If you’re looking for a straight-to-the-point, no-nonsense breakdown of each Green Bay Packer draft choice, I have just the article for you. Written by guest author Pigskin Paul, this synopsis will give you the key points you need to know about each new player. Enjoy!
ROUND 1 PICK 23 BRYAN BULAGA/OT/IOWA/6’5/315 PPP RANK #11
So did the PACK get the steal of the DRAFT when BULAGA fell to them at PICK 23? Probably not. Did they get great value at the Pick? Sure did. Is he the next FORREST GREGG in Green Bay? No, he’s more likely to be the next CHAD CLIFTON. And that’s something they have been trying to find and Draft for the past 5 years. He has more technique and athleticism than BARBRE. He is more ready to step in and produce than BRENO.
A big part of the job for Personnel People is to find good replacements for aging, quality players. BULAGA will play LT, and do so very well, for a decade in Green Bay. He certainly has as much talent (if not more) than CLIFTON, who has been good enough to fashion a ten year NFL career, and even get to the Pro Bowl. He does not have as much athleticism, or upside as BRUCE CAMPBELL, the COMBINE Wonder Boy, but he is much more of a sure thing to play, and play well, soon. Great value at the Pick!
ROUND 2 PICK 56 MIKE NEAL/DE/PURDUE/6’3/295 PPP RANK #128
NEAL may be the guy to make, or break the PACKERS 2010 DRAFT. He was a solid college player, on a mediocre defensive team at PURDUE. He is a cut, physical specimen who is weight room strong, but with a maxed-out frame. It will be the task of the PACKERS strength and conditioning staff to increase his stamina, and translate more of that pure strength into functional, football strength.
After the PICK I pulled out tape of both the SHRINE and SENIOR BOWL games to watch NEAL. The Coaches must have liked his work because he played as many, or more, snaps than any other DL in both games. He is incredibly quick off the ball, and it doesn’t look like he is guessing all the time. His biggest weakness was getting overwhelmed and buried when double-team blocked on the inside. I think the PACKERS Scouting Staff projected his talent outside to the 5-technique and they believe they have a potential starting player. I like the fact that he stays on his feet, and will pursue the ball down field. He also seems to have a good feel for where the play is going. I had him ranked as a Round 4 Prospect as a 4-3 scheme, 3-technique DT, but I can see more value from him in the move outside.
ROUND 3 PICK 71 MORGAN BURNETT/S/GA TECH/6’1/210 PPP RANK #90
BURNETT is far from a finished prospect, and is going to look bad at times as a Rookie. But he has the talent and skills of COLLINS/BIGBY combined. The job of the PACKERS Coaching Staff will be teach this guy the discipline needed to play effectively in the NFL. We may not se a lot of BURNETT in September (assuming BIGBY/COLLINS are healthy), but he will need to earn the trust of DOM CAPERS and find his way onto the field by October.
Fans will love his big hits, and his ball-hawing INTs, but will have to live with him getting beaten deep on occasion. Hopefully, he will develop into a DARREN SHARPER-type player, but with more desire to tackle and may receivers pay the price for catching the ball in his area of the field. He was a solid Round 3 value, and fills another PACKERS roster need.
ROUND 5A PICK 154 ANDREW QUARLESS/TE/PENN STATE/6’4/250 PPP RANK #164
TED, and some of his aides, must have been really impressed with his play and measurables to even consider taking him. More than a few teams had him off their Draft Boards, because of drinking and discipline issues in Happy Valley. I don’t think he enters the League, already in their Drug Testing program, but he has pretty much admitted he had drinking issues early on at Penn State.
I think his selection means two things for the team, assuming he is on the roster in September. DONALD LEE, with his contract and multiple dropped balls, could be a likely roster cut. Such a move would replace a 30-year old journeyman, with a more talented 21-year old, at a much more economical cost. Though QUARLESS’ main talent is as a tall, long armed receiver, he looks to have the frame and temperament to be a solid inline blocker, especially compared to LEE or FINLEY. This is undoubtably the riskiest Pick in the 2020 DRAFT for the PACK. But as Ron Wolf used to say… ‘I can’t build a team with only Boy Scouts on the roster’.
ROUND 5B PICK 169 MARSHAL NEWHOUSE/OL/TCU/6’4/320 PPP RANK #157
This is one of my favorite Picks in this DRAFT. I got to see NEWHOUSE do his thing at the SHRINE WEEK in Orlando back in January. Believe me when I tell you this is one of those guys who looks even bigger than his height and weight would indicate. He has a massive frame. He is a tad too slow with his feet to play OT in the NFL in my opinion, but he should make a massive brawler on the inside, and his footwork would be better than many of his peers at OG. WHITEY was watching this guy up close and personal during line drills at SHRINE GAME practices.
I think he really helped himself with his work at the COMBINE. He was the third fastest OL in the 40-yard dash with an amazing time of 5.00 seconds. He also had the fastest 3-Cone time of 7.40 in the OL group. Those work-out numbers alone do not make you an elite player, but they certainly indicate athleticism not typical of a player with his size numbers. We’ll find out if JAMES CAMPEN is a good NFL OL Coach, based on his success, or lack thereof, in developing this guy into an NFL starter.
