They will call it conviction in the building and a reach everywhere else: Josiah Ezirim, 73 picks early at the Round 6 slot. The final tally is a middling C-.
They banked enough surplus on Tampa to cover a lot of smaller sins. They lost the exchange badly enough to drag the whole class down.
They will answer for taking linebacker early while wide receiver, tight end and other spots went begging. The wide receiver spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
It nets out as a middle-of-the-pack haul that neither helps nor hurts much.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.27
· Pick 27
· Cooper DeJean
· CB
· rank 27
No drama and no debate, Cooper DeJean went about where he belonged in the Round 1 slot. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R2.3
· Pick 35
· Darius Robinson
· DL-EDGE
· rank 39
Darius Robinson in the 35th overall pick is exactly on the number, no argument either way. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R2.31
· Pick 63
· Edgerrin Cooper
· LB
· rank 49
Value with a capital V on Edgerrin Cooper in No. 63, a genuine coup. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R3.25
· Pick 88
· T.J. Tampa
· CB
· rank 51
Steal is underselling it; T.J. Tampa at slot 88 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R3.28
· Pick 91
· Jaden Hicks
· S
· rank 85
Nothing to complain about; Jaden Hicks went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
R4.24
· Pick 124
· Cedric Gray
· LB
· rank 113
Of all the spots to shop, they chose linebacker. Cedric Gray in pick No. 124 leaves wide receiver, tight end and other spots for later.
R4.26
· Pick 126
· Isaac Guerendo
· RB
· rank 128
By-the-book stuff, Isaac Guerendo at the Round 4 slot squarely in line with his ranking. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R4.33
· Pick 133
· Roger Rosengarten
· OT
· rank 135
A straight-up fair deal on Roger Rosengarten at Round 4, Pick 33, value and slot in agreement. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R5.33
· Pick 169
· Tanor Bortolini
· C
· rank 189
This one needs a full-page explanation: Tanor Bortolini in the 169th overall pick, miles early. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
R6.27
· Pick 202
· Trente Jones
· OT
· rank 195
Trente Jones in pick 202 lands just on the right side of the ledger. A need, and now a little less of one.
R6.44
· Pick 219
· Josiah Ezirim
· OL
· rank 292
Josiah Ezirim at the 219th pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R7.25
· Pick 245
· Nick Gargiulo
· C
· rank 280
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Nick Gargiulo. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R7.35
· Pick 255
· Sam Hartman
· QB
· rank 259
A market-rate quarterback, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Sam Hartman. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.