The New England Patriots have wrapped up three days of one of the most pivotal moments in franchise history. Over the three days, the New England Patriots made eight draft selections. Here is each one graded.
1.03: UNC QB Drake Maye
My QB2 behind Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, was a slam dunk at third overall. I believed he was worthy of the first overall pick and would have been drafted first overall in most classes. I'm sticking to my pre-draft analysis: the Washington Commanders made a grave mistake taking Jayden Daniels over Drake Maye.
Maye is the full package and has the ideal height and weight in an uber-athletic frame. As a runner, he was more efficient than Jayden Daniels. Between designed rushing attempts and scramble attempts, Maye carried the ball a total of 245 times in his final two seasons at UNC, while Daniels carried the ball 270 times. Maye averaged one first down every 2.42 carries, slightly more efficient than Daniels's rate of one first down per 2.43 carries. Though Maye isn't nearly as much of a threat with his legs as Daniels in terms of generating explosive plays, he was slightly more efficient at getting first downs.
Additionally, no one attacked more tight windows than Drake Maye over the last two seasons. He may have taken a statistical step back in 2023, but his tape is littered with difficult throws. Over the past two seasons, Drake Maye led all of college football with 76 big-time throws. His ability to make something out of nothing and generate explosive plays is truly special. He was being asked to carry a franchise on his shoulders with horrific offensive line play, no weapons, and a pathetic offense that was chock full of poor play design, poor route spacing, and a lack of answers to opposing defensive looks.
Despite his strengths, Maye is not without areas for improvement. He could benefit from technical refinement and greater consistency in his footwork. Occasionally, early errant passes may result from imperfect footwork, but the positives of his game far outweigh the negatives, and his areas needing refinement are typically receptive to coaching. Maye's creativity outside of structured plays aligns with the demands of modern NFL quarterbacks, positioning him to potentially develop into one of the league's best.
Number Grade: 100/100
Letter Grade: A+
2.37 Washington WR Ja'Lynn Polk
Polk is a bit of a jack of all trades. He isn't the crispiest route runner, nor is he the fastest receiver, but he hits all the desirable thresholds to still be considered a good athlete. He is strong through the catch point and rarely disrupted by physicality. In fact, he welcomes it. He is sturdy in his lower half and possesses enough burst to catch a screen, break a couple of tackles, and take it to the house.
In general, my evaluation of him was more timid than the Patriots' evaluation. In my rankings, I had Polk in the "65-120" tier, so at 37th overall, he went a bit earlier than what I believed was the top of his value, based on my film analysis. That being said, Polk was a bit of a polarizing prospect in the process. Some people, like NBC's Connor Rodgers, had a first-round grade on Polk. Admittedly, I was in the minority viewing Polk as a third or fourth-round prospect. He was 60th on the consensus board, which is the bottom of the second round, so I wasn't significantly lower on him than others, but I did think there were high-ceiling options available like Texas's Adonai Mitchell.
All of that being said, don't mistake it—Polk is a promising prospect with plus traits. He needs to become more refined as a route runner and continue to grow as an athlete to reach his true ceiling and develop into a high-end receiver. The great news is that he is just 22 years old and has room to grow to reach his physical peak.
Polk was electric downfield. In addition to his 16.9 average yards per catch, he also caught 13 of his 22 contested targets, which is a rate of 54.2%—a very good mark.
Number Grade: 82/100
Letter Grade: B
3.68 Penn State OT Caedan Wallace
Wallace was the long-time stalwart at right tackle, opposite of the higher-drafted Olu Fashanu. Wallace was no slouch in his own regard, allowing a mere one sack in all of 2023. He allowed 13 pressures in 359 pass-blocking snaps, which is impressive. He has experience with 2,296 snaps, all coming at right tackle. However, he is undersized at just 6'4", making him one of the smaller potential starting tackles in the NFL. Nonetheless, he possesses the requisite arm length needed to excel at tackle. His build also suggests he has guard versatility.
