The real work happened on the phones. The Packers fleeced their trade partners, turning their picks into a noticeably bigger pile than they started with.
They will regret leaving quarterback for another day if the season turns on it. However the rest shakes out, Rice at that price is a win they earned.
The Mustapha pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at quarterback, tight end and other spots. Jones has a lot of ground to make up just to look fairly priced.
A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.27
· Pick 27
· Amarius Mims
· OT
· rank 21
In No. 27 they get a blindside protector at fair value. A clean fit for the roster.
R2.10
· Pick 42
· Kris Jenkins
· DL-EDGE
· rank 47
They paid sticker price for Kris Jenkins in the 42nd pick, and that is fine. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R2.25
· Pick 57
· Edgerrin Cooper
· LB
· rank 59
By-the-book stuff, Edgerrin Cooper at pick 57 squarely in line with his ranking. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
R3.25
· Pick 88
· Brenden Rice
· WR
· rank 71
Brenden Rice in the 88th overall pick is a bargain the rest of the room will envy. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R3.29
· Pick 92
· Tykee Smith
· S
· rank 97
Tykee Smith in Round 3, Pick 29 is fair value, right on his grade. A minor need, but a need all the same.
R4.25
· Pick 125
· Kris Abrams-Draine
· CB
· rank 118
Kris Abrams-Draine at slot 125 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R4.35
· Pick 135
· Malik Mustapha
· S
· rank 136
The eyebrow-raiser of the weekend. They went safety with Malik Mustapha while clear needs at quarterback, tight end and other spots sat open.
R6.28
· Pick 203
· Jase McClellan
· RB
· rank 209
A straight-up fair deal on Jase McClellan at pick No. 203, value and slot in agreement. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R6.42
· Pick 217
· Matthew Jones
· OG
· rank 233
Matthew Jones at Round 6, Pick 42 is a conviction pick that outran the value. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R6.44
· Pick 219
· Trevor Keegan
· OG
· rank 226
No drama and no debate, Trevor Keegan went about where he belonged in No. 219. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R7.26
· Pick 246
· Eric Gentry
· LB
· rank 239
Eric Gentry at the 246th pick is a sound buy, the sort that quietly helps a class. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
R7.28
· Pick 248
· Dwight McGlothern
· CB
· rank 249
No edge and no loss on Dwight McGlothern in the Round 7 slot; it is a wash and a sensible one. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.