There is conviction, and then there is this. The Chargers took Justin Eboigbe a full 43 picks ahead of where the board had him, an overdraft steep enough that it colors the whole weekend. It bottoms out at a F.
The whole projection now runs through Caleb Williams; hit there and everything else looks smarter. Overpaying at the table undid a lot of the good work elsewhere. The tight end spot stays a question, and it was the one they most needed an answer at.
However the rest shakes out, Alexander at that price is a win they earned. The bill for those future picks comes due whether the class hits or not.
There is no soft landing here: they fought the board and left tight end open, and the grade is the bill.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.1
· Pick 1
· Caleb Williams
· QB
· rank 2
In the 1st overall pick they get a passer to set the clock by. A clean fit for the roster.
R1.5
· Pick 5
· Kool-Aid McKinstry
· CB
· rank 10
In pick No. 5 they get a potential shutdown corner at fair value. It fills the loudest need on the roster.
R1.12
· Pick 12
· Xavier Legette
· WR
· rank 14
In No. 12 they get a No. 1 receiver. The biggest hole, addressed.
R2.7
· Pick 39
· Jonathon Brooks
· RB
· rank 59
Jonathon Brooks at slot 39 is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. The roster fit checks out.
R2.11
· Pick 43
· Javon Foster
· OT
· rank 54
A conviction pick on Javon Foster at the Round 2 slot that the board grades a round light. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R3.8
· Pick 72
· Kris Jenkins
· DL-EDGE
· rank 57
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Kris Jenkins at Round 3, Pick 8 is the proof. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R3.12
· Pick 76
· Braelon Allen
· RB
· rank 99
Braelon Allen at slot 76 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
R4.8
· Pick 108
· Jordan Travis
· QB
· rank 138
Jordan Travis in the 108th overall pick is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A need, and now a little less of one.
R4.12
· Pick 112
· Roman Wilson
· WR
· rank 110
They paid sticker price for Roman Wilson in the Round 4 slot, and that is fine. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R5.9
· Pick 145
· Malik Mustapha
· S
· rank 145
By-the-book stuff, Malik Mustapha at the 145th pick squarely in line with his ranking. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
R6.11
· Pick 186
· Zy Alexander
· CB
· rank 163
Zy Alexander in Round 6, Pick 11 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R6.15
· Pick 190
· Ajani Cornelius
· OL
· rank 183
Ajani Cornelius at pick 190 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the offensive lineman. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R6.39
· Pick 214
· Khris Bogle
· DE-EDGE
· rank 225
A reach on Khris Bogle in pick No. 214; the board had better options right there. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R6.41
· Pick 216
· Jordan Jefferson
· DT
· rank 242
A wild overpay on Jordan Jefferson in No. 216, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R6.43
· Pick 218
· Reuben Fatheree II
· OT
· rank 231
The board had cheaper options than Reuben Fatheree II at Round 6, Pick 43, and it noticed. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R7.1
· Pick 221
· J.J. Weaver
· LB-EDGE
· rank 241
A real head-scratcher, J.J. Weaver in the 221st overall pick is miles ahead of his ranking. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R7.9
· Pick 229
· Justin Eboigbe
· DL-EDGE
· rank 272
They left a pile of value on the table to take Justin Eboigbe this early at slot 229. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
