Deputy Nutz
04-27-2020, 02:58 PM
I take my hat off to the NFL for having this draft and running it as well as they did. I could have done without the constant family tragedies and depressing bullshit, but I wasn't listening to much of it anyways.
This is a Packer Forum so let my give you my overall opinion on the draft, and for each individual player and their fit.
Overall Opinion - All we can do right now is look at the draft on paper. On paper this is a horrible draft. Comparing the players that were drafted and where they drafted to the talking heads and the guys that make their money selling their rankings and mock draft the Packers ate a giant shit burger this past weekend. I don't pay whole lot attention to what the Mel Kipers have to say, although I respect Mel more than most. This draft may suck now and it's ok not being happy with what just went down, but give this draft 2 or 3 years and see how it develops. If the players work out does it matter what round they were drafted in? Round value means nothing if AJ Dillon goes on to have a few thousand yard seasons. After alll Gutenkunst is the one that is ultimately the one responsible, and ledger comes down to wins and loses. A lot of draft mistakes have been covered up over the past decade because of the play of Aaron Rodgers, but now that Rodgers is old and his play isn't as glorious as it was say 4 or 5 years ago the Packers simply can't swing and miss in key personnel acquisitions.
Jordan Love, Utah State - 6'4" 224: The kid has tools to play football in the NFL, that doesn't mean a whole lot. What level of play are we going to get from Love is where the question marks lay. Obviously he isn't going to play as long as Rodgers is on this team and healthy. I don't see him having an impact in 2020. He doesn't bring anything to the table that Rodgers can't already do. There is not going to be a package for Love to come in and run a wildcat like scheme. The best the Packers and Packer fan can hope for is that Love sits for 3 years and Rodgers finishes out his career in Green Bay. If the Packers moved up to 26 and drafted Patrick Queen or Denzel Mims Packer Nation would be much happier right now.
AJ Dillion, Boston College -6'0" 241: What some talking heads called a reach the Packers stayed true to their draft board and took a running back in the second round. Dillon can be a punishing runner and attacks defenders. He doesn't seem to have the special gear that allows him to run away from the last defender on the field. Good pursuit angles can run him to the sidelines. I like his running style, he has good vision, and knows how run off the hips of his linemen. Hopefully he can show in the NFL that he can catch the ball out of the backfield and pick up the protection. As we look at this 2020 draft, I think he could be the first to really contribute.
Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati- 6'2" 240: Built more like a fullback than a tight end. He was one of the tight ends that I did like, but I had him further down on my board than the Packers. I think the tight end position was so bad this year that it was hard to actually get a good honest evaluation of the players at the position. Deguara offers some positional flexibility where he lines up in the offense. I expect him to play as a y-off tight end, motion a little bit. He could also line up as an h-back and even as a true fullback. The benefit to in adding a player like him is defenses have a hard time counting players like this for sub packages. Is he lined up in the slot, or as a true tight end, nope he is in the backfield. Anyways, what I like about him is that he gets going off the snap, not a lot of wasted motion and it doesn't take him 10 yards to get up to speed. He has good hands and burst after the catch. What I don't like, Deguara isn't going to offer much as an in-line blocking tight end, he is simply not big enough to line up against 275 pound defensive ends.
Kamal Martin, Minnesota - 6'3" 240: His senior year was cut short with injury, he didn't work out at the combine. The film showed a relatively aware football player that mostly made plays inside the box. Martin looks stiff through his hips and lower half and is not very fluid in his pass drop or in coverage. If he ran decent at the combine, even if he had an average combine he should have been any where from a late 5th to a free agent, hard to really know with these guys late in the draft. I saw inside linebacker as a need position and I personally would not have waited this late in the draft to address the position, I think that this is my biggest issue so far with the selection.
