2024 3rd Round Pick #91 Overall Ty'Ron Hopper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq2ksfPOM9o

Overview
An off-ball linebacker with length, speed and agility, Hopper is lacking in field vision and instincts. He can be a step late to diagnose play design and has moments where he looks lost in coverage. Hopper has sideline-to-sideline range and plenty of physicality to hit what needs to be hit. There are holes in his game that can be exploited, but he has traits and should get a chance as an NFL backup with special teams value.

Strengths
Long-limbed with above-average explosiveness.
Speed to trigger downhill and disrupt play design.
Can attack linemen with force or punch and play around them.
Flies in to make plays as a striker.
Agility and twitch to bounce late and find cutting running backs.
Can work past blitz pickup and threaten the pocket.

Weaknesses
Plays through a straw with limited field vision.
Slow to key play development and stay ahead of blockers.
Lacks decisiveness and takes substandard angles to the ball.
Hard hitter but needs to improve tackle security.
Looked lost at times with coverage responsibilities.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GKNEJKNW0AA4Bmp.jpg:large

Not a fan of this pick. Kind of small, not that athletic, and misses a lot of tackles. This reminds me of the Shemar Jean-Charles pick. He'll probably be the best pick of the draft.

Another Packer pick that makes no sense to me. They need linebackers, but not "meh" athletes with no vision. This one looks like he's got "third round bust on a reach" written all over him.

I don't get this one at all. If he was a great, great athlete, you could say "well, they're taking a flyer on him to see if Hafley can develop him," but he is not apparently a great athlete.

These Packer picks are mostly very confusing to me after the first two.

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Originally Posted by Fritz

Another Packer pick that makes no sense to me. They need linebackers, but not "meh" athletes with no vision. This one looks like he's got "third round bust on a reach" written all over him.

I don't get this one at all. If he was a great, great athlete, you could say "well, they're taking a flyer on him to see if Hafley can develop him," but he is not apparently a great athlete.

These Packer picks are mostly very confusing to me after the first two.

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I did some research on this guy for our draft contest. He fits when GB is lookign for. But I honestly thought he was a round 5 guy....maybe at best 4. Can't imagine him being drafted before Payton WIlson.....whose ofte insured, but if when healthy he's pretty amazingly good

Well, as I wrote elswewhere, I watched Guter's presser. He kept talking about this guy being fast, and being able to hit. This really was just his guy - clearly Wilson's injury history was a factor.

I don't know shit about these guys, so in Guter I trust until we see how it all plays out. Why get all worked up about something I don't really even understand?

Ty'Ron must have freakishly long arms as he seems to be the Webster definition of reach.

Guessing several teams had Payton Wilson crossed off their list due to medical.

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Originally Posted by Spaulding

Ty'Ron must have freakishly long arms as he seems to be the Webster definition of reach.

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Good one!

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...s8RCBbSYx-2w&s

This was a meh pick for me. Seems more like a late 4th to 5th round talent to me. He lacks sideline to sideline speed but he does play physically. Wilson is clearly a better player, but is a red flag injury prospect which is why he plummeted. This kid might pan out if he can gain 10-12 pounds and not lose any mobility.

I got a sense from listening to Guter that this is in part a special teams pick. if he develops, great, but apparently he's being counted on for special teams. And for depth. As Guter said, "It's a 4-2-5 league." 4-2-5.

Seems like they want LBers that take chances and are okay with mistakes. The anti-AJ Hawk types.

I’m guessing there was a maybe a steep drop at LB on their draft board after him. This wasn’t a very deep draft at LB to me.

Oddly, the scouting department might know something we morons don't:



Zach Kruse
@zachkruse2
Ty'Ron Hopper had 65 pressures and 9.5 sacks as a blitzer/pass-rusher in his collegiate career. Disruptive behind the line -- 31.5 TFLs over just 26 starts. Throw in almost 500 special teams snaps and the Packers clocking him in the high 4.5s.

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Originally Posted by George Cumby

Oddly, the scouting department might know something we morons don't:



Zach Kruse
@zachkruse2
Ty'Ron Hopper had 65 pressures and 9.5 sacks as a blitzer/pass-rusher in his collegiate career. Disruptive behind the line -- 31.5 TFLs over just 26 starts. Throw in almost 500 special teams snaps and the Packers clocking him in the high 4.5s.

