The tape said wait; the Packers did not. Joe Milton III went at pick No. 169, a good 31 picks before the board was ready. No fireworks, but a solid B-.
Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall. Getting Mitchell where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.
On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with cornerback the one that mattered most. The offense got the lion's share of the attention.
In short, they left a little better than they arrived, which is the whole idea.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.25
· Pick 25
· Graham Barton
· OT
· rank 25
In the Round 1 slot they get a building block for the line. A real need, handled.
R2.9
· Pick 41
· Adonai Mitchell
· WR
· rank 31
Adonai Mitchell at No. 41 is the sort of value that quietly wins a weekend. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R2.26
· Pick 58
· Payton Wilson
· LB
· rank 57
Payton Wilson at slot 58 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. It thickens a room that could stand to be thicker.
R3.25
· Pick 88
· Calen Bullock
· S
· rank 83
Calen Bullock in Round 3, Pick 25 lands just on the right side of the ledger. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
R3.28
· Pick 91
· Dominick Puni
· OT
· rank 89
They took Dominick Puni at par in pick 91, which is nothing to complain about. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R4.26
· Pick 126
· Jarrian Jones
· CB
· rank 136
Jarrian Jones at the 126th pick jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R5.33
· Pick 169
· Joe Milton III
· QB
· rank 200
They left a pile of value on the table to take Joe Milton III this early at pick No. 169. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R6.27
· Pick 202
· Trevin Wallace
· LB
· rank 233
They talked themselves into Trevin Wallace at Round 6, Pick 27, and the board did not agree. They doubled down on a strength rather than a need.
R6.44
· Pick 219
· Garret Greenfield
· OT
· rank 216
Fair-plus on Garret Greenfield, a quiet win that adds up over a draft. A sensible fit for a spot that needed help.
R7.25
· Pick 245
· Kimani Vidal
· RB
· rank 253
They paid up for Kimani Vidal at pick 245 when waiting would have done the job. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R7.35
· Pick 255
· Tyler Owens
· S
· rank 255
Tyler Owens in the Round 7 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. They added to a strength when a need was still open elsewhere.