Patriots
The Patriots’ decision to go offense-heavy with their eight picks was applauded by many.
If the 2024 NFL Draft was a test for Eliot Wolf to become the Patriots’ full-time general manager, many believe he aced it.
New England’s 2024 draft haul received strong grades from draft evaluators, with many handing the Patriots an “A-” or better for what they did over the weekend.
Of course, Drake Maye is the headliner of the Patriots’ draft class, with New England picking its next quarterback with the third overall pick. But the Patriots supplemented him with talent throughout the weekend, using seven of their eight total picks on offensive players.
Wolf and Co.’s decision to address that side of the ball after a brutal showing in 2023 (30th in yards, tied for last in scoring) was widely lauded, adding two receivers and two offensive linemen in the first four rounds of the draft.
Here’s how experts graded the Patriots 2024 NFL Draft class.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: B
Kiper was one of the evaluators who gave the Patriots a grade lower than an A, but he still liked their class as the “B” grade is tied for 10th among other teams. He liked the Patriots’ selection of Maye, but believed Ja’Lynn Polk and Caedan Wallace might have been reaches as second- and third-round picks, respectively. He wrote that he only had Patriots fourth-round pick and receiver Javon Baker ranked 10 spots lower than Polk in his overall rankings.
“While I didn’t love the value of wideout Ja’Lynn Polk (pick No. 37) high in Round 2, there are no doubts about his college production and potential,” Kiper wrote. “Can he develop into a solid No. 2 for Maye?
“New England reached for offensive tackle Caedan Wallace (68), though there was a run at the position and teams were scooping tackles up quickly,” Kiper added. “Layden Robinson (103) has extremely long arms for a guard, but he lacked concentration at times and was inconsistent as a run-blocker. I have him at No. 177 in my rankings.”
Still, Kiper was like many who were happy to see New England go offense-heavy in this year’s draft.
“Wolf hit this roster’s biggest needs with his top picks and now has a quarterback to build around,” Kiper wrote. “I don’t expect the Patriots to be a great team this season, but at least their offense will be fun to watch.”
NFL Media’s Chad Reuter: B
Similar to Kiper, Reuter also gave the Patriots a solid grade, even if it wasn’t as high as many others, due to their Day 2 selections.
“The selections of Polk and Wallace addressed needs for the Patriots, but we’ll see if staying put in the second round to take Ladd McConkey — instead of trading down — and focusing on a different position early in Round 3 would have been better choices,” Reuter wrote, referring to the trade the Patriots made with the Chargers at the start of Day 2.
After giving the Patriots an “A-” grade for their selection of Maye, Reuter graded their Day 2 as a “C.” Reuter gave the Patriots a “B” for their five selections on Day 3 though, writing that he believed fourth-round guard Layden Robinson “should have been a third-round pick.” He also wouldn’t be surprised if Baker would up being as good as Polk due to “his ability to win downfield.”
Baker led the FBS in yards per reception (min. 30 receptions) in 2023 with 21.9 yards per reception, recording 52 receptions for 1,139 yards and seven touchdowns.
Bleacher Report: A
The Patriots were one of seven teams to receive an “A” grade or better from Bleacher Report’s scouting department, which actually had Maye ranked as its top quarterback prospect in this year’s draft.
Blecher Report’s scouting department believed that the Patriots did a “good job” of supporting Maye throughout the weekend, writing that Polk’s skill set matches Maye’s passing ability.
“Polk is a ball-winning No. 2 WR in the NFL,” Klassen wrote. “He can dunk on DBs down the field and in the red zone, as well as serve as an underneath bully type on the outside to help move the chains.”
Polk had 69 receptions for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns last season, lining up on the inside and outside for Washington.
Sikkema was also a big fan of the Patriots’ decision to stay at No. 3 and draft Maye due to his “high-end arm talent.” Unlike other who didn’t give the Patriots an “A” grade, Sikkema liked the selection of Polk.
“Polk is a quarterback-friendly target who is also a willing and engaged run-blocker,” Sikkema wrote. “He produced an 82nd-percentile drop rate and a 73rd-percentile contested catch rate in his college career.”
However, he didn’t like the selection of Wallace, mentioning that he was ranked 142nd on PFF’s big board.
