The rest of the league will want that one back. Conner Weigman tumbling to the Eagles in No. 89 is a gift they did not have to think twice about.
They lost the exchange badly enough to drag the whole class down. The edge rusher hole is the one line item this class does not answer. The hoard sets up next April more than it helps this September.
Cornerback was the priority and it is no longer a question, which is most of the job.
The verdict is a shrug for now, with the swing picks left to write the real ending.
Pick-by-Pick
R1.25
· Pick 25
· Colston Loveland
· TE
· rank 17
In the Round 1 slot they get a mismatch in the passing game at a price that makes it sweeter. A real need, handled.
R3.25
· Pick 89
· Conner Weigman
· QB
· rank 51
A quarterback of that caliber at Round 3, Pick 25 is the definition of value, full stop. The roster fit checks out.
R4.6
· Pick 102
· Anthony Belton
· OT
· rank 94
Anthony Belton at the 102nd overall pick is money in the bank, a offensive lineman taken below his worth. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
R4.13
· Pick 109
· Keon Sabb
· S
· rank 102
Keon Sabb at No. 109 is a sensible buy, a touch better than market for the safety. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
R4.24
· Pick 120
· Smael Mondon Jr.
· LB
· rank 109
Good things come to war rooms that wait, and Smael Mondon Jr. at pick No. 120 is the proof. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
R4.25
· Pick 121
· Aireontae Ersery
· OT
· rank 119
They took Aireontae Ersery at par in pick 121, which is nothing to complain about. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
R4.26
· Pick 122
· Malachi Moore
· S
· rank 120
Malachi Moore at slot 122 is right where the board had him, plain and simple. It plugs a real leak on the depth chart.
R5.6
· Pick 134
· Aeneas Peebles
· DT
· rank 122
Aeneas Peebles slid further than he should have, and the 134th pick is lovely value for the interior defensive lineman. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
R5.24
· Pick 152
· Jaeden Roberts
· OG
· rank 132
Taking Jaeden Roberts in pick 152 is close to grand larceny; an offensive lineman that good had no business lasting this long. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
R5.25
· Pick 153
· Tyler Warren
· TE
· rank 129
Tyler Warren at No. 153 is a first-round grade at a bargain-bin price, no notes. It fills a real need, too.
R5.26
· Pick 154
· Joshua Gray
· OT
· rank 137
A slide stopped in the Round 5 slot, with Joshua Gray worth more than the price. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
R6.7
· Pick 167
· Antonio Williams
· WR
· rank 155
Value with a capital V on Antonio Williams in slot 167, a genuine coup. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
R6.25
· Pick 185
· Will Lee III
· CB
· rank 186
Will Lee III at Round 6, Pick 25 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
R7.10
· Pick 202
· Tony Grimes
· CB
· rank 192
Tony Grimes is a better player than the 202nd pick suggests; smart patience, rewarded. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.