NFL Draft Predictions: Packers Mock Draft from Pigskin Paul

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What would Ted do? - Ted Thompson
What would Ted do?

It is April Fools’ Day 2012. And it seems to me to be just about the perfect time to be the perfect fool and attempt to predict the entire PACKERS Draft 2012. I might update this just before the actual Draft … then again maybe not. So pay attention, it may be your one and only chance to Mock me in my attempt to predict what TED THOMPSON might do.

Just a few explanations of how I do this. No, these are not excuses, just my own ground rules. The key is using my Regardless of Position prospect rankings list. I take each PACKERS Pick number and look at my list starting 3 ranked players before the actual Pick number. Anything from that number and beyond is fair game. For instance in Round One, where they pick at 28 I look for a player that might fit their needs, type of player profile and guys who “fit their scheme.” Then I make a Pick, i.e. guess, from players I have ranked 25 and on.

I try to take into account past history, like the fact that about half their selections will have played in the Senior Bowl each year. If I do the Mock and then go back to see only two players from the Mobile then I might as well start over. My first look is at relative talent and fit for schemes (like a NT not a DT) they currently employ. I do look at perceived roster needs within reason, and some variety of positions. In 12 Picks TED is not going to draft 4 OL, even though he loves those big uglies. I also look at players physical measurements. WHITEY will stray from the norm occasionally, but he’s not picking very many 5’9” CBs, or receivers with 8” hand spreads and/or 29”long arms. It’s also very likely that with double digit Picks in his quiver he is going to find a new QB for MIKE McCARTHY to work with, especially in a year like this when his back-up (FLYNN) left town as a Free Agent.

You catch my drift, so let’s get on with it so you can have a good laugh or two to start off the month of April.

 2012 Packers Mock Draft

R1P28    NICK PERRY/DE/OLB/USC/6’3/271    He’s a great athlete, who has really developed as a pass rusher. His up/down versatility will please DOM CAPERS. CLAY MATTHEWS might like this one as well. Pressure on the passer is his calling card.

R2P59    JAMELL FLEMING/CB/OKLAHOMA/5’11/206   If you haven’t heard of him your not a true Draftnik. Very good cover corner, who will tackle. His size/speed combo is exactly what THOMPSON likes in a Corner.

R3P90    JAMES BROWN/G/T/TROY/6’4/306    Played LT for Troy but may need to move inside. Long term may have versatility to compete at an OT slot, which is the kind of versatility NFL teams covet these days. Could start at OG some day.

R4P123    SHEA McCLELLIN/OLB/BOISE STATE/6’3/260    Primarily a DE in college, but began the transition to standing up in Mobile. Natural athlete with good size, including length. A more talented ZOMBO prospect with good upside.

R4P132    MARKELLE MARTIN/S/6’1/207    Does some of his best work in-the-box, but is not lost in coverage. Has enough athleticism to play the deep field in the NFL. Should help on Special Teams as well.

R4P133    PHILLIP BLAKE/C/G/BAYLOR/6’2/315    BLAKE is overaged (25), but really impressed in Mobile and at the COMBINE. He’s very strong and has decent movement in a limited area. He could be ready to challenge SATURDAY within a year, as well as back-up 3 slots inside. He also has a feisty temperament like former teammate DANNY WATKINS.

R5P163    THOMAS MAYO/WR/CAL/PA/6’1/207    Just the kind of receiving prospect the team loves to develop. He is a solid athlete from a small school who showed plenty at SHRINE week this January. Good hands, nice body control & decent speed.

R6P197    TAYLOR THOMPSON/DE/TE/SMU/6’6/287    This is TED’s “whose he” pick for 2012. THOMPSON is an excellent athlete who lots of scouts are eyeballing as a TE convert after playing D at SMU. Could see time at both slots with PACK.

R7P224    RYAN LINDLEY/QB/SAN DIEGO STATE/6’4/229    A big guy, with an NFL arm who plays smart, most of the time. No doubt he’s a project with some accuracy issues, but he might have enough going for him that McCARTHY can develop him. Remember it’s now Round 7 folks.

R7P235    OMAR BOLDEN/CB/ARIZONA STATE/5’10/202    If he had been healthy as a senior he’d have been gone 2-3 Rounds earlier. Worth the dice roll here in Round 7 because he’s a solid kid and plays tough and smart. A little short, but has the weight and is not afraid to hit. Could be nice Special Teams addition.

R7P241    DONALD STEPHENSON/OT/OKLAHOMA/6’6/312    A very good athlete who didn’t live up to his numbers or rep while playing for the Sooners. He ran the fastest 40-time (4.94) of any OT at the COMBINE, even faster than KALIL. His numbers make him worth a late pick and a challenge to develop for the coaching staff.

