Packers Draft Grades

[Bretsky]

I thought it was a horrible pick at first. He doesn't even look like a TE to me... he hasn't been bad, but his ceiling is incredibly low.

I liked our draft....think TT did a nice job. But I wasn't fond of round 3. I get the DL pick and if he can pull his head out of his asshole he has some real nice talent......I just don't get drafting a slow TE who's an average blocker at best in round 3. Most detested Borland due to the measurable. It least Borland has some extreme production. I hope I'm wrong but this is the pick that screamed desperation of needing a TE and needing it right there.

I think we were unlucky a few times during the draft.

I think we would have taken the ND Tight End in round 2 if he didn't go right before us......there were still nice WR's in round 3

And I think we were licking our chops at taking Louis Nix in round 3. Until Houston put some weights on their stones, traded in front of us and took him.

Overall I give the draft a high B mark though

[RashanGary]

I think he has a few qualities that might be overlooked a little. The first is hands. Its been said he has the best hands in this tight ends class. The second is desire, coachability and want to. Maybe more than any position, tight end is a position where humility and want-to (do the dirty work) go a long way. He seems to have that, and the frame to play at 260-265. Ive also read that he has savvy in his route running, like just s feel for the game. He ran about the same as Finley.

Jason Witten plods around a little. Certainly doesnt look very fast. But he has very good ball skills and has savvy, getting open.

Aaron Rodgers likes guys he can trust. Richard Rodgers seems like a guy who can be trusted to be where hes supposed to be and then catch it when its thown. I just have a feeling he's going to fit really well with this team. He has more skill than talent, but it's the fit that i really like.

Its not like this guy is gonna see double coverage. if he can be counted on to block and navigate zone coverages in a way AR trusts, AR will be willing to toss him the rock and it sounds like hes pretty good at catching it so he'll make the most out of those opportunities and grow into a trusted pass option.

[Joemailman]

I like the way Rodgers catches the ball. Catches it in stride so he's immediately ready to head downfield. As long as his route running is okay, Arod can utilize him. Not sure how his blocking will be as his playing weight will probably be different than what he played at the last 2 years. I don't see this pick as TT getting desperate and reaching for a TE. I see this as TT seeing upside that some others don't see.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Witten is 2 inches taller and much stronger than this Rodgers. I think Jace Amaro is the guy in this draft that most resembles Witten.

[Carolina_Packer]

The last TE that they drafted this high in the draft is D.J. Williams R5 (141) TE 6-2 245 Arkansas

D.J. WILLIAMS, TE, ARKANSAS
AFC scout: "He's an H-back."

AFC scout: "He can run. He's more of the receiving type tight end."

NFC scout: "I really like him. He's more of a fourth-round pick but, man, I'll tell you, every time I saw him I was impressed. Games, Senior Bowl, combine. All he does is catch the ball."

A.J. Smith, San Diego: "He's legitimate."

Dale Strahm, Houston: "He's an H-back, slot, movement kind of guy. Not an on-the-line guy."

AFC scout: "He's kind of an H-back, fullback, off the line of scrimmage tight end. Great effort guy."

NFC scout: "Very good receiver. May have the best hands of the bunch. He's talented. He's like Dustin Keller (of) the Jets. He's going in the third round."

AFC scout: "Small. I don't know if you could line him up as an H-back in the backfield and lead (block) with him. Just a fourth-round kind of guy."

AFC scout: "He's more of an H-back. When I saw him I didn't think he was fast as he was."


compare him to

ROUND: 3, 98th overall
THE PICK: RICHARD RODGERS, TE, CALIFORNIA
AT A GLANCE: Age: 22. Height: 6-4. Weight: 257. Hometown: Worcester, Mass.

(3b.) RICHARD RODGERS, TE, CALIFORNIA
AFC scout: "Kind of a big wide receiver. Kept getting his weight up. Didn't run great. 4.8. That doesn't help him. He's in the fifth, sixth-round range. Not special in any way."

AFC scout: "I like him. I'm trying to hide him. If you go to 2012 film you can watch him block. He's got the best hands of the tight ends. He's 4.87. He's got a broken thumb. Our docs say he's OK."

NFC scout: "He's nothing at all."

Obviously nothing is guaranteed, and you never really know when a prospect will hit or miss. I hope TT gets the last laugh on this one, but we won't know until he has a real chance. D.J. Williams never really took off and he won the Mackey Award coming out of Arkansas and came with a little more promise. We'll see if they either wasted their pick and should have drafted a better TE or if they saw something most everyone else did not. Hope it's the latter.

