Patriots get steal of the draft with TE Jaheim Bell in Round 7

The Patriots put together a solid 2024 Draft class, selecting eight players through seven rounds, only one of which was on defense. Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf were clearly prioritizing the offense to build around Drake Maye and that theme continued through to the very end.

With their final pick of the draft, the Patriots selected tight end Jaheim Bell out of Florida State, who is now being labeled as a steal.

The tight end class was one of the weaker groups of this year's draft, with a significant gap between overall TE1 Brock Bowers and the next highest projected player Ja'Tavion Sanders.

Bell was projected by PFF to go in the fifth round, before several others at the position, but fell into the Patriots' lap in Round 7.

Patriots get steal of the draft with TE Jaheim Bell in Round 7

Despite the lack of emphasis on the Patriots' need for a tight end this offseason, it was clear after the re-signing of Hunter Henry and the departures of Pharaoh Brown and Mike Gesicki that the roster was in need of some help.

Henry has been the primary source of success at the position over the last three years, but he cannot continue to carry the load alone. Wolf added a few veterans through free agency, like Austin Hooper and Mitchell Wilcox. However, they appear to have been signed for predominantly blocking purposes, which doesn't necessarily help too much.

That's why drafting Bell made a lot of sense despite waiting until the seventh round. He's not the best blocker, which can be overlooked given the depth at the position, but he's talented in the passing game, particularly in yards after the catch.

For some reason, his impressive production was overlooked by 31 other teams, allowing him to fall to the Patriots and be swept up to finish their 2024 draft class.

If he can live up to what he's already done and his higher projection, he will instantly become even more of a steal than the initially thought.

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