It is the swing that defines the weekend: Barryn Sorrell in Round 5, Pick 36, a good 115 spots before the room expected him. The board pushed back all weekend, and the D is the result.
They lost the exchange badly enough to drag the whole class down. They have staked the next five years on Shedeur Sanders, which is the only story that really matters here.
If one pick saves this weekend, it is Campbell. The cornerback hole is the one line item this class does not answer.
The Winston Jr. pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at cornerback and tight end.
Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and cornerback is still a hole.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.7
· Pick 7
· Shedeur Sanders
· QB
· rank 4
In the Round 1 slot they get the arm they will build around. A real need, handled.
R1.17
· Pick 17
· Mason Graham
· DT
· rank 6
In pick 17 they get a wrecking ball inside, and a steal at that. A clean fit for the roster.
R2.10
· Pick 42
· Armand Membou
· OT
· rank 66
Armand Membou at pick No. 42 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R2.12
· Pick 44
· Nick Emmanwori
· S
· rank 16
They will replay Nick Emmanwori at slot 44 for years; that is how good the value is. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
R2.17
· Pick 49
· Emeka Egbuka
· WR
· rank 27
Emeka Egbuka in No. 49 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
R2.25
· Pick 57
· Ajani Cornelius
· OT
· rank 104
A big swing on Ajani Cornelius at the 57th overall pick, well ahead of any board in the building. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R3.12
· Pick 76
· Deone Walker
· DT
· rank 69
Good price on Deone Walker in slot 76, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R3.28
· Pick 92
· Jihaad Campbell
· LB
· rank 38
Somehow Jihaad Campbell was still sitting there in the 92nd overall pick, and they pounced on premier linebacker value. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R4.7
· Pick 108
· Kevin Winston Jr.
· S
· rank 91
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went safety with Kevin Winston Jr. while clear needs at cornerback and tight end sat open.
R4.8
· Pick 109
· Quinshon Judkins
· RB
· rank 73
Quinshon Judkins at Round 4, Pick 8 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It fills a real need, too.
R4.11
· Pick 112
· Tory Horton
· WR
· rank 102
Tory Horton slid further than he should have, and pick 112 is lovely value for the wide receiver. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R5.11
· Pick 148
· Quinn Carroll
· OT
· rank 252
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Quinn Carroll well ahead of where he belonged. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R5.15
· Pick 152
· Theo Wease Jr.
· WR
· rank 197
A wild overpay on Theo Wease Jr. in the Round 5 slot, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R5.31
· Pick 168
· Raheim Sanders
· RB
· rank 145
Circle this one: Raheim Sanders at pick No. 168 is a fall that decides a draft. A need, and now a little less of one.
R5.33
· Pick 170
· Sonny Styles
· S
· rank 121
The board fumbled Sonny Styles all the way to pick No. 170, and they scooped it up. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
R5.36
· Pick 173
· Barryn Sorrell
· LB-EDGE
· rank 288
They reached a country mile for Barryn Sorrell at the 173rd overall pick, and the board is aghast. A minor itch, scratched.
R6.11
· Pick 186
· Joey Slackman
· DL
· rank 285
Value said wait; Joey Slackman in the Round 6 slot says they were not listening. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R6.34
· Pick 209
· KJ Jefferson
· QB
· rank 297
KJ Jefferson at pick 209 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R7.32
· Pick 248
· Will Sheppard
· WR
· rank 299
Will Sheppard at Round 7, Pick 32 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