[smuggler]

Yeah, but Rodgers is two inches taller and can play at 275... more of a traditional TE

[RashanGary]

Harvey,

I'm asking myself "what did tt see to take this guy high in a deep draft?" Historically, teds best picks have been wtf picks. Collins, AR, Jennings, Matthews, Bahktiari, Flynn, etc.... Bahktiari is a good example and was the guy last year I liked best for where we took him. Why? Because when people tAlked about how he played, it was always glowing. Above all else he was an excellent blocker and the packers were hiring him to block. I thought his skills matched the job description, regardless of how his body looked. That's why you get good players later, because some cosmetic feature isn't there. R Rodgers is the best at catching the ball and from what I read he wants to block and has done it. So what he does on the football field meets the job description. For that reason, he's my wtf stud of this draft.

[Carolina_Packer]

Yeah, but Rodgers is two inches taller and can play at 275... more of a traditional TE

I totally agree, smuggler. I just put that info out there because I think it's strange how people react to things. When it comes down to it, the scouts were on this kid, studying him, and projecting his talent to the next level. They were not (I hope) throwing darts at a dart board. He'll either be the prospect equivalent of Alex Green, which turned out to be an overdraft (heh, banking puns) or he'll be a solid contributor in time.

[Fritz]

Who knows or will know anytime soon? We can't even properly evaluate the 2011 draft class until we see if Sherrod can stay healthy and is good enough to start.

[RashanGary]

My gut says TT has adjusted to the losses of his top guys and is conducting himself with the most confidence and authority that he has in his career. The impression I get as that he wakes up for this, that he still loves it and is so in tune with what he's doing that I sense he's about to put the cherry on the cake that is his legacy as GM. More than ever in the past, this is a draft of "football players." Outside of the late round CB and WR, all these guys have the look of being players. There are a lot of elite athletes in the HOF. Reggie White is the guy I think of first. There are SMS not so great athletes, Jerry Rice is the first one that comes to mind. There are no dummies who can't play football in the HOF. You can't "make up players" in a draft. More than ever I get the impression Ted took football players. We'd all like the next Reggie white, but those guys come along once a decade or so.

The feel I get from this draft, at first glance, is it's the most sound (from top to bottom) of Teds career. I could see five starters out of this group.

At first glance, I give it an A+. There are no Derrek, can't play Sherrods or Nick, athlete not football player, Perry's. It's all players, especially the higher picks.

[Pugger]

I liked our draft....think TT did a nice job. But I wasn't fond of round 3. I get the DL pick and if he can pull his head out of his asshole he has some real nice talent......I just don't get drafting a slow TE who's an average blocker at best in round 3. Most detested Borland due to the measurable. It least Borland has some extreme production. I hope I'm wrong but this is the pick that screamed desperation of needing a TE and needing it right there.

I think we were unlucky a few times during the draft.

I think we would have taken the ND Tight End in round 2 if he didn't go right before us......there were still nice WR's in round 3

And I think we were licking our chops at taking Louis Nix in round 3. Until Houston put some weights on their stones, traded in front of us and took him.

Overall I give the draft a high B mark though

We don't need another blocking TE. By the 3rd round there weren't a lot of TEs left so I suppose Ted took the best of a sorry lot?

It was troubling to watch Nix tumble in the draft. I'm rather glad Ted passed.

[Pugger]

I think he has a few qualities that might be overlooked a little. The first is hands. Its been said he has the best hands in this tight ends class. The second is desire, coachability and want to. Maybe more than any position, tight end is a position where humility and want-to (do the dirty work) go a long way. He seems to have that, and the frame to play at 260-265. Ive also read that he has savvy in his route running, like just s feel for the game. He ran about the same as Finley.

Jason Witten plods around a little. Certainly doesnt look very fast. But he has very good ball skills and has savvy, getting open.

Aaron Rodgers likes guys he can trust. Richard Rodgers seems like a guy who can be trusted to be where hes supposed to be and then catch it when its thown. I just have a feeling he's going to fit really well with this team. He has more skill than talent, but it's the fit that i really like.

Its not like this guy is gonna see double coverage. if he can be counted on to block and navigate zone coverages in a way AR trusts, AR will be willing to toss him the rock and it sounds like hes pretty good at catching it so he'll make the most out of those opportunities and grow into a trusted pass option.

If his hands are as good as advertized it might be nice to have a TE that won't drop the ball.

[wist43]

Who knows or will know anytime soon? We can't even properly evaluate the 2011 draft class until we see if Sherrod can stay healthy and is good enough to start.

3 year of nothing for a 1st round draft pick, and they refused to pick up his option?? Don't look good.

[smuggler]

If he plays alright this year, we get a high talent backup on the cheap or a reasonable comp pick in 2016. If not, cut bait. It happens.

[Pugger]

3 year of nothing for a 1st round draft pick, and they refused to pick up his option?? Don't look good.

Its difficult to play when your leg is broken in half. I recall Mike Flannagan had a horrible injury like this in the mid 90s and it took him 2+ years to come back - and he did - so I'm gonna wait and see if Sherrod can too this year.