The 20th anniversary of LouisEly nutting the 2006 Packers draft in real-time

[LouisEly]

Some of you were there.  Back in the Brewerfan.net days.  Watching the draft on the live chat feature.  No pre-draft write-up; just calling out names before the pick.

A.J. Hawk was a given.  They needed OL and liked athletic guys and Daryn College fit the mold.  They traded back and passed on Chad Jackson, but they still needed a WR, and this guy Greg Jennings was available.  3 for 3 so far.

Abdul Hodge, Jason Spitz, and Cory Rodgers were kind of out of left field.  But then came their second 4^th round pick.  They needed CB depth and also needed a kick returner, and there was this Will Blackmon guy who filled both of those needs.  Boom.

Then came the coup de grace.  The Packers needed a backup QB.  They also needed a punter.  And there was this QB from Furman college who was also a good punter – Ingle Martin.   I think I got Tony Moll too, but after Ingle Martin, it was already mic drop.

And the legend was born. 

Don’t know if I’m going to keep doing this much longer, as I definitely put less effort into this than I have in a while.  But can’t let that 20^th anniversary go unrecognized.

And here we go…

 

2^nd Round (#52): Domonique Orange, DT, Iowa State - #25 on Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List, Big Citrus is stout at the point of attack and has the anchor to play landlord over the A-gaps.  Iowa State’s defense called for him to clog up lanes and eat up blockers and not necessarily make plays, so he didn’t fill up the stat sheet, but he had 33 run stops and 5 TFLs over the last two seasons and 45 pressures over the last 3 seasons.  Good length with almost 34” arms to take advantage of short-armed iOL.  With the shift back to the running game in the NFL and the “tush push”, big run-stopping DTs have been going much higher than they have in the past and the Packers need one.  Orange has pre-draft visits with the Bears and Vikings, so if the Packers really like him – and they attended his private workout – they may need to draft him here rather than risk him going to a division rival.  (Replaces Colby Wooden)

If he’s still available: Christen Miller, DT, Georgia – yes, the Packers have drafted a lot of players from Georgia, but last I checked, they’re usually in the CFP and the Eagles have drafted more.  Over the last two years Miller has the highest run defense grade of any interior DL in all of college football.  Has the upper-body power and heavy hand strikes to shed OL as well as the quickness to be a gap penetrator and split double-teams.  Like Orange, he didn’t play in a scheme that featured him and asked him to make plays, and he’s much more solid than spectacular.  But, unlike Orange, he went up against NFL caliber OL every day in practice and every week in the SEC.  Loves football, is very talkative in meetings, and always has a smile on his face.  Played mostly the B-gap, but has over 250 snaps in the A-gap.  If he’s still there at #52, it would be a shock if he’s not the pick.

Don’t be surprised if it’s: Dani Dennis-Sutton, Edge, Penn State – if you look at Gutey’s history, he invests in one position more than any other – edge rusher.  Between drafting Gary and Van Ness, signing the Smiths as free agents, and trading for Parsons, it’s clear that he believes that pass rush wins games (and makes CBs look better).  Sutton looks every part the prototypical edge rusher at 6’6”, 256, with nearly 34” arms and at the combine put up a vertical and 3-cone time that made half the WRs in attendance blush.  Over the last two seasons he’s racked up 17 sacks, 25 TFLs, 6 PBUs, 56 run stops, and 96 pressures.  Wasn’t always the most disciplined player on the edge, but has a high motor.  The Packers have to make a 5^th year decision on Van Ness in a few weeks and at this point it’s hard to imagine they pick up the option if they didn’t pick it up for Walker.  And with Parsons possibly starting the season on the PUP, they may need an extra body there who is ready to step in and has some juice.

