NFL Notebook: Giardi - What are other teams saying about the Patriots draft?

In my Monday Q&A with you fine folks, subscriber Ryohara asked me what other front offices thought of the Patriots 2024 draft class. He read my mind. That was always how we were going to kick off this edition of the weekend notebook.

A reminder: these are opinions. Granted, they are opinions of team builders, scouts, and coaches, but they are opinions nonetheless. Most of you (roughly 94.73%) do an excellent job keeping that in mind. Take 'em. Leave 'em. Cherrypick what you want (so long as you keep it in context).

The big takeaway from talking to a half-dozen folks league-wide is how deep the hole Bill Belichick and his lieutenants dug when it comes to this roster, and that one off-season cycle is not nearly enough to heal from multiple years of neglect.

"The lack of playmakers is glaring," a pro scouting director told me. "When (Mike) Evans, (Michael) Pittman, and (Tee) Higgins didn't make it to free agency, it impacted Eliot's (Wolf) vision for upgrading that position. (Calvin) Ridley was a shot in the dark, but that money was silly."

I argued here, and with this person, that there should have been no limit to how far the Pats were willing to go with Ridley for the two years (essentially the deal) the Titans got him for. It's only money, and New England has plenty of it, but we're talking about the draft here, so are the additions of 2nd-rounder Ja'Lynn Polk, 4th-rounder Javon Baker, and 7th-rounder Jaheim Bell - along with a certain QB picked #3 overall - enough to energize the offense?

"Both the wideouts strike me more as 50-50 ball winners rather than guys that are going to make you pay for singling them up on the backside with their speed," he said. "More Devante Parker than Higgins, for instance. 

"But what I do like is they're giving (Drake) Maye a chance to grow with these guys. That's important. Just look at what Green Bay is doing with Jordan (Love). Having that fleet of kids alongside has given that passing attack the potential for staying power."

An NFC wide receiver coach thinks those two receivers need to get more credit, especially Polk.

As for Baker, he believes there are a lot of rough edges to his game, but "having competition to get on the field is going to be good for him. There's a lot of talent there, but his attention to detail on game day can be lackadaisical."

The Caedan Wallace pick was a head-scratcher, per one scout.

"I saw the quotes about flipping him from right tackle to left," he said. "The only thing we were considering with him was whether he would go from right tackle to right guard. So to think he can move to the blindside is ...aggressive."

That spoke to another theme in my conversations with others about the Pats: were they a little too comfortable picking and sticking (the only trade was going from 34 to 37 in round two, then the flipping of picks to get them into round four (#110) overall)?

"I understand they didn't have a ton of draft picks to move and shake up and down the board, but from my perspective at 30,000 feet, it looked like they got caught watching the paint dry a couple of times. I know they tried to move up to the back half of round one, but then did they settle on Polk in round two? If (Xavier) Legette was the target, he and Polk aren't in the same stratosphere as athletes. Even (Keon) Coleman is a much different player. 

"Felt the same way with Wallace. The tackles started flying off the board, and they ended up with a right-side guy, not a potential left-side one. I like the player, but that doesn't appear to fill a big need."

Of course, everyone I spoke with identified the one player who will ultimately determine whether Wolf nailed this draft: Maye (duh). And though we debated for months whether taking a quarterback or trading back and grabbing more assets made the most sense, no one I talked to thought Wolf should have done anything other than what he did.

"If you don't have the quarterback, you have nothing," said a player personnel guy whose team has that kind of player. "Our guy changed the whole vibe organizationally. When players saw he could play, you could see a mindset shift. Like, 'Shit, we can win something,' as opposed to just treading water. He elevated teammates and even the coaching staff. Our OC was supercharged. 'He can do this. He can do that.' It allowed us to push limits in the playbook and in players we acquired or looked into acquiring — a total game changer from top to bottom.

"Can Drake be that for them (Patriots)? He has all the talent in the world, probably more than anyone else in this QB class. If he's willing to learn - and be good at it (learning) - he could do for them what ours did for us. I hope they have patience. We ruin some of these QBs because we can't wait or don't want to wait. When evaluating the player, evaluate the organization and the coaches as hard if not harder."

That dovetails with one of the quotes I presented about Maye before the draft. 

Did Wolf and company do enough to put Maye in a position to succeed? 

"It's a start, for sure, but they're a long way from being finished," said that pro personnel guy. "But to expect Eliot could remake that side of the ball in a few short months was foolish. Give the man time. He knows what he's doing."

