If confidence were a draft strategy, the Packers would have aced it. Demorie Tate at slot 251 is 34 spots clear of where he belonged.
The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. For all the activity, quarterback went untouched, which is hard to explain. The Rosengarten value carries more weight than any single miss elsewhere.
The Smith pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with quarterback, tight end and other spots still on the board.
Solid rather than spectacular, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.25
· Pick 25
· Quinyon Mitchell
· CB
· rank 30
In the 25th overall pick they get a sticky cover corner. The biggest hole, addressed.
R2.9
· Pick 41
· Kamren Kinchens
· S
· rank 33
Kamren Kinchens slid further than he should have, and Round 2, Pick 9 is lovely value for the safety. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R2.25
· Pick 57
· Kiran Amegadjie
· OT
· rank 52
Nothing to complain about; Kiran Amegadjie went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R3.5
· Pick 69
· Junior Colson
· LB
· rank 71
Junior Colson in the Round 3 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
R3.15
· Pick 79
· Maason Smith
· DT-EDGE
· rank 86
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Maason Smith adds a DT-EDGE and leaves quarterback, tight end and other spots untouched.
R3.25
· Pick 88
· Jalen McMillan
· WR
· rank 77
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Jalen McMillan at No. 88 is the proof. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R3.28
· Pick 91
· Khyree Jackson
· CB
· rank 105
The board had cheaper options than Khyree Jackson at the 91st overall pick, and it noticed. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R3.33
· Pick 96
· Darius Robinson
· DL-EDGE
· rank 121
This one needs a full-page explanation: Darius Robinson in the 96th pick, miles early. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R5.32
· Pick 168
· Jaylen Wright
· RB
· rank 163
Jaylen Wright at Round 5, Pick 32 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the running back. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R6.28
· Pick 203
· Roger Rosengarten
· OT
· rank 179
Steal is underselling it; Roger Rosengarten at pick 203 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R6.41
· Pick 216
· Ryan Watts
· CB
· rank 229
They paid a round early for Ryan Watts in slot 216, more than the board wanted. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R7.23
· Pick 243
· Trey Taylor
· S
· rank 253
They went early on Trey Taylor in No. 243, and the value did not follow. Depth on depth, at a spot that was hardly crying out.
R7.31
· Pick 251
· Demorie Tate
· CB
· rank 285
Demorie Tate in pick No. 251 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.