Every so often the board makes a mistake, and the Patriots were there to profit. Cody Simon, the No. 125 name on the board, should have been long gone before the 220th overall pick. A mixed bag that lands at C+.

They covered a lot of ground and still skipped edge rusher, which is a strange place to end up. Every board in the league had Lachey lower, and that gap is the story.

They went 5 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for. The dealing tilted against them, just enough to notice.

If Tetairoa McMillan and a couple of the gambles land, hindsight will be kinder than this grade.