R7P243    ALFRED MORRIS/RB/FLORIDA ATLANTIC/5’10/219   A tough runner who has played FB and RB in college. He ran hard and looked good in pass pro during Shrine Week. My guess is he has back-up potential, as well as a Special Teams attitude.

There you go folks. Just a bunch of guesses with a few wrinkles that I think WHITEY brings to his Draft Room every year. But no… I don’t base this on any inside info. Just my scouting and my feelings about how recent Drafts have been conducted in Green Bay. I think I got one player right last year, but I’m not sure about that.

You can read more of Pigskin Paul’s Packers & NFL Draft musings at Pigskin Paul’s Place.

38 thoughts on “NFL Draft Predictions: Packers Mock Draft from Pigskin Paul

    1. That one surprised me too, I see McClellin going sooner, but I’d love to have him. The biggest surprise to me is NO D-Line until late 6th round, man I don’t like that! Also, I believe this is the year TT trades up, we’ll see!

    2. yea, I think he goes in the first half of round 2. However, every year there are a few players that fans and outside ‘experts” fall in love with, but the NFL GM’s don’t share the love and they go much lower than “we” expect. Maybe McClellin could be “that guy.”

      1. Usually those are workout warriors. (It’s really funny to see the mock drafts before and after the combine. The first ones tend to be truer to what ends up being the draft order.)

        Emphasis on usually.

    3. This is a great mock, if you’re not into reality. McLellin in the 4th won’t happen; Martin will be gone in the 3rd Round; Blake will likely be gone in the late 3rd/early 4th; and Bolden will not last until the 7th.

  1. McClellin is mocked at #48 by N.E.; indeed, first round by Green Bay at 28!
    He will not last past #60. One scout claims he is better that Perry. No this mock is not realistic.

      1. You’re pretty sensitive with Bearmeat as a tag . I’ve read worse,and McClellin at 123 is a stretch.

        1. Dude, the name is a pun. You know, watching the Pack kill the Bears… the only thing left is Bear Meat. Geddit?

          I’m just saying that it’s obvious this took Paul some time. Disagree if you want, but dismissing his work out of hand is rude. If I want to read people being rude, I go to ESPN and PFT…

  2. After the FA market Dline is looking like less of an issue. LB will still be a top priority, so I like #1.

    Also #4 (132) Martin woud be nice as backup at Safety.

    Definetly going the right direction for improvement.

    Don’t think TT will keep all the picks and there may be a move up in round 2.

  3. You did a great job for this mock draft filling all 11 picks. However, this year with the three free agent signing so far and the likelihood of one or no compensatory picks next year, that Ted will trade up at least once and trade his fifth and sixth (or seventh) for 2013 pick or picks in the 4th round. He will just have too many picks to resonably place on this year’s roster. Also, look for a draft day trade of one of the WRs and LBs. James Jones could go for a 2nd in 2013 so that Gourley or Borell can make the squad.

    1. I agree that Thompson will probably trade some of the picks to move up, or for picks next year, but that is really hard to figure into a mock.

      No way the Packers could get a 2nd round pick for Jones. He tested free agency last year and no one wanted him.

    2. 12 picks, BTW. And I agree 12 are too many to try to fit into the cap. However, I don’t think he trades for 2013 picks. I think he makes a move up in rounds two or three if someone he covets drops a bit.

      1. The Packers won’t have cap issues after Driver and Clifton restructure in May.

        I agree Thompson packages some picks to improve draft position in earlier rounds. That might be a move up in the 1st thru third — they can move about 4 slots in the 1st, which might be enough to get a pass rusher they have graded at that slot. Alternatively, it might be a 1 and a 4 for another 2 and 3 so the can get 4 picks in the top 100. Depends a little bit on how things go with early-second round types like McClellin.

        Jones has trade value as a sweetener to move up, maybe equivalent to a 3rd rounder, maybe less. Not sure if that is the best use for our WR depth, but somebody like Miami or Seattle would be really smart to do that.

  4. Like the feedback, and SHEA is not going to be there in R4, even on my final Board. I do agree he might trade a bit, but I’m not ever going to project that at this point in time.I hated my own list @ 1st, but I like it more with time.
    Be gentle please, it’s all a guess.
    Pigskin Paul

  5. Okay Paul, I’ll be gentle.

    I would like to see TT trade pick 28 to KC for their 44th and 74th.

    44) Shea McClellin (won’t last til 59)
    59) Jamell Fleming or Josh Norman

  6. I would love to see Perry at 28. And I like the Martin pick. I’d prefer McClellin at Rd 2 or a DE – not a Guard.

    But it’s TT – who knows what he’ll do…

  7. Damn, somehow I sent prematurely…I hate that when it happens…so she says.

    I would like to see TT trade pick 28 to KC for their 44th and 74th.

