You could see the war room lean forward. Robert Spears-Jennings at pick 217 is the sort of fall that does not happen, except it just did. Solid and sensible more than spectacular: a B-.
Everything downstream of Shedeur Sanders depends on Shedeur Sanders, and the building knows it. They will regret leaving edge rusher for another day if the season turns on it. Every board in the league had Riley lower, and that gap is the story.
They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.1
· Pick 1
· Shedeur Sanders
· QB
· rank 3
No drama and no debate, Shedeur Sanders went about where he belonged in Round 1, Pick 1. The roster fit checks out.
R2.2
· Pick 34
· Kenneth Grant
· DT
· rank 29
A clean, defensible pick in the Round 2 slot with a little surplus value in Kenneth Grant. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R3.1
· Pick 65
· Kamari Ramsey
· S
· rank 39
Kamari Ramsey in slot 65 should not have been possible, and that is the whole point. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
R3.5
· Pick 69
· Kaleb Johnson
· RB
· rank 41
You do not let a running back like Kaleb Johnson reach Round 3, Pick 5 and blink. They did not. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R4.2
· Pick 103
· Luke Kandra
· OG
· rank 111
Luke Kandra in pick 103 is the kind of reach that only looks good if he outplays it. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R4.37
· Pick 138
· Barrett Carter
· LB
· rank 86
Steal is underselling it; Barrett Carter at the 138th pick is a heist with the alarm still ringing. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
R6.3
· Pick 178
· Antwane Wells Jr.
· WR
· rank 183
Antwane Wells Jr. at the Round 6 slot is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R6.37
· Pick 212
· Bryce Foster
· C
· rank 199
Bryce Foster slipping to pick No. 212 is the kind of luck good rooms make for themselves. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
R7.2
· Pick 216
· Quincy Riley
· CB
· rank 230
A conviction pick on Quincy Riley at No. 216 that the board grades a round light. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R7.3
· Pick 217
· Robert Spears-Jennings
· S
· rank 138
They will replay Robert Spears-Jennings at the 217th overall pick for years; that is how good the value is. Insurance at a position that did not really ask for it.