There is conviction, and then there is this. The Ravens took Tyler Onyedim a full 53 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend. A near-flawless weekend of work, and a A to cap it.
The Lew steal is the beam this whole class leans on. They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. That quarterback hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
Bottom line, with Olaivavega Ioane leading the way, this is a class that should pay off fast and rarely be regretted.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.23
· Pick 23
· Olaivavega Ioane
· OG
· rank 22
In No. 23 they get a plug-and-play piece up front at fair value. Exactly the need they had to hit.
R3.7
· Pick 71
· Eli Stowers
· TE
· rank 53
Eli Stowers at Round 3, Pick 7 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R3.10
· Pick 74
· D'Angelo Ponds
· CB
· rank 47
Somehow D'Angelo Ponds was still sitting there in the 74th pick, and they pounced on premier cornerback value. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R4.15
· Pick 115
· Connor Lew
· C
· rank 82
You do not let an offensive lineman like Connor Lew reach the Round 4 slot and blink. They did not. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R4.18
· Pick 118
· Skyler Bell
· WR
· rank 88
Skyler Bell at slot 118 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R5.22
· Pick 162
· CJ Daniels
· WR
· rank 143
CJ Daniels at pick 162 is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
R5.23
· Pick 163
· Kage Casey
· OT
· rank 160
A tidy little value on Kage Casey in pick 163, a step better than break-even. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R5.37
· Pick 177
· Zane Durant
· DT
· rank 179
No drama and no debate, Zane Durant went about where he belonged in slot 177. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R7.4
· Pick 220
· Tyler Onyedim
· DE-EDGE
· rank 273
They reached into another round for Tyler Onyedim, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R7.7
· Pick 223
· Keyshaun Elliott
· LB
· rank 219
Keyshaun Elliott at the 223rd overall pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
R7.34
· Pick 250
· Alan Herron
· OT
· rank 252
By-the-book stuff, Alan Herron at the 250th pick squarely in line with his ranking. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R7.37
· Pick 253
· Robert Henry Jr.
· RB
· rank 244
A quiet steal in pick No. 253: Robert Henry Jr. for less than the market said. It fills a real need, too.