Call it larceny. Nehemiah Pritchett sat on the board until Round 6, Pick 42, and the Packers did not need to be asked twice.
The cost of the Williams reach is exactly the players who went right after him. For all the activity, quarterback went untouched, which is hard to explain.
Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 6 of 8 of the wish list covered. The weekend tilted hard toward the defense.
Good work on the whole, with quarterback the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.25
· Pick 25
· Nate Wiggins
· CB
· rank 15
In the 25th overall pick they get a lockdown presence outside, outstanding value to boot. The biggest hole, addressed.
R2.9
· Pick 41
· Edgerrin Cooper
· LB
· rank 57
Edgerrin Cooper in pick No. 41 is early enough to raise a brow, if not a full objection. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
R2.25
· Pick 57
· Calen Bullock
· S
· rank 46
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Calen Bullock at pick 57 is the proof. A minor need, but a need all the same.
R3.25
· Pick 88
· McKinnley Jackson
· DL
· rank 88
By-the-book stuff, McKinnley Jackson at the Round 3 slot squarely in line with his ranking. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
R3.28
· Pick 91
· Bucky Irving
· RB
· rank 93
Bucky Irving in Round 3, Pick 28 is fair value, right on his grade. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R4.25
· Pick 125
· Jalen McMillan
· WR
· rank 80
Circle this one: Jalen McMillan at the 125th pick is a fall that decides a draft. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R4.35
· Pick 135
· Jaylen Wright
· RB
· rank 158
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Jaylen Wright well ahead of where he belonged. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R6.28
· Pick 203
· Christian Jones
· OT
· rank 197
Christian Jones at slot 203 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. The roster fit checks out.
R6.42
· Pick 217
· Nehemiah Pritchett
· CB
· rank 142
They barely believed it either: Nehemiah Pritchett still on the board at No. 217. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R6.44
· Pick 219
· J.J. Weaver
· LB-EDGE
· rank 228
They paid a round early for J.J. Weaver in pick 219, more than the board wanted. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R7.26
· Pick 246
· Evan Williams
· S
· rank 282
Value said wait; Evan Williams in slot 246 says they were not listening. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.