The Patriots had a dilemma. They were drafting at No. 31, yet all of the first-round tackles were flying off the board. They had to trade up, and they were lucky enough to find an unusual partner in the Bills, who allowed them to obtain the final opening-round tackle on the board. New England secured Caleb Lomu, who could provide a big upgrade for New England at right tackle.

The Lomu pick earned the Patriots an “A,” as did the second-round choice, Gabe Jacas, who provided great value at No. 55. That’s where the overwhelming positivity ends, however, as none of New England’s seven other draft choices scored better than a “B” grade. This began with the third-round selection, Eli Raridon, who should have gone later because of his checkered injury history. None of the picks made on Day 3 really stood out, but none of them were overly horrible either.

While the Patriots had a mixed bag of draft scores, what helped was that they addressed their weak offensive line twice. They could have spent a third pick on a blocker, as some of the wasted third-day choices could have been used to help Maye’s protection. Still, the Patriots did well overall.