The tape said wait; the Steelers did not. Elijah Roberts went at the Round 5 slot, a good 30 picks before the board was ready. A weekend to file away and forget, and an F to match.

So much rides on Cam Ward that the rest of the class almost grades on a curve behind him. They lost the exchange badly enough to drag the whole class down.

They punted on safety, and it is the miss that keeps the grade honest. Getting Hampton where they did is the sort of value that quietly makes a class.

The bill for those future picks comes due whether the class hits or not.

In the end, a class that has to defy its grades just to matter.