The Packers clearly saw something nobody else did in Xavier Thomas, taking him 36 picks ahead of his grade. The board is not convinced.
Landing Phillips that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. That quarterback hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall.
Job largely done: edge rusher settled and 5 of 8 of the wish list covered. Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.
Good work on the whole, with quarterback the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.25
· Pick 25
· Jackson Powers-Johnson
· C
· rank 51
In the 25th pick they get protection for the quarterback, a steep price for the projection.
R2.9
· Pick 41
· Chop Robinson
· DE-EDGE
· rank 35
Chop Robinson at the 41st overall pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R2.25
· Pick 57
· Edgerrin Cooper
· LB
· rank 58
Edgerrin Cooper at pick 57 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
R3.25
· Pick 88
· T'Vondre Sweat
· DL
· rank 60
T'Vondre Sweat in Round 3, Pick 25 is a gift, value that borders on unfair. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R3.28
· Pick 91
· Ray Davis
· RB
· rank 109
They talked themselves into Ray Davis at the Round 3 slot, and the board did not agree. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R4.25
· Pick 125
· Javon Foster
· OT
· rank 128
They took Javon Foster at par in pick No. 125, which is nothing to complain about. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R4.35
· Pick 135
· Malik Mustapha
· S
· rank 139
Malik Mustapha at the Round 4 slot is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
R6.28
· Pick 203
· Andru Phillips
· CB
· rank 170
They barely believed it either: Andru Phillips still on the board at Round 6, Pick 28. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R6.42
· Pick 217
· Michael Barrett
· LB
· rank 184
Michael Barrett in pick 217 is the kind of fall that makes a whole class. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
R6.44
· Pick 219
· Xavier Thomas
· DE-EDGE
· rank 255
Value said wait; Xavier Thomas in the 219th overall pick says they were not listening. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R7.26
· Pick 246
· Evan Williams
· S
· rank 282
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Evan Williams well ahead of where he belonged. It is more luxury than necessity; they were already set here.