2024 NFL Draft - Packers Focused

[Joseph Zarr]

I one again am finding myself pretty infatuated with the prospects of WR Xavier Legette in the Green and Gold. And, tho not widely publicized, it appears he did have a Top 30 visit. In a draft filled with talented WR's, this is the mold and type of up-and-coming wideout who just makes sense as an add to the WR room.

I mean, Legette and Wicks together? It's a small Packers dream of mine:

Quote

JM: You dominated those situations on tape. Speaking of, what do you feel are the most important traits of route-running?

Xavier Legette: I would just say the ability to create separation. That’s really the main one. As long as you create separation, the ball is coming your way. You’re not going to see the ball if you’re not open.

JM: You’re a great run blocker as well. You had to block in that South Carolina offense.

Xavier Legette: Our mentality at South Carolina, you have to be fast, strong, and physical. That’s the way it works in coach [offensive coordinator] Dowell Loggains’ offense. Physicality was the main thing we were looking for. We built our program on physicality. As long as you’re physical, you’re getting on the field for South Carolina. Me being a good run blocker was more important than me getting the ball. That’s how I saw it.

 

[nate82]

13 hours ago, JosephC said:

I think, throwing the QB factor out the window, that there are 3 WRs in this draft that are better prospects than any of the QBs.

I disagree.  I believe you can make a case for Harrison as the #1 over Williams but not the other two.  Williams is clearly the #2 and I would put him 1B with Harrison being 1A.

Maye and Daniels should probably be ranked a bit lower but not that much lower.

[Joseph Zarr]

 

[JosephC]

1 hour ago, Joseph Zarr said:

 

Don't see it for RT as this draft seems pretty well stocked with those.  But LT, definitely.  This is not a good LT draft, if you don't get one early you might not get one at all.

Guys that were primarily LT this last year who (very) likely get bumped to other spots in the NFL include:

Graham Barton - guard or center

Kingsley Suamataia - right tackle (this is debatable)

Cooper Beebe - guard, maybe right tackle

Dominick Puni - guard

Matt Goncalves - guard, maybe right tackle

Brandon Coleman - guard

Nathan Thomas - guard, maybe right tackle (maybe left tackle, but majority don't seem to think so)

That leaves-

Joe Alt

Olumuyiwa Fashanu

Troy Fautanu (many think he is a NFL guard, like Suamataia, debatable)

Jordan Morgan

Patrick Paul

Kiran Amegadjie

Javon Foster

Delmar Glaze

Walter Rouse

And then the guy who played RT who could project to LT

Tyler Guyton

I think that's it, please point out anyone who I may have missed.  Latham, Fuaga, Mims, Fisher, Rosengarten, Christian Jones, Caeden Wallace (guard) all are college right tackles who very likely end up at right tackle in the NFL.

Foster probably sneaks into round three, but he, Glaze and Rouse grade out as day three players.  I'm not going to argue that a RT cannot make the transition to LT in the NFL, I'm pretty sure Trent Williams was a RT in college and he's been an excellent NFL LT for well over a decade (and then there is Jason Peters, who was a TE in college)...but it's still a transition that isn't routinely made.  Some people include Kingsley and some include Fautanu, you can count both or just one or neither.  It's not hard at all to see a decision maker in a NFL front office saying..,,Fautanu is a guard, Suamataia is a right tackle...I'm not trusting a Yale project guy to protect my quarterback's blind side...there are really only 4 guys in this draft who I think can be a starting NFL left tackle (Alt, Fashanu, Morgan, Paul)...and then Guyton could make #5.

If Gutekunst puts LT as the #1 priority for the Packers in this draft, it wouldn't surprise me to see him move up aggressively from #25 to try and get Fashanu or Fautanu (assuming he sees Fautanu as a LT)...if not...it wouldn't surprise me to see him move up from #41 to get Morgan...if not...it wouldn't surprise me to see him move up from that late second rounder to get Paul.  Paul lasted into the third round in my last mock, his stock seems to be slipping (I don't know why), but I certainly would not bet on that to happen if I was a NFL GM who needed a left tackle.