Eliot Wolf explained in his post-selection presser that he believes Wallace possesses the athleticism to transition to left tackle. Wallace confirmed in his interview that he has practiced there before and is comfortable with the transition. It sounds like there will be an open competition in training camp between the rostered tackles, allowing the best man to earn the starting job. Currently, the top options at left tackle appear to be between Chukwuma Okorafor and Caedan Wallace. Admittedly, I have some reservations about this approach. On one hand, flipping sides has become a common transition for many NFL players, with varying degrees of success. Okorafor hasn't played left tackle since his senior year of college in 2017, and Wallace has never taken a snap at left tackle. It's undeniably a risky approach.
To Wolf and company's credit, the options at left tackle—both in the draft and free agency—were slim. At this point in the draft, only one tackle from my top 12 was available, and it was Yale's Kiran Amegadjie. However, he probably wouldn't be the best option as a day-one starter, considering the massive leap in competition from FCS Ivy League to the NFL. On the bright side, Wallace has the tool bag necessary to make the leap to the left side.
Number Grade: 77/100
Letter Grade: C+
4.103 Texas A&M OG Layden Robinson
I didn't necessarily expect the Patriots to take an interior offensive lineman, at least not with this premium of a pick. This particular class boasted strong talent that would typically be gone by late day two, yet it lingered into the fourth round. Within this class, there was still an opportunity to draft a difference maker. Now, I'm not saying Robinson isn't a difference maker, but what I am saying is that he's a zone-blocking guard prospect who shows dominant flashes against the run. He possesses a powerful lower body for driving guys back in the run game, but it doesn't translate to pass protection. He struggles to set a strong anchor, and his footwork and hand usage need work—he's a project.
This also marks the sixth(!) interior offensive lineman the Patriots have drafted in the last three drafts. I do see the vision, though. Similar to the approach with tackles, it seems to be the "more darts" strategy, and with so many bodies, someone is bound to emerge as a capable starter. Additionally, Sow played well down the stretch, and Andrews didn't get a single snap until week 18, yet it was one of the best games from a guard all season.
Personally, I probably would have gone elsewhere with this pick, especially with players like Oregon WR Troy Franklin still on the board. However, they more than make up for it with this next pick.
Number Grade: 70/100 Letter Grade: C-
4.110 UCF WR Javon Baker
If you read the ending of the last pick, I foreshadowed how I feel about this one—it's the steal of the draft. I don't know where to begin with Baker besides emphasizing that his 40-yard dash is not a clear indicator of the explosive deep threat he is. For starters, he hit 21.7 mph on an 80+ yard touchdown sprint. That would be the 7th fastest speed achieved by any NFL player last year.
Additionally, he averaged 21.9 yards per reception last season—the most by any draft-eligible receiver. He wins with a highly translatable skill set predicated on exceptional ball skills and precision route running. As a route runner, he incorporates a variety of high-level hip, shoulder, and head fakes and possesses violent hips to create separation at the top of his routes. He has the lateral agility and route acumen to attack defensive backs at any level of the field.
Baker isn't without his flaws, but in my opinion, he's not a player who should have fallen to the fourth round. He finished the process as my WR8, and I had him in the "33-64 tier." I would have been comfortable and happy if they had drafted him in the second round. At 110, this is a home run draft pick.
Baker isn't without his flaws. Despite possessing a deep release package to "win" at the line of scrimmage and regularly beating press coverage, he could elevate his game by minimizing some of the motion in his feet when coming off the line. Additionally, while he's an acrobatic catch machine, he occasionally drops the easy ones, something I'd like to see him improve for greater consistency. Lastly, his play strength could use a slight boost; there were times when contact disrupted his routes—not a glaring concern, but an area where improvement could enhance his game.
