It is the swing that defines the weekend: Devin Neal in pick 144, a good 40 spots before the room expected him. Nothing here to lose sleep over; call it a B.
On value alone, Cowing makes the weekend a net positive. The dealing alone would carry a lesser class. They will regret leaving cornerback for another day if the season turns on it.
The Tampa pick reads as want over need, and the roster will feel it at cornerback, edge rusher and other spots.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.27
· Pick 27
· Ja'Tavion Sanders
· TE
· rank 26
In Round 1, Pick 27 they get a seam-stretching tight end. The biggest hole, addressed.
R2.7
· Pick 39
· T.J. Tampa
· DB
· rank 40
Of all the spots to shop, they chose defensive back. T.J. Tampa in No. 39 leaves cornerback, edge rusher and other spots for later.
R2.17
· Pick 49
· Jordan Morgan
· OT
· rank 46
A tidy little value on Jordan Morgan in the Round 2 slot, a step better than break-even. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R2.27
· Pick 59
· Amarius Mims
· OT
· rank 83
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Amarius Mims well ahead of where he belonged. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R3.7
· Pick 71
· Andrew Mukuba
· S
· rank 94
Andrew Mukuba in slot 71 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
R3.37
· Pick 100
· Graham Barton
· OT
· rank 101
A straight-up fair deal on Graham Barton at the 100th overall pick, value and slot in agreement. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R4.7
· Pick 107
· Junior Colson
· LB
· rank 110
Junior Colson at the 107th pick is right where the board had him, plain and simple. Depth more than a fix, but depth they can use.
R5.8
· Pick 144
· Devin Neal
· RB
· rank 184
Devin Neal at pick No. 144 is a steep price for a hunch, hard to square with any board. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R5.37
· Pick 173
· Ben Sinnott
· TE
· rank 167
They did well to land Ben Sinnott in the 173rd overall pick, just ahead of his grade. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R6.10
· Pick 185
· Jestin Jacobs
· LB
· rank 201
They paid a round early for Jestin Jacobs in pick 185, more than the board wanted. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
R7.8
· Pick 228
· Jacob Cowing
· WR
· rank 191
Circle this one: Jacob Cowing at Round 7, Pick 8 is a fall that decides a draft. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.