The war room fell hard for Jalen Travis, and it showed at the 233rd pick: 54 picks ahead of a board that had other ideas. Call it a sensible B+, earned the boring way.
Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. If one pick saves this weekend, it is Burden III. The trade work was a quiet net positive.
Almost all the early capital went to that side of the ball.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.20
· Pick 20
· Tyler Warren
· TE
· rank 16
A reasonable price with a little left over, Tyler Warren in pick 20. A minor itch, scratched.
R2.7
· Pick 39
· Luther Burden III
· WR
· rank 22
They stopped a slide they were happy to see, landing Luther Burden III in No. 39. The roster fit checks out.
R2.9
· Pick 41
· Jihaad Campbell
· LB
· rank 37
Jihaad Campbell in pick No. 41 lands just on the right side of the ledger. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
R2.13
· Pick 45
· Omarion Hampton
· RB
· rank 31
They read the board right and Omarion Hampton was the payoff at Round 2, Pick 13. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R2.19
· Pick 51
· Azareye'h Thomas
· CB
· rank 56
Azareye'h Thomas in the Round 2 slot is fair value, right on his grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R3.8
· Pick 72
· Kevin Winston Jr.
· S
· rank 96
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Kevin Winston Jr. well ahead of where he belonged. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
R5.12
· Pick 150
· Logan Brown
· OT
· rank 146
Fair-plus on Logan Brown, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R6.15
· Pick 191
· Nazir Stackhouse
· DL
· rank 207
The board had cheaper options than Nazir Stackhouse at Round 6, Pick 15, and it noticed. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
R7.8
· Pick 224
· John Williams
· OT
· rank 266
John Williams in the 224th pick is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R7.17
· Pick 233
· Jalen Travis
· OT
· rank 287
They talked themselves into Jalen Travis at the Round 7 slot, and the board did not agree. A need, and now a little less of one.
R7.24
· Pick 240
· Xavier Truss
· OT
· rank 291
A wild overpay on Xavier Truss in No. 240, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. It fills a real need, too.
R7.26
· Pick 242
· Isaac TeSlaa
· WR
· rank 234
Value with a capital V on Isaac TeSlaa in pick No. 242, a genuine coup. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.