ROUND 6 PICK 193 JAMES STARKS/RB/BUFFALO/6’2/218 PPP RANK #134
STARKS missed his senior year in college after opting for major shoulder surgery last Summer. Assuming that he passed all his medical exams with flying colors over the past three months, and can return to his previous playing levels, he could be a real steal here in Round 6. He’s a bit tall for the RB position, making him a large target for tacklers if he is running upright, but he seems to have that forward lean that the Scouts are always looking for.
He’s a bit more athletic than many folks think. He had the 7th fastest 40-time at the COMBINE timing at 4.50 just behind HARDESTY. He also had the 5th best 3-Cone drill time in Indy, again just behind HARDESTY, who was selected in Round 2 by the BROWNS.
I’ve heard some fans question whether his skills fit the 3rd-Down NFL RB job description. Maybe many of those questioning him don’t realize that he averaged over 40 catches per year in his 3 seasons at BUFFALO. I sense very good value at this Pick . Notice the trend here?
ROUND 7 PICK 230 C.J. WILSON/DE/EAST CAROLINA/6’3/285 PPP RANK #123
My mouth fell open for two reasons when I heard WILSON’s name called in Round 7. I had lost track of the fact that he was still on the Board. Then I realized it was E.J. WILSON from UNC who had gone to the SEA HAWKS back in Round 4. My first thought was that Seattle had DRAFTED the wrong WILSON back at Pick 127. No one is going to admit the possible mistaken identity, but folks it wouldn’t be the first time in the history of the NFL DRAFT that name confusion had altered an actual Pick. I had C.J. ranked as my 123rd best overall player on my final Regardless List. And I wasn’t alone in that value opinion. The GBN Report had him Ranked @ 118, and PFW slotted him @ 145.
WILSON has nice size and athleticism for a 5-Technique job in the League. The biggest knock on him as a 4-3 DE for the Pirates was that he showed minimal pass-rush ability. That is much less of a factor in the 3-4 alignment. Mark this down as a major steal, with C.J. being a regular in the DE rotation this coming Fall.
It may not have been a sexy DRAFT for the PACKERS, but I am very impressed at the Value-at-the-Pick quotient this year. A team never finds answers for all their needs in one DRAFT. But the PACK seem to have come up with some serious talent to plug into the majority of their apparent roster holes.
In the next week I will also take a detailed look at the Rookie Free Agent class that Green Bay has signed, on the proverbial 4th Day of the DRAFT.
For more NFL Draft and Green Bay Packers articles, be sure to visit Pigskin Paul”s Web Site.
Very good analysis, Pigskin Paul.
I’ve already come to terms with Neal (I liked him but not at the 2nd round).
And Quarless seems like a decent/good pick.
We’ll only see on the field, though. Can’t wait till August.
Still haven’t seen anything great with Neal on film – my jury is still out…
I know you probably do not have access to them, but I have entire SHRINE & SENIOR BOWL games taped. Other than when he is double-team blocked inside he was very fluid and strong to the ball.
He will also be popular with the ladies if he gets on a calendar shoot. Big time fit, buffed athlete.
Great article. You seem to understand what a lot of the people who are upset with this draft don’t. The Packers are already a good team, they don’t (and shouldn’t) reach for positions that are “needs” (according to everyone outside the Packers organization).
The top three picks could all easily be starting at their respective positions a year from now. And we got a great mix of value/ high upside guys in the later rounds. What’s not to like?
You have the pictures for Newhouse and Quarless mixed up though.
Pics issue has been “cleaned up”.
This was definitely a draft for the future of the Packers. The only real “now” pick I was hoping for was an OLB, but I’m not disappointed. I like the picks, I just don’t have enough info on Neal at this point…
All DRAFTS are for the future… like tomorrow, future.
But I see the majority of these guys being on the field pretty quickly.
What are the odds that Clifton doesn’t get hurt and BULAGA starts a month, or more.
NEAL should see time in a rotation by October.
I’m still confused why they traded up to grab Neal when Terrence Cody was right there instead at DT. Did Cody not fit our scheme or something? Seems like he was less of a gamble/more of a steal, than Neal was at that spot.
Cody is a NT, not a DE. The Packers have two highly paid NTs already.
They didn’t trade up to get Neal…
And the rest, Al, has covered.
Plus the fact that Cody is just a fat slob, nothing more…
CODY is very one-dimensional player and they already have PICKETT & RAJI. And believe me when I tell you RAJI is a NT not a DE.
THey took NEAL at their regular slot.
It was burnett that they traded up for.
**the photos between Newhouse and Quarless a mixed matched.
Great article I like your thougts on E.j Wilson and C.j Wilson!
Thanks for pointing that out about the pics. I got that “cleaned up.”
Al
I feel smarter after reading this. I do like the notion of the Hawks picking the wrong guy. Like you said, no one will ever know.
Welcome, Alex…
It’s just a thought that popped into my mind, when the dust had settled.
I had forgotten that C.J. was still out there when the PACKERS picked, confusing him with the SEATTLE Pick. Then I wondered if I was not alone.
I like C.J.’s potential a lot more than E.J.’s.