McVeigh was close to retiring after '22. There is no way they didn't get his consent to draft Simpson. I wasn't surprised they made the pick; i was surprised they didn't try to trade back before making the pick but they could have been afraid the Jets or Steelers would grab him first. They still need a wr but that position is pretty deep in this draft.
Then why did he last till 19?
LOL. This is such a Panthers fan take. Anyone who falls to us must suck because some other team didn't take them before. We got lucky with Lemon, Thieneman, and Freeling all falling to us (honestly any of the three is a A+) but the WR and S positions are much deeper than the LT position in this draft. We got the LT w/ the most upside at 19. Mauigoa played RT in college and some think he is a guard in the nfl. Spano played RT in college and some think he is a guard in the NFL due to short arms. Blake Miller played RT in college and is not as good as Freeling. Proctor is a true LT but his ability to handle quick edge's worries me (see Icky). Freeling is a true LT and a gifted pass protector. Many think he has a very high ceiling and will benefit from not having to start right away. This is how you build a franchise.
Classic example on what AI is not currently good for. It will create a baseline of statistics (which are fine but must be used alongside tape and other evals) and partner that with every rumor mongering dips*&$t on the web.
I know. I just think it's funny they consider this a window since they locked up Burrow and the two WRs. If they even made the superbowl and got blown out, that would be a minor miracle. They aren't making the superbowl with that squad.
I would be happy w/ any of these picks that could conceivably fall to us at 19 (in no particular order): Freeling, Proctor, Thieneman, Lemon, Faulk. I just hope we don't reach at 19, and I think those five would represent good value.