Merlin
04-30-2006, 03:26 PM
Draft Player Pos. Hght. Wght. School
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1 (5) A.J. Hawk LB 6-1 240 Ohio State
Comments: Taken too high in the draft. 15-32 selection at best. 2-3 year project to sharpen his skills to be a good starter. Will make some big plays this year, but not any more then any other linebacker that starts for us. Short for that dominante middle linebacker we need, although that may only hurt in pass coverage. Unknown if he can cover speedier WR's over the middle, his game isn't vertical. Doesn't fight off the guards well. Good horizontal speed, ball hawk. Will be a good OLB at some point.
2 (47) Daryn Colledge T 6-5 298 Boise State
Comments: Good selection late 2nd early 3rd. Needs to bulk up if he is slated to play guard because he is under weight for that position. Taken too high for a guard project, could have been taken late 2nd, early 3rd.
2 (52) Greg Jennings WR 5-11 191 Western Michigan
Comments: Not the typical WR we were looking for. Tends to craddle the ball into his body and not use his hands. Will get crushed over the middle and not a deep threat. Speedy, but not anything special for a WR. Taken too high when there were better WR prospects on the board. More like a late 3rd rounder. May be a good return man although his ball handling skills need work.
3 (67) Abdul Hodge LB 6-2 234 Iowa
Comments: Could be the steal of the draft. Could have easily gone in the 2nd round. Still short for a middle linebacker and has some good instincts. May be a starter with Barnett and Hawk. This depends on how good Taylor is from the Browns, could see him splitting time with Hawk in different coverage packages. Good against the run, needs work in coverage.
3 (75) Jason Spitz G 6-4 308 Louisville
Comments: A good pick although taken too high. He would have been there in the 5th. Possible backup center material, although he is on the small size for a guard, he isn't quick enough to pull. Rumor is that the Packers will not only run the Zone blocking but also more conventional run blocking. As center he has to improve his pulling techniques for bootlegs and rollouts. He is a 2-3 year project.
4 (104) Cory Rodgers WR 6-1 195 TCU
Comments: Taken too high, would have been there later in the 4th. Better prospects on the board when he was taken.
4 (115) Will Blackmon WR 6-0 202 Boston College
Comments: 5th round selection at best. Plays more like a tight end than a WR. Blocks well, nothing outstanding. Better prospects on the board when selected. Was also a corner back, maybe that's the depth we are looking for here.
5 (148) Ingle Martin IV QB 6-3 224 Furman
Comments: Could have been signed as an undrafted rookie. Lacks dedication to the sport. He will be lucky to be on the practice squad. Not sure why he was picked up. Seems like a good spot for Rodgers, Blackmon or Spitz to be picked. Wasted pick IMO. Defintely not BPA.
5 (165) Tony Moll OT 6-4 300 Nevada
Comments: Good selection for a #5. Former TE and his skills are raw. Will be a major project.
6 (183) Johnny Jolly Jr. DE-DT 6-4 310 Texas A&M
Comments: Worthy of this spot. Quick to the ball and shedding guards/tackles. Isn't conditioned well, wears down quickly. Could be another gem if coached right.
6 (185) Tyrone Culver S 6-1 200 Fresno State
Comments: More like a 7th rounder if that. Could have been picked up as an undrafted rookie. Listed as a bug project although one that can learn quickly. Possible replacement for Woodson in the future since Underwood is nothing special.
7 (253) ? ? ? ? ?
Comments: It doesn't matter much at this point!
Overall Grade: C+
I don't think the draft was a waste. We appear not to have a strategy (BPA, Need). Last year when we picked Collins early a lot of people balked, however the Ravens who picked after us were going to take him as well so that in my mind meant he was someone special. I think in most cases we drafted players too high when the BPA or Need was there. TT must know something and this is the last year I will believe in him unless there turns out to be a few more gems in here. Up front it doesn't look like much accept Hawk who I have my doubts about simply because every skill he has we already have. Deepth is nice, but not worthy of a top 5 pick. There are a lot of projects in here and we still have projects from last year (Poppinga, Manning, Underwood, Montgomery). Chad Lucas could very well make the roster if he keeps performing in NFLE like he has. Maybe TT is banking on that so that's why we took a lot of lesser known WR's. The offensive line got some help although what kind of help will be determined on where Wells lines up. This is his 3rd season with the Packers and he should be the Center as that is his strongest position and he should be sold there. Whittaker should be better at guard which would mean Colledge, Spitz or Coston is going to have to step up for the other guard position.