Jon Runyan, Michigan - 6'4" 306: Runyan offers some positional versatility either as a guard or a right tackle. Good film guy who makes up for his physical limitations through dedicated work off the field and working on his technique. I wouldn't call this pick a reach, although I was astounded that Prince Tega Wanogho was still available and was finally drafted after the Packers last 6th round pick. I wasn't the only one that had Wanogho rank high so his slip in this draft is a head scratcher. I thought offensive line was a position of need and although I like Runyan and where he was drafted by the Packers I am surprised that he was the first offensive lineman selected by the Packers.
Jake Hanson Oregon - 6'4" 303: Excelled in Oregon's heavy zone scheme and has good feet to get to the next level off of combo blocks with his guards. His overall athleticism isn't great, but his technique is NFL caliber. No issues where the Packers took him in this draft, at this point in the 6th round it's personal preference with the GM. Needs to get stronger as he can't get more athletic. He should be able to compete for a back up position at center. Doesn't seem to fit at either guard position.
Simon Stepaniak Indiana - 6'4" 312: Big mauler type who might have been better suited to be in gap scheme at the next level. He should be able to play both guard spots, but is should not be considered a tackle at the next level. I think he wins when he can get a hold of a defender and get his feet moving his anchor in the pass game is suspect, but could be fixed by coaching. Should compete for a roster spot in 2020.
Vernon Scott TCU - 6'2" 205 - Not many evaluation reports or film available for him but he seems to play with a little bit of instinct, or he is a film rat. His biggest play was a 99 yard int return for a touchdown against Oklahoma, his speed was about equivalent to Jalen Hurts who was trying to run him down. I like his height and size.
Jonathan Garvin, Miami - 6'4" 264: He is going to be an 3-4 edge rusher in Green Bay, not sure about his overall fit, size and measurables compare to Zadarius Smith coming out of college. Garvin's biggest issues is production and effort at the college level. Talent wise he should have been drafted a little higher. He has a good first burst off the line of scrimmage and has the power to take on pulling guards, needs to get his technique fixed so that pressures turn into sacks. Not sure what he will be willing to give to special teams. Garvin needs better ball awareness. He should compete for a roster spot, it will mostly be determined if he has a great attitude towards special teams.
This is a Packer Forum so let my give you my overall opinion on the draft, and for each individual player and their fit.
Overall Opinion - All we can do right now is look at the draft on paper. On paper this is a horrible draft. Comparing the players that were drafted and where they drafted to the talking heads and the guys that make their money selling their rankings and mock draft the Packers ate a giant shit burger this past weekend. I don't pay whole lot attention to what the Mel Kipers have to say, although I respect Mel more than most. This draft may suck now and it's ok not being happy with what just went down, but give this draft 2 or 3 years and see how it develops. If the players work out does it matter what round they were drafted in? Round value means nothing if AJ Dillon goes on to have a few thousand yard seasons. After alll Gutenkunst is the one that is ultimately the one responsible, and ledger comes down to wins and loses. A lot of draft mistakes have been covered up over the past decade because of the play of Aaron Rodgers, but now that Rodgers is old and his play isn't as glorious as it was say 4 or 5 years ago the Packers simply can't swing and miss in key personnel acquisitions.
Jordan Love, Utah State - 6'4" 224: The kid has tools to play football in the NFL, that doesn't mean a whole lot. What level of play are we going to get from Love is where the question marks lay. Obviously he isn't going to play as long as Rodgers is on this team and healthy. I don't see him having an impact in 2020. He doesn't bring anything to the table that Rodgers can't already do. There is not going to be a package for Love to come in and run a wildcat like scheme. The best the Packers and Packer fan can hope for is that Love sits for 3 years and Rodgers finishes out his career in Green Bay. If the Packers moved up to 26 and drafted Patrick Queen or Denzel Mims Packer Nation would be much happier right now.
