B-
New England Patriots
The Patriots finally solved quarterback, and it carried them to a B-.
by Biggs7079 ·
2024 NFL Draft
· 7 picks
· 3 steals
· 0 reaches
They finally answered the question that shadows every other one. Drake Maye is the Patriots' quarterback, full stop. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B-.
Simpson falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
Job largely done: wide receiver settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered. The offense got the lion's share of the attention.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
A market-rate quarterback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Drake Maye. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
A tidy little value on Brian Thomas Jr. in the 34th pick, a step better than break-even. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
The board had Ja'Tavion Sanders higher than Round 3, Pick 4, and the tight end fell to them anyway. A need, and now a little less of one.
Matt Goncalves at pick 104 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
No drama and no debate, Will Shipley went about where he belonged in slot 136. It fills a real need, too.
Jaylin Simpson at the Round 6 slot is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
You do not let an offensive lineman like Christian Jones reach the 229th overall pick and blink. They did not. The roster fit checks out.