Charles Woodson
06-18-2007, 11:21 AM
Dont know if this has been posted yet
June 12, 2007
Green Bay Packers '07 Draft Review
Scott Wright
President, NFL Draft Countdown
After bringing in a terrific class on Draft Day a year ago the Packers effort this time around left a lot to be desired. Whereas last year's crop provided a multitude of starters and future starters such as A.J. Hawk, Greg Jennings, Daryn Colledge, and Jason Spitz this crop offers very little in terms of upside and at best they might only end up getting a 2-3 starters out of it despite making eleven selections.
In round one the Packers passed on offensive playmakers such as Greg Olsen and Robert Meachem and instead opted for Tennessee defensive tackle Justin Harrell, who most felt would come off the board late in round one. In the days leading up to the draft Harrell had clearly emerged as one of the Top 3 players at his position and a sure-fire first round pick but nobody thought he'd go #16 overall and grabbing him there was a pretty questionable move by Green Bay. Had he stayed healthy all year long Harrell could have very easily emerged as a Top 10-15 overall type of prospect but he missed all but two games of his senior campaign with a ruptured biceps tendon which normally would have a negative effect a players draft stock. With Cullen Jenkins being moved to defensive end there is no doubt that Green Bay needed someone to team with Ryan Pickett on the interior so if healthy Harrell should be able to contribute early on, however he was a bit of a reach where they took him and in my opinion the team would have been far better served by providing Brett Favre with an offensive playmaker as they try and make one last playoff push. After seeing Ahman Green leave as a free agent the Packers had a big hole to fill at running back, where Vernand Morency and Noah Herron failed to distinguish themselves as the long-term solution, so in round two Green Bay tabbed Brandon Jackson of Nebraska. Jackson really only had one big year in college and he entered the draft after his junior season so his on-field resume is a bit lacking but he has adequate size and speed with some intriguing potential. Morency will likely get the first crack at replacing Green but should he falter Jackson could get a chance to start as a rookie and he might very well end up being a steal for them.
With the first of two third round picks Green Bay made one of the biggest reaches of the entire draft when they chose San Jose St. wide receiver James Jones, who many felt would be a late rounder at best. The Packers definitely needed some help at wideout since Donald Driver is getting up there in years and the depth is severely lacking but Jones is a guy who was basically a one-year wonder in college and doesn't have any special traits or characteristics. Just based on the numbers Jones will have a shot to contribute as the #3 or #4 guy in their rotation as a rookie but there were much better options that high in the draft. Next the Packers opted for Virginia Tech safety Aaron Rouse, a huge defensive back at 6-4 and 223lbs. who was being looked at as a linebacker conversion by many teams. Despite his size Rouse is very athletic and has good speed so it would not be a surprise to see him eventually challenge Marquand Manuel for the starting strong safety job next to Nick Collins. In round four Green Bay selected one of the top sleepers prospects available in Missouri Southern offensive tackle Allen Barbre, who could also project to guard in the pros. A very athletic lineman who tested off the charts at the Scouting Combine, Barbre will likely be brought along slowly and will be slated for backup duty as a rookie but long-term he could be the heir-apparent to either Chad Clifton or Mark Tauscher.
In round five the Packers brought in another wide receiver and another Hokie when they chose David Clowney of Virginia Tech, who I felt was a bit overrated. A speedster with a slight frame, Clowney was never very productive in college and doesn't project to be anything more than a backup at the next level. With the first of three sixth round selections Green Bay reached for Boise St. outside linebacker Korey Hall, who really doesn't have the physical tools you look for and will probably never be anything more than a backup in the NFL, although he does offer some special teams value. Next the Packers went back to the well and chose another linebacker in Desmond Bishop of Cal, a productive overachiever who will probably have to settle for a third string role behind Nick Barnett and Abdul Hodge.
Heading into the draft most, including myself, had Colorado kicker Mason Crosby pegged as a Day One pick but he somehow fell all the way to round six, where the Packers took a flyer on him. Even though Dave Rayner did a solid job last year Crosby is very talented with an excellent leg so he could very well give him a run for his money and turn out to be a steal. In round seven Green Bay brought in yet another running back when they selected Florida's DeShawn Wynn, who surprised everyone when he ran a 4.48 forty at 230+ pounds in a workout prior to the draft. Wynn obviously has some intriguing physical tools and will definitely have a shot to make the team, potentially pushing Noah Herron for the #3 job. With their last pick the Packers finally brought in a tight end when they chose Clark Harris of Rutgers, who was highly rated coming into his senior year but continued to drop on most draft boards throughout the process. Harris is a decent pass catcher but he lacks ideal timed speed, isn't very tough or physical and leaves a lot to be desired as a blocker but on the plus side Bubba Franks has seen better days and David Martin bolted as a free agent so he fell into a great situation. Not only could Harris make the team but he might even be able to push for the #2 or #3 job.
All along I have contended that the Packers weren't as good as their 8-8 record would suggest and that they would take a step backwards in '07 and this draft class does nothing to make me change my tune. Granted a lot of the guys they chose will provide valuable depth but this team was still in need of starters, not backups. Since they are in such a weak division Green Bay could potentially beat up on the Vikings and Lions to pad their record but I'd be surprised if they were able to come through with another .500 showing. Brett Favre came back for another season and as a reward the front office did very little to help him out or improve the team this offseason despite having plenty of opportunities to do so and if the Cheeseheads are as bad as I think they will be this year it might be the end of the line for the future Hall of Famer and he will have Ted Thompson to blame for not giving him a proper sendoff. This was just a very lackluster effort overall.
