This is the pick they will still be bragging about in July: Barrett Carter, the No. 80 name on the board, stolen at Round 5, Pick 5. A dependable weekend that grades out a B.
So much rides on Cam Ward that the rest of the class almost grades on a curve behind him. If Belton pans out, nobody remembers the price. If not, this is the pick they hear about. Leaving edge rusher unaddressed is the roster risk they will have to answer for in the fall.
Almost all the early capital went to that side of the ball.
All told, a solid class that does its job everywhere but edge rusher.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.6
· Pick 6
· Cam Ward
· QB
· rank 7
In the 6th overall pick they get their guy under center for the next decade. A clean fit for the roster.
R2.5
· Pick 37
· Shavon Revel Jr.
· CB
· rank 27
Shavon Revel Jr. at the Round 2 slot is money in the bank, a cornerback taken below his worth. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R3.4
· Pick 68
· Tyleik Williams
· DT
· rank 50
You do not let an interior defensive lineman like Tyleik Williams reach the 68th pick and blink. They did not. The roster fit checks out.
R3.9
· Pick 73
· Dylan Fairchild
· OG
· rank 86
They paid up for Dylan Fairchild at the Round 3 slot when waiting would have done the job. It also answers one of the loudest questions on the roster.
R4.5
· Pick 106
· Tez Johnson
· WR
· rank 94
Tez Johnson slid further than he should have, and pick No. 106 is lovely value for the wide receiver. That was the need underlined and circled, and now it is checked off.
R5.5
· Pick 142
· Barrett Carter
· LB
· rank 80
A top-tier linebacker at a bargain, Barrett Carter in pick 142, plain and simple. It adds depth where they could use a little.
R6.3
· Pick 178
· Jay Higgins
· LB
· rank 121
They robbed the room for Jay Higgins here, a fall nobody at the table saw coming. A luxury on a unit that was already in good shape.
R6.37
· Pick 212
· Elijah Arroyo
· TE
· rank 185
The board fumbled Elijah Arroyo all the way to the 212th overall pick, and they scooped it up. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R6.41
· Pick 216
· Anthony Belton
· OT
· rank 260
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Anthony Belton well ahead of where he belonged. Top of the wish list, and they did not leave without it.
R7.6
· Pick 222
· Ollie Gordon II
· RB
· rank 165
Circle this one: Ollie Gordon II at No. 222 is a fall that decides a draft. One more legitimate question on the roster, answered.