped the gun on J.J. McCarthy, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Troy Fautanu at pick 35 is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Xavier Worthy at Round 2, Pick 14 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Jaylen Wright at the 68th pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. A need, and now a little less of one.
A real head-scratcher, Theo Johnson in pick No. 82 is miles ahead of his ranking. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Kris Abrams-Draine in the Round 4 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Christian Mahogany in pick No. 118 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It fills a real need, too.
Fair-plus on Mohamed Kamara, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
A market-rate cornerback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Jarrian Jones. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Kamal Hadden is a better player than Round 6, Pick 7 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
They left a pile of value on the table to take Bub Means this early at the 184th overall pick. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A wild overpay on Devin Leary in slot 222, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Taking Jared Wiley in No. 229 is close to grand larceny; a tight end that good had no business lasting this long. The roster fit checks out.