WalterFootball.com: NFL Draft Grades - New England Patriots

2024 Pick 3. (R:1 P:3) - Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina A- There was great speculation that the Patriots would trade out of this pick, but they were never going to accept any offers that wouldn't blow them away. The reason is simple - the Patriots were desperate for a franchise quarterback and happened to be in position to draft one. Drake Maye is riskier than the two quarterbacks chosen before him, but he has immense upside. The Patriots made a wise decision to draft him over any of the other options.

2024 Pick 37. (R:2 P:5) - Ja'Lynn Polk, WR, Washington A I love when teams can take a prospect at a spot, but trade down and still get that player. This is what the Patriots did, so they should be graded highly for it. Ja'Lynn Polk makes sense here as a second-round prospect, and he fills a need. New England did well to move up into Day 2 and still acquire him.

2024 Pick 68. (R:3 P:4) - Caedan Wallace, OT, Penn State
C- This reminds me of the Bill Belichick days when Belichick would just throw his arms up in the air and draft players way ahead of schedule because his big board was blown up. We had Caeden Wallace firmly as a third-day player, so this is a reach for sure. I like adding a lineman for Drake Maye, but Wallace could have been chosen later.

2024 Pick 103. (R:4 P:3) - Layden Robinson, G, Texas A&M A Teams are off to a great start to begin Day 3. The Patriots need to protect Drake Maye because their offensive line has been so dreadful lately. I've had Layden Robinson slotted on Day 2 of my mock draft, so I love this value.

2024 Pick 180. (R:6 P:4) - Marcellas Dial, CB, South Carolina
A+ The Patriots are taking a break from addressing the offense to go to defense. They're getting a stellar value, so it's easy to understand way. Marcellas Dial could have gone in the third round with no complaints, so this is a steal.

2024 Pick 193. (R:6 P:17) - Joe Milton, QB, Tennessee C- This is a stupid pick. Joe Milton has a massive arm, but his decision-making in the pocket is horrendous. He's a long-term project, but the Patriots will be developing Drake Maye. New England should have given Maye more to work with instead of competition.

2024 Pick 231. (R:7 P:11) - Jaheim Bell, TE, Florida State A+ I thought Jaheim Bell would go two or even three rounds earlier than this, so I love the value. I also like the need fit, as Hunter Henry is now in his 30s and will need to be replaced soon.

2023 Pick 14. (R:1 P:14) - Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia B Mike Tomlin wanted to upgrade his secondary. The front office wanted to solidify the offensive line. The front office wins. Maybe. Broderick Jones has huge upside, but he has a much lower floor than the other three offensive linemen selected so far. This is a risky move, especially given the trade up, but I don't blame the Steelers for making the pick because Kenny Pickett needed better protection to take the next step.

2023 Pick 46. (R:2 P:15) - Keion White, DE/OLB, Georgia Tech A The Patriots have numerous expiring contracts at defensive end in the next couple of years, so they had to find a pass rusher for the long haul. Keion White had a slight chance to be a first-round pick, so I think this is a great value pick for Bill Belichick, who is having a great draft thus far.

2023 Pick 76. (R:3 P:13) - Marte Mapu, LB, Sacramento State
F What is this, seriously? The Patriots could have moved down two rounds and drafted Marte Mapu. I didn't even have him as a definite pick in all seven rounds. Bill Belichick loves going off the board like he did last year with Cole Strange, and this is another instance of that.

2023 Pick 107. (R:4 P:5) - Jake Andrews, C, Troy
C Patriots fans can't be upset with the team drafting an offensive lineman, given how bad the blocking was last year. However, Bill Belichick is going off the board again, as Jake Andrews was a borderline draftable prospect. New England should have traded down.

2023 Pick 117. (R:4 P:15) - Sidy Sow, G,
D Talk about going off the draft board. I never once considered putting Sidy Sow in the seventh round of my mock draft, so the Patriots are just beginning the UDFA segment early. At least they addressed the offensive line...

2023 Pick 135. (R:4 P:33) - Aidan O'Connell, QB, Purdue
A- Josh McDaniels said he wanted a quarerback for the long haul, so here he is. Aidan O'Connell has a good arm and really improved his accuracy last year. I like this pick, as I had O'Connell going 24 selections earlier.

2023 Pick 184. (R:6 P:7) - Zaire Barnes, OLB,
C I didn't have Zaire Barnes mocked in any of my updates. He's a solid tackler and blitzer, but is a limited athlete and not very instinctive as a linebacker, which is a problem.

2023 Pick 187. (R:6 P:10) - Kayshon Boutte, WR, LSU A Kayshon Boutte was considered a first-round prospect this time last year. He then disappointed production-wise at LSU, and then proceeded to test very poorly at the combine. Still, he's well worth drafting at this point, especially given the Patriots' poor receiving room.

2023 Pick 192. (R:6 P:15) - Bryce Baringer, P, Michigan State
B I'm not going to bash a punter pick in the sixth round. Punters, like kickers, are abominations, but you can draft an abomination in the sixth round. This is much better than a kicker in the third round.

2023 Pick 210. (R:6 P:33) - Demario Douglas, WR,
B Demario Douglas is at his best when running after the catch. However, he's a smaller wideout at 5-8, 179. This caused him to fall, but I'm fine with the Patriots taking him here.

2022 Pick 29. (R:1 P:29) - Cole Strange, G, Chattanooga
MILLEN Grade
Our first Millen grade of the 2022 NFL Draft is by ... the Patriots!? Wow! I don't get this at all. Bill Belichick easily could've made this selection in the second round, or maybe even the third. I had Cole Strange 144th in my mock draft. I looked around to see if I was just way off, and Charlie Campbell had Strange 115th. Going off-side, Dane Brugler had Strange 93rd. Did Belichick think we were in the third round? I don't understand this pick at all.

