The John Emery Jr. pick is the one that will follow the Packers into the fall. They took him 96 spots ahead of his grade, and the board is not shy about saying so.
A whole weekend of picks and edge rusher is somehow still a want. Getting Wilson where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class. They left with cornerback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
Nearly every premium pick went to that side of the ball.
A workmanlike haul that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.25
· Pick 25
· Nate Wiggins
· CB
· rank 15
Nate Wiggins at No. 25 is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R2.9
· Pick 41
· Kamren Kinchens
· S
· rank 34
Kamren Kinchens at the 41st overall pick nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R2.25
· Pick 57
· Edgerrin Cooper
· LB
· rank 57
No drama and no debate, Edgerrin Cooper went about where he belonged in the Round 2 slot. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
R3.25
· Pick 88
· Sedrick Van Pran
· C
· rank 90
Sedrick Van Pran in pick No. 88 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R3.28
· Pick 91
· Johnny Wilson
· WR
· rank 74
Value with a capital V on Johnny Wilson in Round 3, Pick 28, a genuine coup. A need, and now a little less of one.
R4.25
· Pick 125
· Javon Foster
· OT
· rank 128
No edge and no loss on Javon Foster in the 125th pick; it is a wash and a sensible one. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R4.35
· Pick 135
· Jaylen Wright
· RB
· rank 158
Jaylen Wright at Round 4, Pick 35 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R6.28
· Pick 203
· Gabe Hall
· DL
· rank 207
They took Gabe Hall at par in the 203rd overall pick, which is nothing to complain about. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R6.42
· Pick 217
· Nathaniel Watson
· LB
· rank 240
They left a pile of value on the table to take Nathaniel Watson this early at the 217th pick. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.
R6.44
· Pick 219
· Evan Williams
· S
· rank 282
Evan Williams at No. 219 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. Stacking talent where they were already deep.
R7.26
· Pick 246
· John Emery Jr.
· RB
· rank 342
A big swing on John Emery Jr. at pick No. 246, well ahead of any board in the building. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.