GRADE: C+
June 12, 2007
Green Bay Packers '07 Draft Review
Scott Wright
President, NFL Draft Countdown
After bringing in a terrific class on Draft Day a year ago the Packers effort this time around left a lot to be desired. Whereas last year's crop provided a multitude of starters and future starters such as A.J. Hawk, Greg Jennings, Daryn Colledge, and Jason Spitz this crop offers very little in terms of upside and at best they might only end up getting a 2-3 starters out of it despite making eleven selections.
In round one the Packers passed on offensive playmakers such as Greg Olsen and Robert Meachem and instead opted for Tennessee defensive tackle Justin Harrell, who most felt would come off the board late in round one. In the days leading up to the draft Harrell had clearly emerged as one of the Top 3 players at his position and a sure-fire first round pick but nobody thought he'd go #16 overall and grabbing him there was a pretty questionable move by Green Bay. Had he stayed healthy all year long Harrell could have very easily emerged as a Top 10-15 overall type of prospect but he missed all but two games of his senior campaign with a ruptured biceps tendon which normally would have a negative effect a players draft stock. With Cullen Jenkins being moved to defensive end there is no doubt that Green Bay needed someone to team with Ryan Pickett on the interior so if healthy Harrell should be able to contribute early on, however he was a bit of a reach where they took him and in my opinion the team would have been far better served by providing Brett Favre with an offensive playmaker as they try and make one last playoff push. After seeing Ahman Green leave as a free agent the Packers had a big hole to fill at running back, where Vernand Morency and Noah Herron failed to distinguish themselves as the long-term solution, so in round two Green Bay tabbed Brandon Jackson of Nebraska. Jackson really only had one big year in college and he entered the draft after his junior season so his on-field resume is a bit lacking but he has adequate size and speed with some intriguing potential. Morency will likely get the first crack at replacing Green but should he falter Jackson could get a chance to start as a rookie and he might very well end up being a steal for them.
With the first of two third round picks Green Bay made one of the biggest reaches of the entire draft when they chose San Jose St. wide receiver James Jones, who many felt would be a late rounder at best. The Packers definitely needed some help at wideout since Donald Driver is getting up there in years and the depth is severely lacking but Jones is a guy who was basically a one-year wonder in college and doesn't have any special traits or characteristics. Just based on the numbers Jones will have a shot to contribute as the #3 or #4 guy in their rotation as a rookie but there were much better options that high in the draft. Next the Packers opted for Virginia Tech safety Aaron Rouse, a huge defensive back at 6-4 and 223lbs. who was being looked at as a linebacker conversion by many teams. Despite his size Rouse is very athletic and has good speed so it would not be a surprise to see him eventually challenge Marquand Manuel for the starting strong safety job next to Nick Collins. In round four Green Bay selected one of the top sleepers prospects available in Missouri Southern offensive tackle Allen Barbre, who could also project to guard in the pros. A very athletic lineman who tested off the charts at the Scouting Combine, Barbre will likely be brought along slowly and will be slated for backup duty as a rookie but long-term he could be the heir-apparent to either Chad Clifton or Mark Tauscher.
In round five the Packers brought in another wide receiver and another Hokie when they chose David Clowney of Virginia Tech, who I felt was a bit overrated. A speedster with a slight frame, Clowney was never very productive in college and doesn't project to be anything more than a backup at the next level. With the first of three sixth round selections Green Bay reached for Boise St. outside linebacker Korey Hall, who really doesn't have the physical tools you look for and will probably never be anything more than a backup in the NFL, although he does offer some special teams value. Next the Packers went back to the well and chose another linebacker in Desmond Bishop of Cal, a productive overachiever who will probably have to settle for a third string role behind Nick Barnett and Abdul Hodge.
Heading into the draft most, including myself, had Colorado kicker Mason Crosby pegged as a Day One pick but he somehow fell all the way to round six, where the Packers took a flyer on him. Even though Dave Rayner did a solid job last year Crosby is very talented with an excellent leg so he could very well give him a run for his money and turn out to be a steal. In round seven Green Bay brought in yet another running back when they selected Florida's DeShawn Wynn, who surprised everyone when he ran a 4.48 forty at 230+ pounds in a workout prior to the draft. Wynn obviously has some intriguing physical tools and will definitely have a shot to make the team, potentially pushing Noah Herron for the #3 job. With their last pick the Packers finally brought in a tight end when they chose Clark Harris of Rutgers, who was highly rated coming into his senior year but continued to drop on most draft boards throughout the process. Harris is a decent pass catcher but he lacks ideal timed speed, isn't very tough or physical and leaves a lot to be desired as a blocker but on the plus side Bubba Franks has seen better days and David Martin bolted as a free agent so he fell into a great situation. Not only could Harris make the team but he might even be able to push for the #2 or #3 job.
All along I have contended that the Packers weren't as good as their 8-8 record would suggest and that they would take a step backwards in '07 and this draft class does nothing to make me change my tune. Granted a lot of the guys they chose will provide valuable depth but this team was still in need of starters, not backups. Since they are in such a weak division Green Bay could potentially beat up on the Vikings and Lions to pad their record but I'd be surprised if they were able to come through with another .500 showing. Brett Favre came back for another season and as a reward the front office did very little to help him out or improve the team this offseason despite having plenty of opportunities to do so and if the Cheeseheads are as bad as I think they will be this year it might be the end of the line for the future Hall of Famer and he will have Ted Thompson to blame for not giving him a proper sendoff. This was just a very lackluster effort overall.
GRADE: C+