The Texans torched the value chart for David Walker, taking him 75 spots sooner than anyone had him slotted. The process wobbled, and the D- is where it lands.
Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere. Landing Hampton that late papers over a lot of smaller sins. They covered a lot of ground and still skipped quarterback, which is a strange place to end up.
It is a win-now wager, and the future is the stake.
It is a steep hill from here, and the grade knows it.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.25
· Pick 25
· Mason Graham
· DT
· rank 6
In the 25th overall pick they get an anchor for the defensive front, and a steal at that. Exactly the need they had to hit.
R1.26
· Pick 26
· Jahdae Barron
· CB
· rank 14
In the Round 1 slot they get an island corner, outstanding value to boot.
R2.10
· Pick 42
· Emeka Egbuka
· WR
· rank 27
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Emeka Egbuka at the 42nd pick is the proof. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R2.26
· Pick 58
· Tyler Warren
· TE
· rank 44
Tyler Warren slid further than he should have, and slot 58 is lovely value for the tight end. It fills a real need, too.
R2.31
· Pick 63
· Omarion Hampton
· RB
· rank 18
Omarion Hampton at No. 63 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R3.25
· Pick 89
· Logan Brown
· OT
· rank 153
Logan Brown in Round 3, Pick 25 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R3.26
· Pick 90
· David Walker
· LB-EDGE
· rank 165
A wild overpay on David Walker in the 90th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R3.32
· Pick 96
· Kevin Winston Jr.
· S
· rank 93
Kevin Winston Jr. in pick 96 lands just on the right side of the ledger. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
R4.25
· Pick 126
· Barrett Carter
· LB
· rank 83
Barrett Carter at the 126th pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R5.27
· Pick 164
· Hayden Conner
· OG
· rank 145
A top-tier offensive lineman at a bargain, Hayden Conner in the Round 5 slot, plain and simple. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R7.25
· Pick 241
· Jonah Monheim
· C
· rank 217
Circle this one: Jonah Monheim at slot 241 is a fall that decides a draft. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.