2022 Pick 50. (R:2 P:18) - Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor
MILLEN Grade
I'm convinced Bill Belichick is on drugs. He spent a first-round pick on a third-round guard, and now he traded up for a fifth-round prospect in the second frame. Belichick could've traded down for Thornton and still acquired him! I don't understand what's happening, but if Belichick keeps making these horrible picks, I'm going to have to re-name MILLEN to BELICHICK.

2022 Pick 85. (R:3 P:21) - Marcus Jones, CB, Houston
B Grade
I expected Bill Belichick to draft a 2024 UDFA at this rate, but he finally didn't reach. Marcus Jones is someone I always tried to move up in my mock draft. He makes sense in the third round, and he obviously fills a need after New England lost J.C. Jackson.

2022 Pick 121. (R:4 P:16) - Jack Jones, CB, Arizona State
C+ Grade
Surprise, surprise, the Patriots reached for a player! It's not as bad to do so on Day 3, but I had Jack Jones in the sixth or seventh round in some of my updates. He thrived at the combine, but he could have been chosen later than this. Still, it makes sense that New England would take a cornerback, and Bill Belichick knows a thing or two about players at that position.

2022 Pick 127. (R:4 P:22) - Pierre Strong Jr., RB, South Dakota State
C- Grade
Bill Belichick might send me hate mail after this draft, but I don't like this pick either. Pierre Strong is a bit of a reach, and the Patriots have no need for a running back with so much talent at the position.

2022 New England Patriots - Prospect:TBD

2022 Pick 201. (R:6 P:22) - Keontay Ingram, RB, USC
A- Grade
I had Keontay Ingram a round earlier than this, so I like the value. Ingram is a nice receiving back, which is crucial because Arizona lost Chase Edmonds this offseason.

2022 New England Patriots - Prospect:TBD

2021 Pick 15. (R:1 P:15) - Mac Jones, QB, Alabama D Grade
Yuck. I can't fail the Patriots because they're getting "value" with a quarterback some thought would go third overall. That said, several teams we spoke to had Jones in the second round. One had him pegged as a third-day prospect! Jones is an Andy Dalton with DUIs. There's no upside with him. He'll need to be surrounded with an all-star cast to reach the playoffs consistently, which was the exact case with Dalton.

2021 Pick 46. (R:2 P:14) - Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson A+ Grade
I love this pick. Back in February, some league sources told us that Jackson Carman could sneak into the opening round. He obviously didn't, so the Bengals are getting awesome value with Carman, especially when considering that they traded down eight spots. They had to improve their offensive line to protect Joe Burrow, and they did just that with Carman.

2021 Pick 96. (R:3 P:32) - Ronnie Perkins, DE, Oklahoma B Grade
Ronnie Perkins figures to be a productive edge rusher in the NFL, but he'll have to be a situational player because he'll get killed in run support. Still, the pick makes sense because the Patriots are now chasing the Bills, so they need to pressure Josh Allen as much as possible. I'm a bit concerned with Perkins' off-the-field issues, but this is still a solid pick.

2021 Pick 120. (R:4 P:15) - Rhamondre Stevenson, RB, Oklahoma B Grade
The Patriots have addressed the backfield again, which isn't a big surprise because neither Damien Harris nor Sony Michel has been overly impressive. I've had Rhamondre Stevenson in this range, so this pick makes sense to me.

2021 Pick 122. (R:4 P:17) - Tyler Shelvin, DT, LSU B+ Grade
I wonder if Joe Burrow demanded Tyler Shelvin as well. Shelvin is a monstrous nose tackle who can help stop the run. Remember, the Bengals haven't beaten Lamar Jackson yet, so this should help them stop Baltimore's rushing attack. This is the right range for Shelvin.

2021 Pick 139. (R:4 P:34) - D'Ante Smith, OT, East Carolina A Grade
It's no surprise that the Bengals are drafting another offensive lineman so that Joe Burrow, coming off a knee injury, is as well protected as possible. I've had D'Ante Smith pegged around the third frame, so the Bengals seem to be getting strong value with D'Ante Smith.

2021 Pick 177. (R:5 P:33) - Cameron McGrone, LB, Michigan
B Grade
The Patriots had severe issues at linebacker last year, so it's surprising that they waited this long to address the position. Cameron McGrone may have been slotted at the end of the fifth round of one of my updates, so the value is OK.

2021 Pick 188. (R:6 P:4) - Joshuah Bledsoe, S, Missouri
A- Grade
Joshuah Bledsoe was a solid tackler over his years in Missouri. I thought he would go in the third or fourth round, but he slipped to the Patriots in the sixth frame, so I consider this to be a great value pick. The Patriors needed young blood in the defensive backfield.

2021 Pick 197. (R:6 P:13) - William Sherman, G/OT, Colorado
C- Grade
Here's another player I never considered mocking. I had 500-plus players ranked, but William Sherman didn't make the cut. He likely could have been acquired as a UDFA.

2021 Pick 242. (R:7 P:14) - Tre Nixon, WR, Central Florida
B+ Grade
The Patriots' receiving corps is an abomination, so it's shocking that they waited this long to address the need. I had Tre Nixon in the final couple of rounds in some of my mock updates. He's a good athlete with some upside, so he could compete for some snaps.

2020 New England Patriots - Prospect:TBD

2019 New England Patriots - Prospect:TBD

2018 New England Patriots - Prospect:TBD

2017 New England Patriots - Prospect:TBD

2016 New England Patriots - Prospect:TBD

2015 New England Patriots - Prospect:TBD

2014 New England Patriots - Prospect:TBD

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