There is reaching, and then there is Braelon Allen at No. 120. The Packers jumped the board by 39 and dared it to prove them wrong. A sturdy weekend that grades out a B.
They robbed the room blind at the table, and it lifts the grade on its own. They punted on quarterback, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. They will answer for taking linebacker early while quarterback and tight end went begging.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but quarterback.
Pick-by-Pick
R2.4
· Pick 36
· Bralen Trice
· DE-EDGE
· rank 37
They took Bralen Trice at par in the Round 2 slot, which is nothing to complain about. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R2.7
· Pick 39
· Patrick Paul
· OT
· rank 47
They paid a round early for Patrick Paul in slot 39, more than the board wanted. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R2.18
· Pick 50
· Edgerrin Cooper
· LB
· rank 56
By-the-book stuff, Edgerrin Cooper at pick No. 50 squarely in line with his ranking. A minor need, but a need all the same.
R2.20
· Pick 52
· Keon Coleman
· WR
· rank 44
Keon Coleman is a better player than the 52nd pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. A need, and now a little less of one.
R2.25
· Pick 57
· Zach Frazier
· C
· rank 62
No drama and no debate, Zach Frazier went about where he belonged in Round 2, Pick 25. The roster fit checks out.
R2.30
· Pick 62
· Javon Bullard
· S
· rank 63
No edge and no loss on Javon Bullard in No. 62; it is a wash and a sensible one. A minor itch, scratched.
R3.2
· Pick 66
· Jonathon Brooks
· RB
· rank 61
A tidy little value on Jonathon Brooks in pick 66, a step better than break-even. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
R3.12
· Pick 76
· Junior Colson
· LB
· rank 71
They zigged when the board said zag, taking Junior Colson at linebacker with quarterback and tight end open.
R3.26
· Pick 89
· Mike Sainristil
· CB
· rank 80
Nice patience on Mike Sainristil, who had no business lasting to pick No. 89. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R3.30
· Pick 93
· Tykee Smith
· S
· rank 96
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Tykee Smith adds a safety and leaves quarterback and tight end untouched.
R4.5
· Pick 105
· Darius Robinson
· DL-EDGE
· rank 121
They paid up for Darius Robinson at the 105th pick when waiting would have done the job. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R4.14
· Pick 114
· Leonard Taylor III
· DL
· rank 113
A straight-up fair deal on Leonard Taylor III at slot 114, value and slot in agreement. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
R4.20
· Pick 120
· Braelon Allen
· RB
· rank 159
Braelon Allen at Round 4, Pick 20 is the pick scouts circle, and not in a good way. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R4.25
· Pick 125
· Kris Abrams-Draine
· CB
· rank 122
Kris Abrams-Draine at the Round 4 slot is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the cornerback. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R4.34
· Pick 134
· James Williams
· S
· rank 135
Of all the spots to shop, they chose safety. James Williams in Round 4, Pick 34 leaves quarterback and tight end for later.