Grading New England Patriots' 2024 NFL Draft Class

How did the New England Patriots fare with their draft selections this year?

Apr 26, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots owner (L) Robert Kraft and president / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

After a full 257-pick slate has come and gone, the 2024 NFL Draft has officially been brought to a close, with the New England Patriots coming out of it with eight new rookies to kick off a new Jerod Mayo-led regime.

The offense was the clear focus this year, with seven of the Patriots' selections falling on that side of the ball. A new quarterback, wide receiver, and offensive tackle for the first three picks gives them and their future aspirations a much-needed facelift.

But how did New England do through all three days? Here's my grades for each of New England's picks for the 2024 draft:

Drake Maye: A+

A home run selection for New England. While countless rumors persisted through the pre-draft process, pinning a trade down (or even new Minnesota Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy) being in play, the Patriots decided to go the safe route with Drake Maye. The 6-foot-4 Carolina native has all of the tools to become a top signal caller in the NFL but just needs the right development in place to put all of the pieces together.

With the strong ability he possesses as an athlete combined with his size and arm talent, Maye projects as an ideal modern QB to establish this new-look Patriots. So long as New England can bring in talent on the offensive side of the ball to aid in his development, the future of this franchise should be in great hands for years to come.

Ja'Lynn Polk: B

In a move to bring a boost to New England's wide receiver room, Ja'Lynn was the pick for the Patriots following a slight trade down in the second round. With the number of skillful pass catchers remaining after day one, it was destined to see this team add another body on the outside to bring more help for their new QB, and Polk was the man for the job.

It could be argued there were a few candidates who would be a better fit or talent than Polk (AD Mitchell, or even Ladd McConkey without a trade down), but the Patriots choosing to add a young reciever for Maye is all I can ask for. Polk's ability as a contested catch threat and route runner is enough to have some solid optimism on what the Washington product can bring to Foxboro.

Caedan Wallace: B+

Another move that brought some welcomed help for Maye was the selection of Caedan Wallace to start round three. The Patriots knew they needed to add a left tackle for the protection of their young quarterback at some point during the weekend and did so with pick 68.

Wallace was a full-time right tackle during his time at Penn State, which doesn't exactly align with New England's desire for a body on the left side, but it seems everyone in the building is fully confident he can make the transition to the NFL level. Depending on how his switch goes could give this grade a bit of adjustment, but his experience at the position alone is enough for me to like the move here.

Layden Robinson: C+

After going with a tackle in the round prior, New England provided another addition to the offensive line at the top of round four with Texas Tech guard Layden Robinson. He was a full-time right guard for the Aggies who managed to secure second-team All-SEC in 2023.

Like Wallace, his lengthy experience in college could help him have an instant impact on New England, but after their two selections for the interior in 2023, there's a case this pick could've been utilized elsewhere. The Patriots may not have a pressing need when it comes to their guards, but still, more depth up front is not a poor decision by any means when investing a premium into a fresh face of the franchise at quarterback. 

Javon Baker: A

Despite bringing in Polk to the wide receiver room during round two, New England made the move to double up at the position as they drafted Javon Baker with their second selection in round four. Considering what the Patriots' pass-catching unit looked like in 2023, it's hard to blame the front office for doing so.

And when you look at the value Baker provides at pick 110, this is a pick Patriots fans should be enamored with. He led UCF last season in catches and reception yards, projecting to be another potential body to fill New England's X-role with powerful separation ability and ideal route running. If he can iron out his consistency issues, opposing defenses need to watch out.

Marcellas Dial: B-

For the Patriots' first and only defensive selection of the draft, the Patriots addressed their need for depth in the secondary with the selection of Marcellas Dial. He tested with solid speed (4.42 40-yard) and has good size as a defensive back, but needs to work on some mental errors to stick as a consistent option in the secondary.

Joe Milton: C

This is far from a knock on what Milton provides as a quarterback prospect. His exciting and insane ability to throw the ball 80-to-85 yards downfield could make this a worthwhile pick by itself. But, when you consider the Patriots are two days removed from taking a swing on Maye, doubling up on the position rather than adding more support to surround your first-round pick seems a bit bizarre.

Milton could soon be a skillful backup to put behind Maye, but now with five quarterbacks loaded on the roster, this team is destined to make some cuts. If the Tennessee signal caller can enhance his technical skills, this could be a pick that turns out to be worthwhile, but that will take some time to discover.

Jaheim Bell: B

Tight end was a need for the Patriots to target during this year's draft, and they finally decided to make the move in doing so with their final pick on day three for the Florida State Seminole. Bell stands a bit undersized for the position at 6-foot-2, but has some nice versatility and contested catch ability to make him a fun vertical threat in this offense. Expect him to have a strong case to make the 53-man as we get closer to the next season.