STEEL-ING IN PITTSBURGH

GM Omar Khan in Pittsburgh pulled off my favorite draft — at least for a team without an abundance of picks. Troy Fautanu, the versatile offensive lineman out of Washington, is a top-10 player in this draft for me. He slipped some because of medical concerns that may impact his long-term prospects, but it shouldn't hamper him early (it sounds like arthritis in the knee). He is the very definition of plug-and-play anywhere along that line.

A round later, Khan grabbed center Zach Frazier, a badass center from West Virginia, who should also start from day one, then selected receiver Roman Wilson out of Michigan in round three. As you know, being in this space, I'm a big fan. Wilson is both explosive and clutch. He also seems more "stable" than recent Steeler picks at that position. That has a count for something, no?

Then there's Payton Wilson. He was the only linebacker worthy of being a first-round pick, but the litany of surgeries he's had and the revelation that one of his knees no longer has an ACL knocked him down to the back end of round three. The odds that he gets a second contract are slim, but Wilson was a monster the last two seasons at NC State, and it will translate to the NFL level - for as long as he can stay on the field. 

"An absolute dawg," said one scout when we started the process. (Yes, that's d-a-w-g, which is better than d-o-g).

Pittsburgh only had three more picks for the rest of the draft, adding another offensive lineman with great athleticism in Mason McCormick (his relative athletic score was measured 7th out of 1,445 guards since 1987), Iowa defensive tackle Logan Lee, and defensive back Ryan Watts of Texas. McCormick could turn into a third OL starter in one draft, while Lee and Watts are role player-types, but precisely what Mike Tomlin needed for his roster. 

Of course, this success won't mean diddly squat if Russell Wilson and Justin Fields can't play the position at a solid level, something the Steelers didn't get out of their signal callers until turning over the job to Mason Rudolph. I didn't have him on my bingo card for "saving" Pitt's season (as much as it could be saved). 

FAVORITES

The Steelers may have had my favorite draft, but who had what I would consider the best "value" picks in each round? I'm taking QBs out of the equation because if a QB hits, that's always the answer.

Round 1: Fautana, OL, Steelers (for reasons spoken about above)

Round 2: Cooper Dejean, DB, Eagles - first-round talent dropping to 40th overall? Philly is remaking its secondary in a flash (they took Quinyon Mitchell at #22)

Round 3: Brandon Coleman, T, Commanders - One pick ahead of the Caedan Wallace pick for NE. Coleman had some injuries this past season but could very well be Washington's future LT.

Round 4: T.J. Tampa, CB, Baltimore - Had him going higher, and some thought he might end up in round one. Instead, Tampa is pick 130. He has all the tools to thrive with the Ravens.

Round 5: Austin Booker, DE, Bears - Kansas folks thought he should have stayed in school one more year, but this dude has more in his pass-rush bag than just about anyone else in this class.

Round 6: Malik Washington, WR, Dolphins - I know he's not tall (5'8"ish), but Washington is a playmaker. Inserting him in that offense with Tyreek and Waddle is scary.

Round 7: Kalen King, CB, Packers - A year ago, King was a first-rounder in every mock. He had a down year and a meh Senior Bowl, but if Green Bay can help him rediscover himself, the talent is there. 

THEY DID WHAT?

From my favorite picks per round to my least favorite. Again, staying away from the QBs because that's like shooting fish in a barrel.

Round 1: Xavier Worthy, WR, Chiefs - I'm just not a fan of 165-pound receivers. Maybe it plays with Mahomes at QB. Perhaps he's Mecole Hardman all over again (only lighter).

Round 2: Ruke Orhorhoro, DL, Falcons - They traded up for a player whose tape is unremarkable.

Round 3: Trey Benson/Isaiah Adams/Tip Reiman, Cardinals - I am not a big fan of Adams, and Reiman will back up Trey McBride, who is excellent.

Round 4: Jaylen Wright, RB, Dolphins - I like Wright. It's a good fit for what Miami wants to do. My quibble here is the Fins need a ton of offensive line help, and chose a toy instead.

Round 5: Braelon Allen, RB, Jets - He is 245 pounds with all the measurables, but he just doesn't run that way. Be the hammer, dude.

Round 6: Jase McClellan, RB, Falcons - Another curious pick by GM Terry Fontenot. How many RBs does one team need? Somewhere, Bill Belichick shakes his head.

Round 7: Myles Cole, Edge, Jaguars - To quote the late Joel Buchsbaum, "Looks like Tarzan plays like Jane."