    44) OLB-Shea McClellin (won’t last til 59)
    59) CB-Jamell Fleming or Josh Norman
    90) WR-Greg Childs or OL Nate Potter, Amini Silatolu, Jeff Allen, or Brandon Brooks
    123) S-Markelle Martin or Antonio Allen
    132) C-Philip Blake
    133) DE-Malik Jackson, Jaye Howard, Trevor Guyton, or Tyrone Crawford
    163) QB-Ryan Lindley (won’t last til 224)
    197) OLB-Jacquies Smith, Kyle Wilber, Josh Kaddu, or Brett Roy
    224) NT-Hebron Fangupo
    235) RB-Alfred Morris or Michael Smith
    241) TE-James Hanna
    243) CB-Chris Greenwood
    UDFA: WR-LaVon Brazill, C-Scott Wedige or Chris Anzevino, OLB-Jerry Brown, OLB/SS Jerrico Nelson, CB/S-Josh Bush, OL-Dustin Waldron, DE-Marcus Kuhn, QB-David Legree

  8. Damn, now I forgot pick 74
    74) LaMichael James, Bernard Pierce, or even WR-Greg Childs

  9. I think he’s setting us up to go BPA as much as possible by addressing d line in FA. I promise you it would kill TT to have to pass up on a better player because he HAS to pick by need. So for those saying we HAVE to draft d line I would say only if that player is the best available… I would have agreed with you a lot more prior to these FA deals. That’s the whole point of breaking tradition and signing these guys in FA. He doesn’t want to be painted into a corner. he wants lots of options and he’s put himself in position to do that in an intelligent inexpensive way. Was any one of the d line signings a brilliant move? Not really. By themselves they were just solid moves. But the collective strategy is very genius and expect him to not be married to drafting any one position (except for a center) because of these FA pick ups. So the long and short of it is I don’t think that yours or anyone else’s mock draft is any where close to what will actually happen. No offense intended I wouldn’t be able to produce anything better.

    1. Zack, couldn’t agree w/ you more as I’m as likely of getting this right as I was winning the Mega Million Friday. But we do both for the chase.
      TT has said he views early round picks as long term investments so drafting an O player at 28 is a good possibility. Almost all mock drafts are need based. And it’s no accident we call them mock drafts…
      mock (mk)
      v.tr.
      1. To treat with ridicule or contempt; deride.
      2.
      a. To mimic, as in sport or derision. See Synonyms at ridicule.
      b. To imitate; counterfeit.
      3. To frustrate the hopes of; disappoint.
      v.intr.
      To express scorn or ridicule; jeer: They mocked at the idea.
      n.
      1.
      a. The act of mocking.
      b. Mockery; derision: said it merely in mock.
      2. An object of scorn or derision.
      3. An imitation or a counterfeit.
      adj.
      Simulated; false; sham: a mock battle.
      adv.
      In an insincere or pretending manner: mock sorrowful.

      1. I understand. It’s a lot of fun to make predictions and I’m as guilty as any. I would have agreed a lot more with the draft by need philosophy before the uncharacteristic FA transactions this off season but I think that they add a layer of unpredictability to TT in this draft and I don’t think that he will weigh by need near as much as this or most mock drafts reflect. 4 of the first 5 picks in this mock are defense of which those players are not necessarily the BPA… I think that more than one of those will be wrong not simply because I disagree with the pick but more based on the philosophy applied to the mock… that being said when it comes to judging the merrit of mock drafts I look at the philosophy behind developing it more than the actual picks because it’s impossible to determine exact picks while a person can much more accurately guess what the GM’s philosophical approach. If a person were to propose a mock draft in which they would predict picks based on who they thought would be the best player available at that draft spot I would say I agree with your draft philosophy because that is what TT has done in the past and that is what he tried to set himself up for this off season. So my criticism is more aimed at people saying We have to draft d-line early we have to draft secondary early we have to draft rolb early. I’m all about educated guesses but given how things have changed those things no longer come into play like they did before these off season transactions in my humble opinion. Sorry I don’t think I made clear what I was trying to say on my first post.

        1. Zack, since we have an AJ, BJ, CJ, 2-DJ’s, and a TJ on the team it’s obvious TT will draft a player whose 2nd initial is “J”. I’m as likely to get one of these right as my mock above. So w/o further adieu here’s my “J-Team”.

