Patriots land on both ends of spectrum in expert ESPN draft evaluations

BOSTON -- "Grades" for NFL Draft teams are often assigned in real-time, giving the graders no time to properly give a full assessment of players upon their selection. Really, "grades" are more of an exercise in conversation than they are a statement of truth, as players develop differently when making the jump from college to the NFL.

With some time passed after the draft, though, ESPN's panel of draft experts are sharing their thoughts on their favorite picks from the draft and the most head-scratching moves.

For the Patriots, they ended up on both ends of the spectrum.

On the positive front, Field Yates loved the Patriots' first selection, cornerback Christian Gonzalez out of Oregon.

"We typically see a mixture of drafting for need and drafting for value, but the Patriots managed to check both boxes early -- even after trading down from No. 14 to No. 17," Yates explained. "Gonzalez was viewed as one of the 10 best players in the entire class and fills the Patriots' most pressing need, as a cornerback with 6-foot-1 size and great speed."

With the good comes the not-so-good, and analyst Matt Bowen found himself puzzled by the Patriots' selection of Marte Mapu in the third round.

"This isn't a knock on Mapu as a prospect, as his versatility will be utilized in Bill Belichick's defense," Bowen said. "Instead, this is about the Patriots passing on some much-needed offensive juice here with wide receiver Josh Downs and running back Devon Achane still on the board. I thought both prospects would've boosted the pass game for quarterback Mac Jones."

Of course, how the players are ultimately judged will depend on how they play in the league. For now, as usual, Bill Belichick has continued to keep everyone on their toes around draft time.