Wheels'S MOCK DRAFT

Trades galore

  • Wheels DRAFTING FOR THE
    Patriots
Draft Selections
Brian Thomas Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 27 RND: 1 (NE)
Brian Thomas Jr.
WR LSU
J.J. McCarthy Head Shot
PICK: 34 RND: 2 (NE)
J.J. McCarthy
QB Michigan
Troy Fautanu Head Shot
PICK: 35 RND: 2 (NE)
Troy Fautanu
OT Washington
Xavier Worthy Head Shot
PICK: 46 RND: 2 (NE)
Xavier Worthy
WR Texas
Jaylen Wright Head Shot
PICK: 68 RND: 3 (NE)
Jaylen Wright
RB Tennessee
Theo Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 82 RND: 3 (NE)
Theo Johnson
TE Penn State
Kris Abrams-Draine Head Shot
PICK: 104 RND: 4 (NE)
Kris Abrams-Draine
CB Missouri
Christian Mahogany Head Shot
PICK: 118 RND: 4 (NE)
Christian Mahogany
OG Boston College
Mohamed Kamara Head Shot
PICK: 136 RND: 4 (NE)
Mohamed Kamara
DL-EDGE Colorado State
Jarrian Jones Head Shot
PICK: 150 RND: 5 (NE)
Jarrian Jones
CB Florida State
Kamal Hadden Head Shot
PICK: 182 RND: 6 (NE)
Kamal Hadden
CB Tennessee
Bub Means Head Shot
PICK: 184 RND: 6 (NE)
Bub Means
WR Pittsburgh
Devin Leary Head Shot
PICK: 222 RND: 7 (NE)
Devin Leary
QB Kentucky
Jared Wiley Head Shot
PICK: 229 RND: 7 (NE)
Jared Wiley
TE TCU
Draft Picks Received
Brian Thomas Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 27 RND: 1 (ARI)
Brian Thomas Jr.
WR LSU
Troy Fautanu Head Shot
PICK: 35 RND: 2 (ARI)
Troy Fautanu
OT Washington
Xavier Worthy Head Shot
PICK: 46 RND: 2 (IND)
Xavier Worthy
WR Texas
Theo Johnson Head Shot
PICK: 82 RND: 3 (IND)
Theo Johnson
TE Penn State
Christian Mahogany Head Shot
PICK: 118 RND: 4 (IND)
Christian Mahogany
OG Boston College
Jarrian Jones Head Shot
PICK: 150 RND: 5 (IND)
Jarrian Jones
CB Florida State
Bub Means Head Shot
PICK: 184 RND: 6 (TEN)
Bub Means
WR Pittsburgh
Devin Leary Head Shot
PICK: 222 RND: 7 (ARI)
Devin Leary
QB Kentucky
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (IND)
NEXT YEAR (2025)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 1 (TEN)
NEXT YEAR (2025)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (ARI)
NEXT YEAR (2025)
 
Draft Picks Traded
Marvin Harrison Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 3 RND: 1 (TEN)
Marvin Harrison Jr.
WR Ohio State
Players Gained
Head Shot
Dennis Daley
OG
Head Shot
Blake Freeland
OT
Head Shot
Zack Moss
RB
Draft Grade — Patriots
Overall A-
ValueC+ NeedB TradesA+ FutureA+
The Patriots turned the phones into found money: A-.

Somewhere a scout is still blinking. The Patriots spent pick No. 184 on Bub Means, a name the board had a full 77 spots lower.

They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. However the rest shakes out, Wiley at that price is a win they earned. If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through interior defensive lineman.

The Patriots clearly valued win-now help, adding bodies who have done it before.

Bottom line, with Brian Thomas Jr. leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.

Pick Analysis
Pick27 Rnd1 Brian Thomas Jr.
In the 27th overall pick they get a go-to option on the outside at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
Pick34 Rnd2 J.J. McCarthy
They jumped the gun on J.J. McCarthy, taking him earlier than his grade liked. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
Pick35 Rnd2 Troy Fautanu
Troy Fautanu at pick 35 is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
Pick46 Rnd2 Xavier Worthy
Xavier Worthy at Round 2, Pick 14 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick68 Rnd3 Jaylen Wright
Jaylen Wright at the 68th pick is a clear overpay, with better names still on the board. A need, and now a little less of one.
Pick82 Rnd3 Theo Johnson
A real head-scratcher, Theo Johnson in pick No. 82 is miles ahead of his ranking. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick104 Rnd4 Kris Abrams-Draine
Kris Abrams-Draine in the Round 4 slot is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick118 Rnd4 Christian Mahogany
Christian Mahogany in pick No. 118 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It fills a real need, too.
Pick136 Rnd4 Mohamed Kamara
Fair-plus on Mohamed Kamara, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick150 Rnd5 Jarrian Jones
A market-rate cornerback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Jarrian Jones. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
Pick182 Rnd6 Kamal Hadden
Kamal Hadden is a better player than Round 6, Pick 7 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
Pick184 Rnd6 Bub Means
They left a pile of value on the table to take Bub Means this early at the 184th overall pick. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick222 Rnd7 Devin Leary
A wild overpay on Devin Leary in slot 222, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Pick229 Rnd7 Jared Wiley
Taking Jared Wiley in No. 229 is close to grand larceny; a tight end that good had no business lasting this long. The roster fit checks out.