My list of the college prospects the Packers could be targeting in rounds 2 and 3 of the NFL Draft.
Marcus Hardison, DE – Late bloomer, made great strides in 2014. Quick first step, plays hard every down. Has played both DT and DE.
Jordan Phillips, DT – Once considered a 1st round, concerns about his work ethic and previous back problems have him dropping.
Owamagbe Odighizuwa,DE/OLB – If he were to somehow drop to the Packers, would be a major steal. Powerful, speedy, athletic, just inexperienced. Packers love him.
Paul Dawson, ILB – Sideline to sideline pursuer, aggressive player, excellent in coverage – your basic, modern-day inside linebacker type.
Eric Kendricks, ILB – Always around the ball, hard hitter, good football instincts, agile, quick change of direction ability.
Denzel Perryman, ILB – Mostly a run stopper, plays mean and hard, best in the box, only average pursuit skills. Team leader type… Hawk replacement.
Lorenzo Mauldin. OLB – Plays HARD, relentlessly tracks the ball. A handful to block. Not overly fast but has a quick closing burst to the QB.
Randy Gregory, OLB – How low will he drop after failed combine drug test and reports of disinterest during team interviews?
Eli Harold, OLB – Should be gone, but if he drops, a very useful player who does everything well. Versatile, workhorse type that every team needs.
Nate Orchard, OLB – Ted Hendricks award winner, who exploded this season with 18 sacks after not doing much his first three years. Fast riser or one year wonder?
Eric Rowe, CB – Physical Cornerback who most scouts project as a safety (the anti Damarious Randall)
Craig Mager, CB – Tough bump and run type corner who is aggressive in run support and not intimidated by big receivers. Diamond in the rough. One of my favorites.
Quinten Rollins, CB – Played Basketball for 4 years before switching to football. MAC Defensive Player of the Y ear in his only year on the football field. This feels like a Packers pick.
Jalen Collins – Big corner with nice combination of size, speed and coverage abilities. Plays hard every down. Dropping on reports of failed drug tests at LSU.
Clive Walford, TE – A three-down TE, most well-rounded in the draft.
Ali Marpet, OG – Small school combine wonder who did not look out of place at the Senior Bowl.
Donovan Smith, OT – Can play either tackle or move inside to guard. Both powerful and athletic, underachieved until this season and impressed at Senior Bowl.
Sammy Coates, WR – Tough, physical, and fearless receiver, but still raw. Physical tools are all there, needs development.
Devin Smith, WR– A burner who averaged over 27 yds per catch last season. Very good hands and well coordinated while playing at top speed.
Tyler Lockett, WR/KR/PR – Would solve all of the Packers return issues while serving as a useful slot receiver.
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I’d take them in a micro-second, but no way they make it to the Packers pick:
Eddie Goldman, Jake Fisher, TJ Clemmings, Jaelen Strong, Devin Smith
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Jersey Al Bracco is the founder and editor of AllGreenBayPackers.com, and the co-founder of Packers Talk Radio Network. He can be heard as one of the Co-Hosts on Cheesehead Radio and is the Green Bay Packers Draft Analyst for Drafttek.com.
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Lots of names on this list to like…
Best case scenario would still likely be a outside corner falling to us in Round 2 and getting a starting ILB round 3, but that’s prob not likely. I’m a big fan of Hayward, but I’m nervous about whether he can be a good outside corner. We already know he is great on the inside. Getting a quality outside corner in Round 2 would make CB a position of strength again….. but that’s easier said than done. As long as our 2nd rounder is a quality starter at CB or ILB, i’ll more than happy!
What is this, the 1999 draft again? (3 CBs taken in a row: Antuan Edwards, Fred Vinson and Mike Mckenzie). That didn’t work then, and it won’t now. Any starting ILBs will be long gone by the bottom of round 3 too. I agree with your last statement — take the best available ILB in round 2, they may even have to trade up to get a starting-worthy one.
Didn’t work then? Mckenzie was a great packer, Edwards was a average starter, and we traded Vinson for Ahman Green straight up! Had Sherman and Mckenzie not gotten into a pissing match, that would been 2 packer HOF’ers in the top 3 picks. Whats bad about that? Asking for more is just unrealistic.
Well said. Good memory.
No. Whatever outside corner we would have had, that boat has sailed with the 1st round selection. The secondary might have trouble with your prototype WR 1 outside the numbers next year because of lack of height and strength.
We NEED front 7 help on D. And there is talent still out there that can help right away. But there won’t be tomorrow.
Amen. I was screaming at the TV for Eric Kendricks last night.
I was screaming for Malcolm Brown. But whatever. TT gonna TT, and this is the way it’s always been. Also, it does look like he can ball – but we don’t have enough height outside.
If we can get help on the front 7 that can contribute immediately tonight, this is still the Super Bowl favorite. All in all, having small corners isn’t a death sentence if that’s your only weakness.
Yeah I was a little surprised Brown fell that far. Great value for the Patriots. Agreed on the height. How can our DBs compete with big WRs like Megatron, Alshon Jeffrey, etc.?
Davon House had to come in and relieve Sam Shields when Shields was getting his ass kicked against Julio Jones at Lambeau last December.
I really hope this year is one of Raji’s best. He should be motivated for $$$ and physically refreshed. Same for Guion.
You guys are way too concerned about 1-2″ in height. It’s not like he is drafting 5’8″ dudes. He is drafting average height guys with BALL SKILLS. TT obviously feels that ball hawks that can hit are the best way to improve the D.
Shields played really well against Megatron and Jeffrey when he was matched up with them. No arguing with you about when Jones smoked him Rossonero, but I chalked that up to coming back from the concussion.
Sorry Bearmeat, TT and I disagree with you. Ball hawking DB’s with high ceilings that can be coached up by Joe Whitt are what’s going to make us a better D. ILB thumpers can be found later in the draft. 3rd round and later. Barrington was a 7th rounder.
DL????? There is maybe 1 roster spot open there, maybe. Not a need, that would be a luxury pick and we need a 3rd TE before we piss away a pick at DL.
I agree that 5’11” is fine for a CB. But I’d made room for Malcom Brown. GB is good w/o the draft this year, and we rarely get a crack at guys as good as (IMO, admittedly) Brown is likely to be, both this year, and possibly as an elite player down the road.
Double O would be sweet!!!!
Looks like it could happen…Dallas just took Gregory…
He was there – thought that’s where they would go.
Watching the ILB just melt off the board…all that’s left is Dawson at this point, and if anyone else wants him, they know that all they need to do is draft ahead of the Packers.
Well Al 2 of your micro-second players were still there at 64, Strong and Clemmings. You did get one of your 20 players in Rollins and could have had Dawson. 3rd round for a return specialist seems high not to mention what happened to Abby and Janis?