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1 (5) A.J. Hawk LB 6-1 240 Ohio State
Comments: Taken too high in the draft. 15-32 selection at best. 2-3 year project to sharpen his skills to be a good starter. Will make some big plays this year, but not any more then any other linebacker that starts for us. Short for that dominante middle linebacker we need, although that may only hurt in pass coverage. Unknown if he can cover speedier WR's over the middle, his game isn't vertical. Doesn't fight off the guards well. Good horizontal speed, ball hawk. Will be a good OLB at some point.
2 (47) Daryn Colledge T 6-5 298 Boise State
Comments: Good selection late 2nd early 3rd. Needs to bulk up if he is slated to play guard because he is under weight for that position. Taken too high for a guard project, could have been taken late 2nd, early 3rd.
2 (52) Greg Jennings WR 5-11 191 Western Michigan
Comments: Not the typical WR we were looking for. Tends to craddle the ball into his body and not use his hands. Will get crushed over the middle and not a deep threat. Speedy, but not anything special for a WR. Taken too high when there were better WR prospects on the board. More like a late 3rd rounder. May be a good return man although his ball handling skills need work.
3 (67) Abdul Hodge LB 6-2 234 Iowa
Comments: Could be the steal of the draft. Could have easily gone in the 2nd round. Still short for a middle linebacker and has some good instincts. May be a starter with Barnett and Hawk. This depends on how good Taylor is from the Browns, could see him splitting time with Hawk in different coverage packages. Good against the run, needs work in coverage.
3 (75) Jason Spitz G 6-4 308 Louisville
Comments: A good pick although taken too high. He would have been there in the 5th. Possible backup center material, although he is on the small size for a guard, he isn't quick enough to pull. Rumor is that the Packers will not only run the Zone blocking but also more conventional run blocking. As center he has to improve his pulling techniques for bootlegs and rollouts. He is a 2-3 year project.
4 (104) Cory Rodgers WR 6-1 195 TCU
Comments: Taken too high, would have been there later in the 4th. Better prospects on the board when he was taken.
4 (115) Will Blackmon WR 6-0 202 Boston College
Comments: 5th round selection at best. Plays more like a tight end than a WR. Blocks well, nothing outstanding. Better prospects on the board when selected. Was also a corner back, maybe that's the depth we are looking for here.
5 (148) Ingle Martin IV QB 6-3 224 Furman
Comments: Could have been signed as an undrafted rookie. Lacks dedication to the sport. He will be lucky to be on the practice squad. Not sure why he was picked up. Seems like a good spot for Rodgers, Blackmon or Spitz to be picked. Wasted pick IMO. Defintely not BPA.
5 (165) Tony Moll OT 6-4 300 Nevada
Comments: Good selection for a #5. Former TE and his skills are raw. Will be a major project.
6 (183) Johnny Jolly Jr. DE-DT 6-4 310 Texas A&M
Comments: Worthy of this spot. Quick to the ball and shedding guards/tackles. Isn't conditioned well, wears down quickly. Could be another gem if coached right.
6 (185) Tyrone Culver S 6-1 200 Fresno State
Comments: More like a 7th rounder if that. Could have been picked up as an undrafted rookie. Listed as a bug project although one that can learn quickly. Possible replacement for Woodson in the future since Underwood is nothing special.
7 (253) ? ? ? ? ?
Comments: It doesn't matter much at this point!
Overall Grade: C+
I don't think the draft was a waste. We appear not to have a strategy (BPA, Need). Last year when we picked Collins early a lot of people balked, however the Ravens who picked after us were going to take him as well so that in my mind meant he was someone special. I think in most cases we drafted players too high when the BPA or Need was there. TT must know something and this is the last year I will believe in him unless there turns out to be a few more gems in here. Up front it doesn't look like much accept Hawk who I have my doubts about simply because every skill he has we already have. Deepth is nice, but not worthy of a top 5 pick. There are a lot of projects in here and we still have projects from last year (Poppinga, Manning, Underwood, Montgomery). Chad Lucas could very well make the roster if he keeps performing in NFLE like he has. Maybe TT is banking on that so that's why we took a lot of lesser known WR's. The offensive line got some help although what kind of help will be determined on where Wells lines up. This is his 3rd season with the Packers and he should be the Center as that is his strongest position and he should be sold there. Whittaker should be better at guard which would mean Colledge, Spitz or Coston is going to have to step up for the other guard position.