When the story of this class is written, it opens with Demani Richardson at pick No. 203, a reach of 43 spots that the board flatly disagrees with.
The phones were where this weekend was really won. Landing Sainristil that late papers over a lot of smaller sins.
If this class has a fault line, it runs straight through quarterback. They will answer for taking linebacker early while quarterback, wide receiver and other spots went begging.
Good work on the whole, with quarterback the one box left unchecked.
Pick-by-Pick
R2.8
· Pick 40
· Jackson Powers-Johnson
· C
· rank 51
A premium they did not need to pay, Jackson Powers-Johnson a notch or two before his time. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R2.9
· Pick 41
· Edgerrin Cooper
· LB
· rank 58
They jumped the gun on Edgerrin Cooper, taking him earlier than his grade liked. A quiet depth add at a thin-ish spot.
R2.10
· Pick 42
· Calen Bullock
· S
· rank 47
A straight-up fair deal on Calen Bullock at slot 42, value and slot in agreement. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
R3.3
· Pick 67
· Ruke Orhorhoro
· DT
· rank 69
No edge and no loss on Ruke Orhorhoro in Round 3, Pick 3; it is a wash and a sensible one. It fills a real need, too.
R3.25
· Pick 88
· Bucky Irving
· RB
· rank 93
They paid sticker price for Bucky Irving in the Round 3 slot, and that is fine. They walked in needing this and walked out with it.
R3.37
· Pick 100
· Mike Sainristil
· CB
· rank 82
They barely believed it either: Mike Sainristil still on the board at the 100th overall pick. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R4.25
· Pick 125
· Jaylen Wright
· RB
· rank 158
Jaylen Wright at slot 125 is the kind of overdraft that needs everything to break right. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R4.35
· Pick 135
· Cedric Gray
· LB
· rank 135
Hard to square with the roster. With positions of obvious need still on the board, Cedric Gray adds a linebacker and leaves quarterback, wide receiver and other spots untouched.
R6.28
· Pick 203
· Demani Richardson
· S
· rank 246
Demani Richardson in pick No. 203 is a reach so steep the board needed a second look to believe it. Nice player, but the depth chart did not need him here.
R6.42
· Pick 217
· Xavier Thomas
· DE-EDGE
· rank 255
Value said wait; Xavier Thomas in pick 217 says they were not listening. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
R6.44
· Pick 219
· Dwight McGlothern
· CB
· rank 257
Dwight McGlothern in the Round 6 slot is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.
R7.26
· Pick 246
· Walter Rouse
· OT
· rank 258
Walter Rouse at Round 7, Pick 26 is a conviction pick that outran the value. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.