You could see the war room lean forward. Bhayshul Tuten at Round 7, Pick 34 is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did.
Every board in the league had Jackson lower, and that gap is the story. The trades bled value they could not afford to lose. For all the activity, quarterback went untouched, which is hard to explain.
Edge rusher was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
Bottom line, they will need several of these picks to beat their grades just to break even, and quarterback is still a hole.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.28
· Pick 28
· Benjamin Morrison
· CB
· rank 47
In the Round 1 slot they get a press-man option on the boundary, though the board says they badly overpaid. Exactly the need they had to hit.
R2.24
· Pick 56
· Donovan Jackson
· OT
· rank 85
A wild overpay on Donovan Jackson in slot 56, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It fills a real need, too.
R2.29
· Pick 61
· JT Tuimoloau
· DE-EDGE
· rank 58
JT Tuimoloau at the 61st overall pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R3.24
· Pick 88
· Daylen Everette
· CB
· rank 118
Daylen Everette at pick 88 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R3.33
· Pick 97
· Domani Jackson
· CB
· rank 131
This one needs a full-page explanation: Domani Jackson in the 97th pick, miles early. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R4.7
· Pick 108
· Savion Williams
· WR
· rank 112
By-the-book stuff, Savion Williams at No. 108 squarely in line with his ranking. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R4.24
· Pick 125
· Danny Stutsman
· LB
· rank 86
A linebacker of that caliber at Round 4, Pick 24 is the definition of value, full stop. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
R5.22
· Pick 159
· DeMonte Capehart
· DT
· rank 152
A clean, defensible pick in pick No. 159 with a little surplus value in DeMonte Capehart. The roster fit checks out.
R6.24
· Pick 199
· Billy Bowman Jr.
· S
· rank 111
Steal is underselling it; Billy Bowman Jr. at pick 199 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
R7.21
· Pick 237
· Jonah Monheim
· C
· rank 211
A top-tier offensive lineman at a bargain, Jonah Monheim in pick No. 237, plain and simple. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R7.34
· Pick 250
· Bhayshul Tuten
· RB
· rank 155
Bhayshul Tuten at the Round 7 slot is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.