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https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2...q85JI/200.webp

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Originally Posted by Joemailman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq2ksfPOM9o

Overview
An off-ball linebacker with length, speed and agility, Hopper is lacking in field vision and instincts. He can be a step late to diagnose play design and has moments where he looks lost in coverage. Hopper has sideline-to-sideline range and plenty of physicality to hit what needs to be hit. There are holes in his game that can be exploited, but he has traits and should get a chance as an NFL backup with special teams value.

Strengths
Long-limbed with above-average explosiveness.
Speed to trigger downhill and disrupt play design.
Can attack linemen with force or punch and play around them.
Flies in to make plays as a striker.
Agility and twitch to bounce late and find cutting running backs.
Can work past blitz pickup and threaten the pocket.

Weaknesses
Plays through a straw with limited field vision.
Slow to key play development and stay ahead of blockers.
Lacks decisiveness and takes substandard angles to the ball.
Hard hitter but needs to improve tackle security.
Looked lost at times with coverage responsibilities.

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I know a highlight clip isn't really indicative, but what I watched was 100% opposite of this report. He was instantly diagnosing plays. The bad angles thing basically means he isn't taking on blockers, but weaving through them. I have seen very little of this guy and he wasn't on my radar, but again, that tape doesn't match that report.

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Originally Posted by bobblehead

I know a highlight clip isn't really indicative, but what I watched was 100% opposite of this report. He was instantly diagnosing plays. The bad angles thing basically means he isn't taking on blockers, but weaving through them. I have seen very little of this guy and he wasn't on my radar, but again, that tape doesn't match that report.

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One of the things that gets me is scouting reports are often 180 degrees from one another, totally contradicting one another. Art not Science.

I was gonna put this guy on my Draft Contest list, but after the 4th round. Oh well.

I like Trevin Wallace alot more than this dude, but that's why I'm not a GM.

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Originally Posted by pittstang5

I was gonna put this guy on my Draft Contest list, but after the 4th round. Oh well.

I like Trevin Wallace alot more than this dude, but that's why I'm not a GM.

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Me too; but I was going to list him in round 5. Wallace was already gone when GB picked as a fyi

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Originally Posted by Bretsky

Me too; but I was going to list him in round 5. Wallace was already gone when GB picked as a fyi

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Oh, he was? Missed that.

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Originally Posted by George Cumby

One of the things that gets me is scouting reports are often 180 degrees from one another, totally contradicting one another. Art not Science.

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Or guys just making shit up for clicks. I agree though, I hate reading something that my eyes just completely contradict.

Not a fan of this pick. In fact, of all the Day1 & 2 picks I like this the least.

I think it was a reach. LBs were flying off the board though, so I get taking another. I just think Cedric Grey was a better prospect.
Supposedly this guy is a really good dude, hard worker, team captain. Not afraid to take on blockers (as opposed to running around blocks like a lot of LBs do now) even though he's supposedly undersized.

If he's actually able to play at 230 instead of 220 then I feel a little better about it. Maybe he's depth and a future replacement for McDuffie (who is in his last year of contract)? I suspect he could wear the green dot.
LBs and RBs get beat up, improving depth and competition is fine. I think they could have gotten this guy on Day 3, is all. If all he becomes is a ST stalwart and LB depth it might be a bit expensive for R3 (i.e. Oren Burks).

I haven't watched this guy a ton and I'm more than willing to give Gute and Co. the benefit of the doubt, after the last 2 drafts. They're the professionals. He's a Packer so I'm rooting for him to do well and prove the doubters wrong.

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Originally Posted by Bretsky

Me too; but I was going to list him in round 5. Wallace was already gone when GB picked as a fyi

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Yeah, Colson & Wallace were gone earlier in R3, before GB had a chance to pick either. Liufau went one pick before they took Marshawn Lloyd.

according to lindy's (which i buy every year even though it sucks)

hopper is the top rated guy we drafted. the magazine gave him a 8.0 rating, as an OLB

interesting

Probably the biggest head-scratcher and least popular Packers’ pick with the fans this year.

He seems like a project. Luckily, he’s got the wise, intelligent, and level-headed examples of Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper to learn from.

He might end up being undersized and out-of-control, but we might all get some occasional pleasure watching him if he plays with the attitude of Wayne Simmons.