Based on his post-draft interview, he exhibits that fiery personality coveted in a receiver—tenacity and bravado reminiscent of the New York Jets' Sauce Gardner. You can't beat this value.
Number Grade: 100/100 Letter Grade: A+
6.180 South Carolina CB/FS Marcellas Dial
A bit of an untapped prospect, Dial spent only three seasons at South Carolina and saw a career-high in snaps in 2023. Although he primarily played cornerback, concerns arise about his hip flexibility and stiffness in his transition to the pros. Many see him as a promising candidate for conversion to safety, as it demands less lateral agility. Jerod Mayo confirmed that they "like his versatility," leaving it yet to be seen what his role in New England could truly look like. Grades in this range get tricky because expectations need to be set accordingly, proportionate to the spot the player was drafted. Ultimately, you don't expect a ton from a sixth-rounder. This pick fills a need with some flexibility between two positions of need.
I do think there were numerous higher-pedigree players available, like Notre Dame's Cam Hart or Troy's Kimani Vidal, who was selected with the next pick. Other players they passed on for Dial include Florida State's WR Johnny Wilson and Virginia's WR Malik Washington, who had no business being in the sixth round. I do understand they already have many bodies at wide receiver, but there were even better defensive options, like Miami's IDL Leonard Taylor.
Number Grade: 75/100 Letter Grade: C
6.193 Tennessee QB Joe Milton
The famous double dip! A rather uncommon occurrence, the Patriots draft two QBs in the same draft—both toolsy prospects too. Milton is a fun prospect who, coupled with Maye, will create a fireworks show during training camp due to their arm talent. Milton is a bit of a strange study—he had numerous chances at big-time Power Five schools but could never really put it all together. Milton was a sixth-year player wrapping up his final season of eligibility when you finally started to see some production. Still, admittedly, the film is a tough watch, and he is a prospect littered with issues that make his path to success more uncertain. The play speed, the field vision, the footwork, the accuracy—it all needs to take strides.
There were some whispers of teams potentially viewing him as a tight end prospect, but he shut that down in his first Patriots press conference, saying, "that will never happen." Nonetheless, Milton also possesses impressive athleticism and can be a threat with his legs. I do think there is some value there as a gadget player, similar to a Taysom Hill, but it sounds like his main objective is to be a quarterback. The bottom line is you simply cannot teach the arm strength, height, and speed Milton possesses, and he is a fun player to have in the building, even if his pro translation seems clouded.
Number Grade: 79/100
Letter Grade: C+
7.231 Florida State TE/ATH Jaheim Bell
A fun player to watch in the pre-draft process, Bell is more of an "athlete" than any specific position at this point. He was used in a variety of ways, both as a runner and receiver. Originally starting out with South Carolina, Bell transferred to FSU after a down year in his junior year, during which he felt like he wasn't getting appropriate playing time after a big sophomore season.
The box score stats won't jump out at you, but that's common for most college tight ends. What does stick out is his loose lower body—he has some real wiggle for a 6'2", 241lb guy. He doesn't offer much craftiness or nuance as a route runner; he really relies more on his athleticism. Another thing is that the blocking tape is a mixed bag, and that's being nice—it's more bad than good. I do think there is room to grow as a blocker, though. Due to his unique profile and tweener size, he is a difficult NFL eval, but he should have never made it to the 7th round. This is a big value pick. He was in the "120-180" tier on my board. If New England can get creative and utilize his special athleticism, they may have struck gold.
Number Grade: 90/100 Letter Grade: A
Final Grade
If you followed along, you probably noticed that I used both letter and number grades. I wanted to be able to grade the draft class as a whole and provide more insight than the plain old A-to-F scale. It allows me to judge every pick individually and come up with an accurate and unbiased number, instead of being caught up in the moment and unfairly grading the draft based on one pick - whether it's good or bad.
Final Grade: 84.1 (B)
What grade do you give this class?
A
B
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D
Photos courtesy of Patriots.com
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