The board owed the Packers one, and it paid up: Jay Higgins, the No. 122 name on the board, sitting there at the 215th pick like a gift left on the doorstep. The board pushed back all weekend, and the D+ is the result.
Reaching for Travis left real value on the table behind him. They handed away value on the phones that the picks cannot earn back. They have staked the next five years on Shedeur Sanders, which is the only story that really matters here.
That edge rusher hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. The Moore pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with edge rusher still on the board.
The verdict is not kind, and fairly so; this class has a hill to climb.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.2
· Pick 2
· Shedeur Sanders
· QB
· rank 4
In the 2nd pick they get their guy under center for the next decade at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
R1.24
· Pick 24
· Kenneth Grant
· DT
· rank 23
By-the-book stuff, Kenneth Grant at the Round 1 slot squarely in line with his ranking. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R2.24
· Pick 56
· Denzel Burke
· CB
· rank 65
They jumped the gun on Denzel Burke, taking him earlier than his grade liked. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
R3.3
· Pick 67
· Dylan Fairchild
· OG
· rank 56
A tidy bit of business in the 67th pick, where Dylan Fairchild graded well above the range. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R3.24
· Pick 88
· Kaleb Johnson
· RB
· rank 40
Kaleb Johnson at pick No. 88 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R3.29
· Pick 93
· Andrew Mukuba
· S
· rank 71
A top-tier safety at a bargain, Andrew Mukuba in Round 3, Pick 29, plain and simple. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
R4.2
· Pick 103
· Malachi Moore
· S
· rank 72
Of all the spots to shop, they chose safety. Malachi Moore in the 103rd overall pick leaves edge rusher for later.
R4.17
· Pick 118
· Deontae Lawson
· LB
· rank 81
You do not let a linebacker like Deontae Lawson reach pick 118 and blink. They did not. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
R4.24
· Pick 125
· Jake Majors
· C
· rank 93
Jake Majors at slot 125 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R5.15
· Pick 152
· Barrett Carter
· LB
· rank 82
Barrett Carter at the Round 5 slot is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
R5.22
· Pick 159
· Mason Taylor
· TE
· rank 98
They barely believed it either: Mason Taylor still on the board at pick No. 159. A need, and now a little less of one.
R5.30
· Pick 167
· Dont'e Thornton Jr.
· WR
· rank 175
A reach for Dont'e Thornton Jr. in the 167th pick; a little patience would have been rewarded. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R6.3
· Pick 178
· Danny Stutsman
· LB
· rank 86
They robbed the room for Danny Stutsman here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. Pure best-available; the position was not exactly begging.
R6.16
· Pick 191
· Antwane Wells Jr.
· WR
· rank 177
Antwane Wells Jr. at pick 191 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. It fills a real need, too.
R6.24
· Pick 199
· Cam Skattebo
· RB
· rank 113
Steal is underselling it; Cam Skattebo at Round 6, Pick 24 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R6.28
· Pick 203
· Jalen Travis
· OT
· rank 254
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Jalen Travis. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R6.39
· Pick 214
· Seth McLaughlin
· C
· rank 206
A slide stopped in the 214th overall pick, with Seth McLaughlin worth more than the price. The roster fit checks out.
R6.40
· Pick 215
· Jay Higgins
· LB
· rank 122
Jay Higgins in slot 215 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
R7.21
· Pick 237
· Jack Kiser
· LB
· rank 190
A linebacker of that caliber at Round 7, Pick 21 is the definition of value, full stop. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
R7.34
· Pick 250
· Xzavier Henderson
· WR
· rank 240
Quietly one of the better values of the day, Xzavier Henderson at the 250th overall pick. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
