The move everyone will second-guess came early. The Patriots reached some 109 spots for Emery Jones Jr., and value like that does not grow back. No fireworks, but a solid B-.
Every deal seemed to tilt their way, which is not luck. The Schwesinger pick is fine in a vacuum, less so with safety and quarterback still on the board. That safety hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
Not a headline-grabber, but a perfectly good weekend's work.
Pick-by-Pick
R2.6
· Pick 38
· Tyler Booker
· OG
· rank 37
They took Tyler Booker at par in slot 38, which is nothing to complain about. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
R2.13
· Pick 45
· Tyler Warren
· TE
· rank 44
No drama and no debate, Tyler Warren went about where he belonged in pick No. 45. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R2.19
· Pick 51
· Jihaad Campbell
· LB
· rank 40
A tidy bit of business in the Round 2 slot, where Jihaad Campbell graded well above the range. Not urgent, but hardly pointless.
R2.31
· Pick 63
· Deone Walker
· DT
· rank 69
No edge and no loss on Deone Walker in pick 63; it is a wash and a sensible one. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R3.2
· Pick 66
· Blake Miller
· OT
· rank 153
Blake Miller at No. 66 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R3.5
· Pick 69
· Emery Jones Jr.
· OT
· rank 178
Emery Jones Jr. at Round 3, Pick 5 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R3.13
· Pick 77
· David Bailey
· LB-EDGE
· rank 134
This one needs a full-page explanation: David Bailey in No. 77, miles early. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R4.4
· Pick 105
· Carson Schwesinger
· LB
· rank 139
A want over a need in pick 105: Carson Schwesinger adds a linebacker while safety and quarterback keeps waiting.
R4.22
· Pick 123
· Patrick Bryant
· WR
· rank 146
They reached into another round for Patrick Bryant, and the board is nowhere close to agreeing. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R5.6
· Pick 143
· Nick Nash
· WR
· rank 249
They talked themselves into Nick Nash at Round 5, Pick 6, and the board did not agree. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R6.20
· Pick 195
· Davison Igbinosun
· CB
· rank 221
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Davison Igbinosun. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R7.1
· Pick 217
· Nohl Williams
· CB
· rank 248
They reached a country mile for Nohl Williams at the 217th overall pick, and the board is aghast. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
R7.4
· Pick 220
· Jalen Rivers
· OT
· rank 323
A wild overpay on Jalen Rivers in slot 220, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. A need, and now a little less of one.
R7.25
· Pick 241
· RJ Harvey
· RB
· rank 310
RJ Harvey in the 241st pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. It patches a soft spot without any drama.