The Ringer’s Danny Kelly: A
Kelly gave the Patriots one of the highest marks in the draft simply because they “did exactly what you’d hope a team that needs to build its offense from the ground up would do.”
Maye was Kelly’s second-ranked quarterback and while Polk was his 11th-ranked pass catcher, Kelly wrote that he’s “one of my favorite receivers in this class.” He was particularly intrigued by the Patriots’ selection of Baker.
“He’s a twitchy route runner who can get vertical and separate,” Kelly wrote of Baker.
Baker has already captured Patriots’ fans attention, telling reporters Saturday to “Bring y’all popcorn. I make people in wheelchairs stand up.”
Yahoo! Sports’ Charles McDonald: A-
McDonald applauded the Patriots’ offense-heavy approach, writing that “ould be the foundation for a new run of excellence in New England” if even one of the picks hit.
While McDonald liked the Polk and Baker selections, he viewed the selection of Maye as the team’s best decision over the weekend.
“Home run,” McDonald wrote of the Patriots’ decision to draft Maye. “The Patriots didn’t overthink it and took the quarterback prospect who fell into their laps. Maye has all the same tools as the elite quarterbacks in the game today, with a much higher floor than people give him credit for. Most likely it’s going to be a difficult rookie year for him because the Patriots’ roster is so far away, but Jerod Mayo has his quarterback to work with to start his reign as the Patriots’ head coach.”
McDonald’s least favorite selection made by the Patriots was using a fourth-round pick on Robinson, believing it was a reach. Robinson, who started at right guard at Texas A&M for the last three seasons, allowing just one sack and 10 pressures in 2023, per PFF.
Fox Sports: B+
Fox Sports’ NFL staff liked the Patriots’ decision to immediately give Maye some extra offensive talent in the draft.
“Drake Maye didn’t have the support he needed when the Patriots took him third overall,” Fox Sports’ Henry McKenna wrote. “And a prospect like Maye — who is high risk, high reward — will need plenty of support to reach his potential. So it’s worth crediting executive Eliot Wolf for spending the next four picks (a second, third and two fourths) on offensive players. New England added receivers Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker.”
CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso: A
Trapasso liked the majority of the selections the Patriots made throughout the draft, with their picks of Wallace (C-) and Joe Milton (C+) being the only ones to garner a grade lower than a B-.
“The first non-Bill Belichick draft in 20-plus years for the Patriots went … amazingly. I’m serious,” Trapasso wrote. “Maye at No. 3. Spectacular. Polk is a fun, versatile piece who tracks the ball awesomely, as does the fourth-round pick Baker, who has future No. 1 wideout upside.”
Trappaso wrote that the Patriots’ final selection of Florida State tight end Jaheim Bell was “the steal of the seventh-round” due to his ability to create yards after reception. He had 39 receptions for 503 yards and two touchdowns last season.
USA Today’s Nate Davis: B-
Davis probably had the lowest assessment of the Patriots’ draft among anyone here. He liked drafting Maye, but questioned the Day 2 moves as he ranked their draft class 21st.
“An offense awash in WR2s took another in Washington WR2 Ja’Lynn Polk, Odunze’s understudy … though fourth-round WR Javon Baker of Central Florida could be a steal here,” Davis wrote. “And the team is apparently hoping third-round OT Caedan Wallace, a right tackle exclusively at Penn State, can man the left side in front of Maye. Hmmm.”
Wolf told reporters Friday that the team’s going to try Wallace at left tackle, believing that his size and athleticism could help him make the transition. He added that Jets first-round pick Olu Fashanu playing left tackle at Penn State was also the biggest reason why he didn’t play the position.
Washington Post’s Mark Maske: B+
Maske, who was more conservative in dishing out high grades as only two teams earned an “A-” or better, wrote that the Patriots were “absolutely correct” to not trade down and take Maye with the third pick. He was also a fan of the Patriots decision to focus on the offense, particularly liking the Milton selection as he wrote that his arm strength makes him an interesting prospect.
“This was an excellent start for the Patriots’ new front-office leader, Eliot Wolf, and their first-year coach, Jerod Mayo, as the franchise begins the post-Bill Belichick era,” Maske wrote.
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