AJ Dillion, Boston College -6'0" 241: What some talking heads called a reach the Packers stayed true to their draft board and took a running back in the second round. Dillon can be a punishing runner and attacks defenders. He doesn't seem to have the special gear that allows him to run away from the last defender on the field. Good pursuit angles can run him to the sidelines. I like his running style, he has good vision, and knows how run off the hips of his linemen. Hopefully he can show in the NFL that he can catch the ball out of the backfield and pick up the protection. As we look at this 2020 draft, I think he could be the first to really contribute.
Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati- 6'2" 240: Built more like a fullback than a tight end. He was one of the tight ends that I did like, but I had him further down on my board than the Packers. I think the tight end position was so bad this year that it was hard to actually get a good honest evaluation of the players at the position. Deguara offers some positional flexibility where he lines up in the offense. I expect him to play as a y-off tight end, motion a little bit. He could also line up as an h-back and even as a true fullback. The benefit to in adding a player like him is defenses have a hard time counting players like this for sub packages. Is he lined up in the slot, or as a true tight end, nope he is in the backfield. Anyways, what I like about him is that he gets going off the snap, not a lot of wasted motion and it doesn't take him 10 yards to get up to speed. He has good hands and burst after the catch. What I don't like, Deguara isn't going to offer much as an in-line blocking tight end, he is simply not big enough to line up against 275 pound defensive ends.
Kamal Martin, Minnesota - 6'3" 240: His senior year was cut short with injury, he didn't work out at the combine. The film showed a relatively aware football player that mostly made plays inside the box. Martin looks stiff through his hips and lower half and is not very fluid in his pass drop or in coverage. If he ran decent at the combine, even if he had an average combine he should have been any where from a late 5th to a free agent, hard to really know with these guys late in the draft. I saw inside linebacker as a need position and I personally would not have waited this late in the draft to address the position, I think that this is my biggest issue so far with the selection.
Jon Runyan, Michigan - 6'4" 306: Runyan offers some positional versatility either as a guard or a right tackle. Good film guy who makes up for his physical limitations through dedicated work off the field and working on his technique. I wouldn't call this pick a reach, although I was astounded that Prince Tega Wanogho was still available and was finally drafted after the Packers last 6th round pick. I wasn't the only one that had Wanogho rank high so his slip in this draft is a head scratcher. I thought offensive line was a position of need and although I like Runyan and where he was drafted by the Packers I am surprised that he was the first offensive lineman selected by the Packers.
Jake Hanson Oregon - 6'4" 303: Excelled in Oregon's heavy zone scheme and has good feet to get to the next level off of combo blocks with his guards. His overall athleticism isn't great, but his technique is NFL caliber. No issues where the Packers took him in this draft, at this point in the 6th round it's personal preference with the GM. Needs to get stronger as he can't get more athletic. He should be able to compete for a back up position at center. Doesn't seem to fit at either guard position.
Simon Stepaniak Indiana - 6'4" 312: Big mauler type who might have been better suited to be in gap scheme at the next level. He should be able to play both guard spots, but is should not be considered a tackle at the next level. I think he wins when he can get a hold of a defender and get his feet moving his anchor in the pass game is suspect, but could be fixed by coaching. Should compete for a roster spot in 2020.
Vernon Scott TCU - 6'2" 205 - Not many evaluation reports or film available for him but he seems to play with a little bit of instinct, or he is a film rat. His biggest play was a 99 yard int return for a touchdown against Oklahoma, his speed was about equivalent to Jalen Hurts who was trying to run him down. I like his height and size.
Jonathan Garvin, Miami - 6'4" 264: He is going to be an 3-4 edge rusher in Green Bay, not sure about his overall fit, size and measurables compare to Zadarius Smith coming out of college. Garvin's biggest issues is production and effort at the college level. Talent wise he should have been drafted a little higher. He has a good first burst off the line of scrimmage and has the power to take on pulling guards, needs to get his technique fixed so that pressures turn into sacks. Not sure what he will be willing to give to special teams. Garvin needs better ball awareness. He should compete for a roster spot, it will mostly be determined if he has a great attitude towards special teams.