Here’s how experts graded the Patriots’ draft class
Though he probably won't notice, Bill Belichick aced his draft grades.
The 2019 NFL draft is now over, with the Patriots making 10 selections over an eventful three days.
Bill Belichick worked through several trades and a couple of surprise picks, addressing a few of the team’s needs. But how do experts feel about the Patriots’ draft?
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Granted, immediate draft grades are inevitably flawed over time as players unexpectedly develop (or don’t). Still, it appears that most of the NFL’s top draft analysts view New England’s 2019 assortment of picks positively.
Andy Benoit, Sports Illustrated
Grade: A
Excerpt: “Bill Belichick typically does not draft wide receivers early, and the fact that he took one with so many others on the board suggests he absolutely adores N’Keal Harry.”
Grade: A-
Excerpt: “Not drafting a tight end was eye-opening but perhaps done by design. Anyone the Patriots drafted at that position was going to be cloaked with the unfair stigma of being Rob Gronkowski’s ‘replacement,’ which just isn’t happening. But other than that, they did a good job of accumulating talent and great value, especially in the first three rounds, and came away with one of their more interesting drafts in a few years.”
Grade: B+
Excerpt: “Watch the Patriots turn offensive linemen Yodny Cajuste and Hjalte Froholdt into good starters.”
Grade: A-
Excerpt: “There are a lot of needs filled here, and if Harry, Williams and Winovich can get on the field early, I feel good about this being one of the draft’s best classes from top to bottom.”
Grade: A
Excerpt: “The Patriots’ interest in [Joejuan] Williams was not a well-kept secret — he had the versatility they needed in the secondary. Giving up a third-round pick to go get him was not a Belichickian-type move, but if they had a first-round grade on him, I won’t blame them for making the deal.”