[BrewerFan]

On 4/23/2024 at 11:18 AM, nate82 said:

  On 4/22/2024 at 9:19 PM, JosephC said:

I think, throwing the QB factor out the window, that there are 3 WRs in this draft that are better prospects than any of the QBs.

3 WRs, at least one LT.

Williams looks great. He couldn't beat good teams at USC and he played a little too much like Johnny Manziel. Undisciplined.

He has a ton of upside, but I'm not sure if he has more than Daniels anymore and the Bears are going to have to get it out of him. Mahomes got to sit for a year and learn from Reid.

Williams isn't going to be given that luxury and he's going to have who developing him? Just another reason I'd take Alt if I were them, though I imagine they'll go defense with that 2nd pick. 

[Joseph Zarr]

 

#TeamTrenches

[Oxy]

9 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

 

#TeamTrenches

Good stuff--particularly since this is a year it seems like GB will will go OL...or LB...

[homer]

pinning this so it doesn't get confused with the 2023 thread. Use this thread tonight.

[OldHeidelberg]

Count me on the Cooper Dejean bandwagon. He checks a lot of need boxes for us, I would be fine if they have to trade up to get him. If he is gone OL please.

I saw Peter Schrager on GMFB(good to see it back) this morning pleading with everyone to watch the draft without watching the internet for the pick to be leaked before the NFL shoves 5 more minutes of commercials down our throat. Of course, he works for the NFL and they're the ones who created the problem. I really wish they would go back to the commissioner walking up right after you see "pick is in" but we know that is not happening. 

[patrickgpe]

26 minutes ago, OldHeidelberg said:

 

I saw Peter Schrager on GMFB(good to see it back) this morning pleading with everyone to watch the draft without watching the internet for the pick to be leaked before the NFL shoves 5 more minutes of commercials down our throat. Of course, he works for the NFL and they're the ones who created the problem. I really wish they would go back to the commissioner walking up right after you see "pick is in" but we know that is not happening. 

I try to stay off of X during the NFL / NBA draft. Its really no fun to know before the commish says the pick.  The draft is a TV show, if you know how the show ends while you watch it, whats the point?

[OldHeidelberg]

12 minutes ago, patrickgpe said:

I try to stay off of X during the NFL / NBA draft. Its really no fun to know before the commish says the pick.  The draft is a TV show, if you know how the show ends while you watch it, whats the point?

I can see your point and I know others who feel the same way but for me it isn't a TV show, it's the draft and it's supposed to be live, we should get the picks somewhat real time. It drives me nuts to wait 5 minutes after pick is in to find out who the Packers picked. Last year I heard Van Ness here first, there is plenty of suspense for me already and I don't need to hear it from Goodell. But you won't hear the pick from me here. 

[Matt Breen]

I'm guessing we go OL or CB in 1st round. All depends on who drops. I don't see Alt, Arnold or Mitchell dropping to us. The offensive linemen are sort of all over the place with some scouts preferring this person or that person above the other. Otherwise, I think a couple of these guys could drop:

OT
Troy Fautanu, Washington
Olu Fashanu, Penn St.
JC Latham, Alabama
Taliese Fuaga, Oregon St.

G/C
Graham Barton, Duke

CB
Nate Wiggins, Clemson
Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

Notes:

Not a huge fan of OTs Mims or Guyton as I think they have more of a boom or bust look to them. Of course, the team knows way more than I do - so one may certainly may be our pick.

Chop Robinson would be interesting. Good chance he'd fall to us, but I expect we'd pick OL or CB. This would be a bit of a luxury pick.

Another route the club could take would be select DT Brian Murphy or Jer'Zhan Newton fi they fall - especially if the club thinks Kenny Clark won't be back after 2024. 

WR Brian Thomas would be fun, but I doubt we go that direction in round 1. 

I don't expect Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, JJ McCarthy, Jayden Daniels, Malik Nabors, Marvin Harrison, Rome Odunze, Brock Bowers, Terrion Arnold, Quinyon Mitchell, Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, Laiatu Late, or
Joe Alt to be around for us. 