          1) Bruce Irvin (used to go by B.J.)
          2) A.J. Jenkins
          3) Jaye Howard (Okay, I’m fudging a little but good round for good player)
          4) Traded to Wash for all their remaining 2012 picks and a 2nd and 3rd in 2013.
          4) T.J. Graham
          4) B.J. Coleman
          5) B.J. Cunningham
          6) G.J. Kinne
          7) D.J. Hall
          7) D.J. Campbell
          7) J.B. Shugarts (okay, I’m dyslexic…er, dyslexic I’m okay…er, I’m okay dyslexic…er, never mind)
          7) D.J Woods
          UDFA’s) D.J. McNorton, D.J. Bryant, D.J. Holt, J.J. McDermott, R.J Long, JJ Di Luigi

  10. D-line will be either pick#1 or pick #2. While the pickup of Hargrove and Muir is helpful, neither helps the long-term need of a massive, 3-4 D-end. Hargrove is a situational player and Muir is a career backup. One big body will be drafted early. — At the same time, I admit, I could see TT trading down from 28 and trying to get additional 2nd round picks. I don’t think there is anyone worth trading up for that would greatly improve the team this year, especially given how much it costs to move up. GoPack!

  11. You’re right Scheny.Especially since the top OLB’s are not great 3-4 fits.However, I like Perry at 28, at the least he will hold up great against the run and provide better pressure then we had last year. We need a young center and Brewster in the 3rd round would please me greatly.

    1. I think there are a lot of great 3-4 fits. Ingram, Upshaw, Mercilus, Curry, Perry, Irvin, Cam Johnson, McClellin…

      That is where i think the value will be at the end of the first. Right now Mercilus is my target. He seems to be moving up, but I am just hoping he is there at 28.

      1. Unless the Packers move to a hybrid D, the only two I would take at 28 is Ingram and Perry. I like Curry and McClellin but think they can be drafted in the 2nd round, maybe not 59 but 40ish.
        I don’t think Upshaw’s game translates to the NFL. Mercilus lacks instincts and made most sacks thru effort rather than creating plays. Cam Johnson is better as a 4-3 DE. Irvin, I would take in the 3rd round.

        1. I second this, but I’m also really afraid of Perry as a 3-4 OLB on our scheme. He’s a more north south than lateral guy, don’t think it translates to playing standing up. Good prospect for teams like Dallas and Houston who play a different 3-4.

          And Andre Branch, from the little I’ve seen, appears soft as a pillow. There’s a highlight against S. Carolina that the QB blocks him. I’d stay the hell away from him. He’s also slow to react, most of the highlights have him taking off after everybody.

          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yw6m-HFeOo&feature=relmfu
          http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJTqBM8ugNY&feature=relmfu

          Granted, all that from highlights.

          1. RS, thanks for the reminder. I’ve been warming up to Perry and forgot why I was originally against him. His 40 time and 20 yd shuttle are the same suggesting he has no lateral ability.

            Al, I was just addressing the players FireMM listed. Like RS, I don’t want Branch. The Huddle Report (Sub Req, but well worth the $10/yr) has him w/ a 7th round grade…’nuf said.

  12. No way we draft 12 players. I can see us making a trade to move up and get a safety (Smith ND) in the second round. He may be worth 3rd and 4th round picks. We need two starters on D from this draft.

    1. You never know what TT will do but why the “no way” on drafting 12 players. Coming off a SB and w/ 16 players coming off IR 10 rookies made the team.

      The following are not guaranteed of making the team: Dominguez, EDS,
      Francois, Lattimore, So’oto, MD Jennings, Saine, Wynn, Wilson, Peprah,
      Nick Hill, Crabtree, may be even Harrell. Vets who may be released:
      Clifton, DD. And potential PUP candidates: Quarless, Sherrod, Green (unlikely but possible).

      I’m all for trading up if it warrants it but TT says he likes more bites at the apple and history shows he succeeds when given the chance.

  13. #28-Reyes or Gilmore,DL,CB
    #59-Curry or Thompson,OLB,DL
    #90-123 Either/both of these can be used to trade up in 1st/2nd to secure either of the above rds or Brooks,Moseby,Bergstrom fill the picks.
    #132-133 Comps-this is the reach picks and -Hayward,Compton,Hicks,Lindsay,CB,OL,DT,OLB
    #163-Bequette,Hicks,Coleman,DE/TE,DT,QB
    #197-McCray,Ford,S and TE
    #224-J Smith,OLB
    #235-D.Lynn,CB
    #241-Adrien Cole,ILB
    #243-Adrian Robinson,OLB
    Thats 19 players which excludes RB and WR.

  14. Can we trade Finley? Why did we give him big bucks when he had the most drops of anyone in the league.. lets unload this cancer

    1. Dear Don “Makowski”,

      I was about to mention that you must have misplaced the “J” in your last name, but after reading your comment, I realized you must have smoked it.

      Regards,
      Oppy

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