This was really interesting and insightful regarding Baalke's draft day philosophy. My totally subjective feelings regarding the draft are:

1. Baalke's best moment was in round 1 when he got his guy and was able to accumulate 3 extra picks. Harrison was a good value pick who met an important need. There was a big gap between him and whoever was the next tackle on their board.

2. My main criticism of the draft was the failure to select a nickel who could be an upgrade over Herndon. Regardless of what Baalke said about teams refusing to deal with him for a trade-up, there had to be several opportunities in rounds 2-4 where this could have been accomplished- even if they had to give up a little more desired. Anyone of Branch, Turner and Phillips would have been excellent choices. Even if moving up for Branch would have proved too costly, Phillips was still available at the top of round 4. He obviously dropped due to some physical limitations, but I'll be very surprised if he doesn't become a long-term starter at nickel due to his excellent instincts and playmaking ability. Braswell and Hallett may eventually become capable nickels, but it's very unlikely to happen this season. Antonio Johnson is not a nickel, but he was probably the best value pick- especially if he can cover tight ends and replace Jenkins in 2024 at safety.

3. The pass rush is still a concern since the only true pass rusher they selected was Abdullah. Unless he is an outlier like Elvis Dumervill due to size limitations, it is unrealistic that he can be counted on to provide a consistent pass rush. I am less worried about this position than nickel for a couple reasons. Most importantly, I expect Caldwell to make much better use of players like Walker and Llloyd now that he has had a year to grow into the coordinator role combined with the growth expected of players going into year 2. With that being said, the signing of a veteran free agent is critical. I expect a run on these soon since Golden just signed a deal with the Steelers. Baalke needs to decide whether Floyd, Yannick, Houston or Clark could make a big difference. Houston seems the most attainable since they could get him on a one year deal at a reasonable price. If he fails to sign any of these players, I believe he will come to regret it.

4. Finally, the selections of Strange and Bigsby have really grown on me. Both are capable of becoming very good NFL players. Being a Penn State alumnus, I saw all of Strange's games and he was very underrated. He will be a great complement to Engram. Bigsby should not get as many snaps to begin, but he has the capability of being a very productive 3 down back if Etienne misses any time. I doubt they would have signed De'Ernest Johnson if they knew they'd draft Bigsby, but having a strong staple of backs can come in very handy- especially late in the season.

---