There was a run on nobody at that position, and the Packers started one anyway for McKade Mettauer, 29 picks ahead of schedule.
The Mustapha pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at edge rusher, quarterback and other spots. That is a cornerback worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly.
The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer. They left with cornerback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
Good work on the whole, with edge rusher the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.25
· Pick 25
· Tyler Nubin
· S
· rank 30
In the Round 1 slot they get a centerfielder for the defense. More want than need.
R2.22
· Pick 54
· Quinyon Mitchell
· CB
· rank 31
Steal is underselling it; Quinyon Mitchell at pick 54 is a heist with the alarm still ringing. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
R2.25
· Pick 57
· Jeremiah Trotter Jr.
· LB
· rank 61
No edge and no loss on Jeremiah Trotter Jr. in No. 57; it is a wash and a sensible one. A minor itch, scratched.
R3.25
· Pick 88
· Christian Haynes
· OG
· rank 77
A quiet steal in the 88th pick: Christian Haynes for less than the market said. It fills a real need, too.
R3.28
· Pick 91
· Mike Sainristil
· CB
· rank 82
Mike Sainristil slipping to slot 91 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R3.34
· Pick 97
· Audric Estime
· RB
· rank 98
Audric Estime at Round 3, Pick 34 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R4.34
· Pick 134
· Malik Mustapha
· S
· rank 139
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Malik Mustapha at safety with edge rusher, quarterback and other spots open.
R4.35
· Pick 135
· Kamal Hadden
· CB
· rank 138
By-the-book stuff, Kamal Hadden at the Round 4 slot squarely in line with his ranking. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R5.1
· Pick 137
· Jaheim Bell
· TE
· rank 140
They paid sticker price for Jaheim Bell in No. 137, and that is fine. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R5.27
· Pick 163
· Jaylen Wright
· RB
· rank 158
Fair-plus on Jaylen Wright, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R6.28
· Pick 203
· Christian Jones
· OT
· rank 197
Good price on Christian Jones in the 203rd pick, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.
R6.42
· Pick 217
· Joshua Cephus
· WR
· rank 239
A big swing on Joshua Cephus at pick No. 217, well ahead of any board in the building. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R6.44
· Pick 219
· Matthew Jones
· OG
· rank 242
Matthew Jones in pick 219 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. The roster fit checks out.
R7.26
· Pick 246
· Dwight McGlothern
· CB
· rank 257
They jumped the gun on Dwight McGlothern, taking him earlier than his grade liked. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R7.31
· Pick 251
· McKade Mettauer
· OG
· rank 280
McKade Mettauer at the 251st pick is an overdraft of the loud, memorable kind. A need, and now a little less of one.