I'm expecting a LB and Safety in rounds 2-3. And whatever we don't draft in round 1. 

Will be fun.

[OldHeidelberg]

33 minutes ago, reillymcshane said:

 

Another route the club could take would be select DT Brian Murphy or Jer'Zhan Newton fi they fall - especially if the club thinks Kenny Clark won't be back after 2024. 

 

I was thinking about what if Murphy drops to them as I read he would be a very good one gap player and like you say could save them from another Clark contract. But the scouting report I read also said he was undersized 6'0' and 300lbs so needed to be lined up next to a bigger guy. If bigger just means taller than Wyatt would work. DT's can be a little undervalued in the draft too, Aaron Donald I think got picked at #12 and there was a lot of hype around him. But I don't expect him to be there at #25. I haven't read up on Newton much.   

[LouisEly]

The Packers haven't drafted an OT in the 1st round since 2011.  They haven't drafted an interior OL in the 1st since Aaron Taylor in 1994 (while Ross Verba moved to guard eventually, he played LT his first couple of years and was drafted as a OT).

I don't foresee them taking an interior OL in the 1st.  If Barton is the pick - and I doubt it would be - it's because they think that with better coaching he can play OT. 

[BrewerFan]

On 4/24/2024 at 11:02 AM, JosephC said:

I think that's it, please point out anyone who I may have missed.  Latham, Fuaga, Mims, Fisher, Rosengarten, Christian Jones, Caeden Wallace (guard) all are college right tackles who very likely end up at right tackle in the NFL.

I didn't see anyone you missed, but I think Fautanu is pretty clearly a LT. The concerns there were mostly with length and he has the requisite length and he moves really well. Suamatia I think can play LT but probably not right away. 

 

I think Guyton ends up at LT(I know you didn't say otherwise). He had a left handed QB, so he was protecting his blindside. 
If there's one guy who's realistically available at the end of the 1st(I think Fautanu, Fashanu, Alt are gone) I think he's the most likely OT they take. I do believe he also has Guard versatility in this scheme given how he can bend. 

 

The huge advantage to having Tom is the ability to play him at LT though. So even if you think someone is a RT only, don't think he's got the feet to play LT, I don't think that's a big deterrence. 

[GAME05]

DeJean doesn't seem big enough to be that kinda box safety we could use to shut down the short center of the field. If we want him more as a CB/FS I think I'd rather go with a pure CB.

[GAME05]

Good point about Tom. Maybe his versatility means we could do more of a BPA on the OL and not have to be specific to one position. And this being Myers' last year I don't think C/G is necessarily off the table.

[OldHeidelberg]

Vikings reportedly getting rebuffed trying to move up, backup plan is Byron Murphy at #11 and I would think they hope for Nix at #23. I feel like everyone always thinks a lot of QB's go high but 1 or 2 drop. Hopefully NE makes them pay through the nose. 🙂 

[GAME05]

For all the players NE needs I have a hard time thinking they'll draft a QB unless they move back in the 1st. They're not Carolina-bad, but are they really that far apart? They should grab Harrison or Alt and get a QB next year.

[BrewerFan]

1 hour ago, LouisEly said:

The Packers haven't drafted an OT in the 1st round since 2011.  They haven't drafted an interior OL in the 1st since Aaron Taylor in 1994 (while Ross Verba moved to guard eventually, he played LT his first couple of years and was drafted as a OT).

I don't foresee them taking an interior OL in the 1st.  If Barton is the pick - and I doubt it would be - it's because they think that with better coaching he can play OT. 

I don't really think that's all that compelling. They had Clifton/Tauscher through 2000-2010/'11. Then they drafted OTs in back to back years with Bulaga and Sherrod, the latter ended up having a serious injury and they end up with Bakhtiari and Bulaga for most of the next decade.

MANY of those years they also had very pressing needs and used the 1st rd to address more glaring issues. Randall when you started Gunter at CB vs Jones, Haha when you needed a safety badly, Stokes when you lost in the NFCCG with Kevin King's blown coverage. 

