A-
New England Patriots
The Patriots worked the phones like thieves and earned a A-.
by stan ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 18 picks
· 9 steals
· 6 reaches
The move everyone will second-guess came early. The Patriots reached some 85 spots for Braden Fiske, and value like that does not grow back. Just about everything broke right, and the A- follows.
Getting Nelson where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. They will answer for taking cornerback early while safety went begging.
The safety spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
Bottom line, with Joe Alt leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
In the Round 1 slot they get a long-term starter on the line. A real need, handled.
A wide receiver of that caliber at No. 34 is the definition of value, full stop. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
Terrion Arnold in Round 2, Pick 3 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went cornerback with T.J. Tampa while clear needs at safety sat open.
Steal is underselling it; Keon Coleman at pick No. 67 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
You do not let an offensive lineman like Jordan Morgan reach the 69th overall pick and blink. They did not. It fills a real need, too.
Gabriel Murphy in pick No. 84 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Braden Fiske well ahead of where he belonged. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
A surprising call. With safety still to address, they spent No. 105 on D.J. James, a cornerback they were not short of.
They read the board right and Will Shipley was the payoff at the Round 4 slot. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
They reached into another round for Ben Sinnott, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. The roster fit checks out.
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jaylan Ford in slot 140, miles early. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
Omar Speights at Round 6, Pick 5 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A want more than a need, though you can never have too many.
Somehow Cody Schrader was still sitting there in the 198th overall pick, and they pounced on premier running back value. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
They barely believed it either: Jack Nelson still on the board at the 223rd overall pick. A need, and now a little less of one.
Graham Mertz in slot 224 is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Sam Hartman at No. 238 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Frank Gore Jr. at pick No. 248 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.