B
New England Patriots
The Patriots won the night they stopped McClellan from sliding. Grade: B.
by Biggs7079 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 10 picks
· 4 steals
· 1 reaches
You can draft well and still miss the point. The Patriots did plenty of tidy work and somehow never got around to edge rusher, which was the need that mattered most. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B.
McClellan falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. They will need Wilson to outplay his draft slot in a hurry to justify it. The dealing tilted against them, just enough to notice.
The roster is better shaped than it was, with wide receiver chief among the fixes.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
In pick 7 they get a matchup weapon at tight end. A real need, handled.
They read the board right and Amarius Mims was the payoff at slot 34. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Adonai Mitchell in pick No. 38 is fine work, a shade of surplus and no downside. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
They liked Roman Wilson enough to skip the value, taking him in No. 68. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Blake Fisher at the Round 4 slot nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
No drama and no debate, Jaheim Bell went about where he belonged in the 136th overall pick. It fills a real need, too.
No edge and no loss on Josh Proctor in Round 6, Pick 9; it is a wash and a sensible one. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
The board had Michael Barrett higher than the 196th pick, and the linebacker fell to them anyway. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Jontrey Hunter in the 229th overall pick. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Jase McClellan in slot 235 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. A need, and now a little less of one.