 

The odds are obviously against taking an OT, but this is not a large sample size and I don't think it's predictive of what they WILL do. Especially if they think there is an elite OT there. I think they'd have taken Wright last year if he was on the board at #13. There are 22 positions on the field and Gute has broken with "norms," several times. They'd have taken Watson in Rd1 if Minnesota would have agreed to trade pick 32 instead of 34. Of course even that wouldn't be a thing if Jordy had been drafted a few spots earlier. Off-Ball, Safety, a smaller WR in Jaire, Reed was under their size thresholds.

 

Again, they probably take another position just because it's the field vs OT, but I don't think it'd be because they haven't taken one since they took two back to back.

[LouisEly]

16 minutes ago, BrewerFan said:

I think Guyton ends up at LT

I think Guyton's still available at #41 if not #58.

He didn't play very well (PFF grade of 63.7) and the rumor is that there are concerns that he and two other players the Packers brought in (Maason Smith and Burton the WR from Alabama) can mentally make the jump to the NFL, and that's why the Packers brought them in for a visit - to evaluate their intelligence.

[BrewerFan]

11 minutes ago, GAME05 said:

DeJean doesn't seem big enough to be that kinda box safety we could use to shut down the short center of the field. If we want him more as a CB/FS I think I'd rather go with a pure CB.

I don't think you want the other safety to be exclusively a box safety. If you get a guy in Rd 1 to play safety, ideally, it'd be someone who's interchangeable with McKinney. Someone who can play the slot, play the run and play CF or in a split safety look.

I understand the argument you'd rather have a pure CB. That will be interesting...if the Packers are willing to take a guy like Wiggins with his frame, or Sainstrail in the 2nd(I've warmed up to that a lot).

 

6 minutes ago, GAME05 said:

For all the players NE needs I have a hard time thinking they'll draft a QB unless they move back in the 1st. They're not Carolina-bad, but are they really that far apart? They should grab Harrison or Alt and get a QB next year.

I would trade down if I were them. I think they could easily add a 1st in next years draft and I'm definitely of the opinion that you're better off building that OL before you throw that young QB in there. Very few QBs are going to be able to go from CFB to the NFL and play behind a poor OL.

On the other hand, Daniels is really impressive. He can make every throw, he's going to be one of the most elusive QBs in the NFL right out of the gate. If it's Maye who's on the board, then I'm definitely moving down and trying to still grab Alt. 

[LouisEly]

1 minute ago, BrewerFan said:

he's going to be one of the most elusive QBs in the NFL right out of the gate.

Leo Chenal is sweating bullets that he doesn't end up in the AFC.

[BrewerFan]

2 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

I think Guyton's still available at #41 if not #58.

He didn't play very well (PFF grade of 63.7) and the rumor is that there are concerns that he and two other players the Packers brought in (Maason Smith and Burton the WR from Alabama) can mentally make the jump to the NFL, and that's why the Packers brought them in for a visit - to evaluate their intelligence.

I'd be shocked if he makes it to #58...less so Mims with his injury history.

I'd guess he'd go to one of Balt, KC, SF at the end of the 1st and if he doesn't go in Rd1, then I can't see Washington passing him.

But it's the draft. There are always guys falling. We drafted Quay, there were people who had Dean as the #1 LB(more had Lloyd, but some certainly had Dean).

I think the best case for the Packers would be a team like the Raiders or Denver seeing Penix/Nix sitting there at #25 and are willing to give up a '25 1st to move up. Payton is the most likely to do so, but it'd be easier to justify Guyton and say Edggerin Cooper in the early 2nd if they're there.

[BrewerFan]

4 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

Leo Chenal is sweating bullets that he doesn't end up in the AFC.

Hell, Derrick Brooks would be worried about that!

But I know one way to solve that issue...send Leo to the NFCN! I'd be thrilled with him as the Mike in this defense. Not quite so thrilled with him in coverage, but he can rush the passer. To be honest though, this one went over my head. Is Chenal particularly bad spying a QB or has Lamar broken his ankles a couple times?