drubaca'S MOCK DRAFT
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Chess Not Checkers

  • drubaca DRAFTING FOR THE
    Patriots
Draft Selections
Olumuyiwa Fashanu Head Shot
PICK: 12 RND: 1 (NE)
Olumuyiwa Fashanu
OT Penn State
Brian Thomas Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 23 RND: 1 (NE)
Brian Thomas Jr.
WR LSU
Amarius Mims Head Shot
PICK: 31 RND: 1 (NE)
Amarius Mims
OT Georgia
Cade Stover Head Shot
PICK: 68 RND: 3 (NE)
Cade Stover
TE Ohio State
Mike Sainristil Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (NE)
Mike Sainristil
CB Michigan
Jordan Travis Head Shot
PICK: 103 RND: 4 (NE)
Jordan Travis
QB Florida State
Ainias Smith Head Shot
PICK: 137 RND: 5 (NE)
Ainias Smith
WR Texas A&M
Tommy Eichenberg Head Shot
PICK: 147 RND: 5 (NE)
Tommy Eichenberg
LB Ohio State
Kamal Hadden Head Shot
PICK: 180 RND: 6 (NE)
Kamal Hadden
CB Tennessee
Kendall Milton Head Shot
PICK: 193 RND: 6 (NE)
Kendall Milton
RB Georgia
Jalen Coker Head Shot
PICK: 231 RND: 7 (NE)
Jalen Coker
WR Holy Cross
Draft Picks Received
Olumuyiwa Fashanu Head Shot
PICK: 12 RND: 1 (DEN)
Olumuyiwa Fashanu
OT Penn State
Brian Thomas Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 23 RND: 1 (MIN)
Brian Thomas Jr.
WR LSU
Amarius Mims Head Shot
PICK: 31 RND: 1 (SF)
Amarius Mims
OT Georgia
Mike Sainristil Head Shot
PICK: 76 RND: 3 (DEN)
Mike Sainristil
CB Michigan
Tommy Eichenberg Head Shot
PICK: 147 RND: 5 (DEN)
Tommy Eichenberg
LB Ohio State
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 4 (DEN)
NEXT YEAR (2025)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 6 (DEN)
NEXT YEAR (2025)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Malik Nabers Head Shot
PICK: 3 RND: 1 (MIN)
Malik Nabers
WR LSU
Troy Franklin Head Shot
PICK: 34 RND: 2 (SF)
Troy Franklin
WR Oregon
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 2 (ARI)
NEXT YEAR (2025)
 
Draft Grade — Patriots
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB TradesB- FutureC
More right than wrong for the Patriots, and a B- to prove it.

The Patriots clearly saw something nobody else did in Jordan Travis, taking him 69 picks ahead of his grade. The board is not convinced. They moved the roster forward and banked a B- for it.

They punted on edge rusher, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Hadden falling to them is the kind of break a good board is built to catch. Job largely done: wide receiver settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered.

A competent weekend that does not make headlines and does not need to.

Pick Analysis
Pick12 Rnd1 Olumuyiwa Fashanu
In the 12th overall pick they get a cornerstone up front. A real need, handled.
Pick23 Rnd1 Brian Thomas Jr.
In the Round 1 slot they get a weapon on the perimeter at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick31 Rnd1 Amarius Mims
In pick 31 they get a long-term starter on the line. A clean fit for the roster.
Pick68 Rnd3 Cade Stover
Cade Stover in slot 68 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The roster fit checks out.
Pick76 Rnd3 Mike Sainristil
Mike Sainristil at pick No. 76 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A minor need, but a need all the same.
Pick103 Rnd4 Jordan Travis
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Jordan Travis. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
Pick137 Rnd5 Ainias Smith
Ainias Smith in No. 137 is fair value, right on his grade. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
Pick147 Rnd5 Tommy Eichenberg
They paid sticker price for Tommy Eichenberg in the Round 5 slot, and that is fine. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
Pick180 Rnd6 Kamal Hadden
Kamal Hadden is a better player than pick No. 180 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
Pick193 Rnd6 Kendall Milton
A reach on Kendall Milton in slot 193; the board had better options right there. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
Pick231 Rnd7 Jalen Coker
This one needs a full-page explanation: Jalen Coker in the 231st pick, miles early. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.