I have noticed that after this pick there are fewer fans of the Rasul Douglas trade than there were a few days ago.

I'd have preferred they just trade it for a 2025 R2 pick to some stupid team. They really like Hopper and had him highly rated on their board - which is definitely not some consensus board - so maybe being the pros at this they know something we don't.
I wasn't super impressed or depressed by what little I saw of him (only watched one game so far). He's... ok. If he's just a guy to push McDuffie for LB3 and play ST then it's not the worst pick. Not the best pick either. It's just...meh.

And yes, I had higher hopes for the pick based on trading Rasul.

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Originally Posted by run pMc

I'd have preferred they just trade it for a 2025 R2 pick to some stupid team. They really like Hopper and had him highly rated on their board - which is definitely not some consensus board - so maybe being the pros at this they know something we don't.
I wasn't super impressed or depressed by what little I saw of him (only watched one game so far). He's... ok. If he's just a guy to push McDuffie for LB3 and play ST then it's not the worst pick. Not the best pick either. It's just...meh.

And yes, I had higher hopes for the pick based on trading Rasul.

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But we still don't know how this guy will turn out. WE don't like the pick, but the guy hasn't played a down in the NFL yet, much less a season or two to develop. So it could still turn out - it's just that we experts here don't think it will.

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Originally Posted by Fritz

But we still don't know how this guy will turn out. WE don't like the pick, but the guy hasn't played a down in the NFL yet, much less a season or two to develop. So it could still turn out - it's just that we experts here don't think it will.

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Agree. I mean, what's done is done and he's a Packer so I'm rooting for him. They needed ILBs and he's not an awful pick. I just think he'd have been there on Day 3 and there was an opportunity cost.
While I do like referring to a consensus board vs. one single draft "expert's" board, it's not meaningful within the context of a specific team's board. I suspect Peyton Wilson was off GB's board completely for medical and age reasons. Kool-Aid McKinstry was probably off their board because of that toe issue which supposedly can be a chronic problem. Some guys probably were higher or lower because of scheme fit or what was between the ears in interviews. They have access to a LOT more info than Schefter or Rapaport or Pauline or any of those guys.... the medicals and character stuff matters a lot.

All of this to say that most teams whittle down their board to approx 120 players, and Gute indicated that he got players "inside his top 50" with his Day 1 and 2 picks. That's a win I guess? Here's hoping so.

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Originally Posted by bobblehead

I have noticed that after this pick there are fewer fans of the Rasul Douglas trade than there were a few days ago.

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WHO they actually picked doesn't even enter into my opinion about the trade. The trade was solely about an opportunity. They got someone they really wanted, apparently.

Clearly, they valued this guy much higher than most of the published "experts" did, who seemed to think he would have still been available to the Packers a round or two later. GB surely didn't feel that way, selecting him when they did and choosing him over other players I thought they might want. I hope they are right.

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Originally Posted by Patler

WHO they actually picked doesn't even enter into my opinion about the trade. The trade was solely about an opportunity.

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In my opinion the justification for that trade was a little weak. They thought they'd lose Rasul, and he was getting older. Well if they lost him after his contract expired, there would have been a compensatory pick. I'm not sure if Bufallo's 3rd rounder was that much better than a compensatory pick. Rasul graded really well, and some folks thought he was their best defensive player in 23 prior to the trade. I was thinking about his ascension into Al Harris territory as far as Packer history goes.

The timing looks pretty bad in retrospect - it looked like Brian was throwing in the towel on the season. I saw Jaire's interview after it happened and he looked devastated. I don't know if that had anything to do with him acting out later in the season when he crowned himself a team captain, but it wouldn't shock me if it did. All that said they managed to make it work pretty well with the other guys on the roster.

I think who they chose with the trade pick is irrelevant, and shouldn't be compared to Rasul. Two separate transactions.

I think Brian is really, really good at his job. But even the greats are lucky to bat .500 in this business.

Be cazy if this guy develops into a high-caliber starting linebacker. That'd be cool, and it would offset what seems like one of Guter's biggest "oopsies": Amari Cooper.

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Originally Posted by Scott Campbell

In my opinion the justification for that trade was a little weak. They thought they'd lose Rasul, and he was getting older. Well if they lost him after his contract expired, there would have been a compensatory pick. I'm not sure if Bufallo's 3rd rounder was that much better than a compensatory pick.

