Nobody else had Brennan Armstrong anywhere near pick No. 217. The Packers did, by 55 spots, and that gap is the whole story. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B+.
They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. That is a linebacker worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. For all the activity, running back went untouched, which is hard to explain.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.25
· Pick 25
· Cooper DeJean
· CB
· rank 13
In the Round 1 slot they get an island corner at a price that makes it sweeter. The biggest hole, addressed.
R2.9
· Pick 41
· Dallas Turner
· LB-EDGE
· rank 14
A edge rusher of that caliber at Round 2, Pick 9 is the definition of value, full stop. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R2.25
· Pick 57
· Kingsley Suamataia
· OT
· rank 53
A clean, defensible pick in the 57th pick with a little surplus value in Kingsley Suamataia. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R3.25
· Pick 88
· Edgerrin Cooper
· LB
· rank 58
Edgerrin Cooper in pick No. 88 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A minor itch, scratched.
R3.28
· Pick 91
· Jaden Hicks
· S
· rank 107
They jumped the gun on Jaden Hicks, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
R4.25
· Pick 125
· Javion Cohen
· OG
· rank 149
Javion Cohen at No. 125 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. It fills a real need, too.
R5.39
· Pick 175
· Aki Ogunbiyi
· OG
· rank 192
Aki Ogunbiyi at slot 175 is a conviction pick that outran the value. The roster fit checks out.
R6.28
· Pick 203
· Christian Jones
· OT
· rank 197
Christian Jones in the Round 6 slot lands just on the right side of the ledger. A need, and now a little less of one.
R6.42
· Pick 217
· Brennan Armstrong
· QB
· rank 272
A wild overpay on Brennan Armstrong in pick 217, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R6.44
· Pick 219
· De'Corian Clark
· WR
· rank 200
Taking De'Corian Clark in Round 6, Pick 44 is close to grand larceny; a wide receiver that good had no business lasting this long. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R7.26
· Pick 246
· Ja'Had Carter
· S
· rank 252
No drama and no debate, Ja'Had Carter went about where he belonged in the 246th pick. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.