Call it larceny. Steele Chambers sat on the board until the 255th overall pick, and the Packers did not need to be asked twice.
If Reed pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. For all the activity, interior defensive lineman went untouched, which is hard to explain.
On the needs board they went 7 of 8, with edge rusher the one that mattered most. Almost all the early capital went to that side of the ball.
Nothing here to lose sleep over, and plenty to feel decent about.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.25
· Pick 25
· Graham Barton
· OT
· rank 26
In the 25th pick they get a long-term starter on the line at fair value. A real need, handled.
R2.9
· Pick 41
· Edgerrin Cooper
· LB
· rank 49
A premium they did not need to pay, Edgerrin Cooper a notch or two before his time. A minor need, but a need all the same.
R2.26
· Pick 58
· Xavier Legette
· WR
· rank 38
Xavier Legette at the 58th overall pick is daylight robbery; nobody expected him to last. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R3.25
· Pick 88
· Renardo Green
· S
· rank 76
Renardo Green is a better player than No. 88 suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
R3.28
· Pick 91
· DJ James
· CB
· rank 53
A top-tier cornerback at a bargain, DJ James in pick 91, plain and simple. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R4.26
· Pick 126
· Isaac Guerendo
· RB
· rank 128
A market-rate running back, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Isaac Guerendo. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R5.33
· Pick 169
· Sataoa Laumea
· OT
· rank 131
A offensive lineman of that caliber at pick No. 169 is the definition of value, full stop. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R6.27
· Pick 202
· Tip Reiman
· TE
· rank 183
Tip Reiman in slot 202 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. It fills a real need, too.
R6.44
· Pick 219
· Grayson Murphy
· DL-EDGE
· rank 177
Circle this one: Grayson Murphy at the 219th overall pick is a fall that decides a draft. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R7.25
· Pick 245
· Austin Reed
· QB
· rank 274
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Austin Reed well ahead of where he belonged. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R7.35
· Pick 255
· Steele Chambers
· LB
· rank 200
You do not let a linebacker like Steele Chambers reach the 255th pick and blink. They did not. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.