The timing looks pretty bad in retrospect - it looked like Brian was throwing in the towel on the season.

I think who they chose with the trade pick is irrelevant, and shouldn't be compared to Rasul. Two separate transactions.

I think Brian is really, really good at his job. But even the greats are lucky to bat .500 in this business.

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At the time. Douglas was under contract through 2024, for $11.6 million in 2024. I think the Packers were planning to release him this off season for the cap savings, in which case they would have gotten nothing in return. If that was their plan, the trade made a lot of sense. The question is, should that have been their plan?

GB had just lost 4 in a row, and the season seemed like it was going nowhere. I will always wonder if they would have made that trade if they had known how the rest of the season would turn out. I suspect they would not have.

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Originally Posted by Fritz

Be cazy if this guy develops into a high-caliber starting linebacker. That'd be cool, and it would offset what seems like one of Guter's biggest "oopsies": Amari Cooper.

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Overall I really liked the draft, which is normally the opposite of how I feel.

I studied this guy a lot. He's a backup LB and special teamer. Orien Burks kinda guy.

There were some really good CB's on the board here. IMO, this is our typical 3rd round egg

I agree Bretsky. He has a 7.38. I read an article that the average NFL player scores a 7.19 coming out. So if you’re a dead average athlete for the league you want something to hang your hat on.

What are we looking at here? He was a team captain… great, that’s nice.

But small, not real fast, looks lost in coverage, doesn’t take great angles, really bad tackler. I mean, team captains are nice, but ultimately we’re trying to win football games here. If you’re taking an anverage athlete, he better be hard nosed, smart ball player who does everything right. And this guy doesn’t.

Looks like a 3rd round bust. I agree.

Oren Burks might be best case here.

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Originally Posted by bobblehead

I have noticed that after this pick there are fewer fans of the Rasul Douglas trade than there were a few days ago.

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Just cuz Scotty C showed up and said that? Who has changed there position?

You guys with your RAS shit acting like it will make or break. Would be great to see info from the last 5 years of how many low scoring players are still in the NFL.

We can't know everything that went into the decision to trade Rasul. Maybe he was so sick of Barry that Gute was afraid he was becoming a malcontent. Certainly Campbell did. At any rate I still don't think the pass defense got noticeably worse after the trade as Valentine and Ballentine played pretty well.

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Originally Posted by Patler

At the time. Douglas was under contract through 2024, for $11.6 million in 2024. I think the Packers were planning to release him this off season for the cap savings, in which case they would have gotten nothing in return. If that was their plan, the trade made a lot of sense. The question is, should that have been their plan?

GB had just lost 4 in a row, and the season seemed like it was going nowhere. I will always wonder if they would have made that trade if they had known how the rest of the season would turn out. I suspect they would not have.

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This is the way.

It makes sense they planned to cut him, and therefore, anything they could get for him was a net positive if you only consider after the season ended.

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Originally Posted by sharpe1027

This is the way.

It makes sense they planned to cut him, and therefore, anything they could get for him was a net positive if you only consider after the season ended.

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Andy Herman had Rasul as the top graded player on the entire D at the time he was traded last year. I think he was easily earning his money - unlike Devondre Campbell. And to a lesser extent, unlike Jaire. I don't believe you cut a guy like that. He clearly had trade value with his 2024 cap hit at $11.6M, or Bufallo wouldn't have traded for him. The Bills have already restructed his contract and knocked $2.5M off that cap number for this year. Theoretically, we could have done the same thing.

I haven't heard anything other than positives about his locker room presense since the Packers rescued his career. Though I guess that doesn't mean he wasn't griping behind the scenes. We don't know.

My ultimate point is this. I think Brian threw in the towel on the season, and was simply converting older player assets into picks. And that's because the Packers were playing poorly, and it looked like our window to contend wasn't going to be open until the 2025 season at the earliest. 2024 is still loaded with a dead money boat anchor dragging the roster down. Rasul and some others may not have been around for the opening back up of the window for contention, and converting those guys to picks potentially helped load up the roster for when that window opened back up. Rasul happened to be the guy Brian was able to move, but I wouldn't be surprised if there were other older guys he shopped.

And then that glorious turnaround happened. Because our window is somewhat unexpectedly open right now, I think Brian made a mistake with Rasul. But I would not trade Brian for any other GM in the league. Mistakes happen.