 

3^rd Round (#84): Daylen Everett, CB, Georgia – the other thing that Gutey loves is speed, and Everett has plenty of it, running a 4.38 at the combine.  Great size, length, and density at 6’1”, 196, with almost 32” arms, Everett has run-through pop when he wants to dial it up.  Effective at reading and jumping routes from short zones.  Started 41 games at Georgia and has played in plenty of “bright lights” games.  Allowed too many pitch-and-catch throws in front of him and has been known to be a little grabby at times.  (Replaces Nate Hobbs)

If he’s still available: Davison Igbinosun, CB, Ohio State – three-year starter at Ohio State, which in their CB room says something, and at 6’2” with nearly 33” arms, Igbinosun has the ideal frame and length to disrupt WRs at the catch point and at the top of their routes.  Does not back down in run support, and is physical in coverage but sometimes too much as he had a lot of penalties in 2024.  But he cleaned that up in 2025 and wasn’t charged with a single TD against by PFF for a 42.6 passer rating against.  Brings an edge with him that rubs off on the rest of the CB room.

Don’t be surprised if it’s: Bryce Lance, WR, North Dakota State – Athletic marvel with two seasons of outstanding production to back it up – over his last two seasons combined for 2,157 receiving yards and 25 TDs.  Dropped a few jaws at the combine, running a 4.34 40 with a 1.49 split, 41.5” vertical, 7.00 3-cone, and 4.15 shuttle at 6’3”, 204.  The agility scores show that he can handle stop routes, can adjust to back-shoulder throws, and blue-chip ball tracking and hand strength to finish on deep throws.  Needs to diversity and develop his release, and there will be an adjustment to seeing NFL corners on every snap.

 

4^th Round (#120): Trey Zuhn III, OL, Texas A&M – Zuhn was a four-year starter at LT for the Aggies who took reps at the Senior Bowl at center as most believe that his lack of length as well as his strong anchor will push him inside.  Great first-step quickness to reach lateral landmarks and is able to mirror rushers while maintaining base width.  The Packers are set with their starting OL but need better backups, and Zuhn is a guy who many believe could play all along the line with the experience to backup at LT.  (Replaces Rasheed Walker)

If he’s still available: Drew Allar, QB, Penn State – the other position Gutey believes in investing in before it’s too late is QB.  He said he wanted to get back to drafting QBs and he’s done exactly that, drafting two in the last three years.  Elite frame that looks like it was assembled in a QB factory and an effortless arm that can make any NFL throw.  Inconsistent touch and ball placement have shown up, can be a little slow to process, and his injury last year dropped him off of the radar a bit.  But there is big-time upside here.  If he has to play right away he will not succeed; but, if a team can sit him for at least a year, preferably two, he has all the tools to become a great QB, and GB has the luxury to do that.  One thing Gutey learned from TT is to have the next QB before you need him.

Don’t be surprised if it’s: Charles Demmings, CB, Stephen F. Austin – small-school CB who is not small (6’1”, 193, 32” arms), Demmings put himself on the map with his combine performance running a 4.41 with a 42” vertical and 11” broad jump.  Physical press CB who uses his length to disrupt timing and his speed to stick in the WR’s hip.  Really attacks the receiver’s hands to disrupt, and had good production with 9 career INTs but against lesser competition.  Below-average run support and more of a drag-down tackler.  The Packers don’t need a starting CB this year, so it wouldn’t surprise me if they didn’t pick one until day 3 and took a highly athletic developmental player like Demmings to backup for a year.

 

5^th Round (#153, from Eagles for Wicks): Jeff Caldwell, WR, Cincinnati – trade a WR, draft a WR with the pick you receive.  Simple enough.  Caldwell has physical traits that will make any GM and OC salivate – big (almost 6’5”, 216), fast (4.31 40, 1.48 10-yard split), explosive (42” vertical), and has a surprisingly good level of twitch and agility.  Big hands (9 3/4”) and can pluck the ball out of the air (sometimes with one hand) as well as track it.  But the technique and route running is poor – he’s always been the biggest and fastest and that’s always been good enough.  Didn’t have big production at Cincy, was 3^rd in receptions on the team last year and they had a good QB.  Will need to put a lot of work into his release and route running.  (Replaces Dontavyion Wicks)

If he’s still available: Pat Coogan, C/G, Indiana – all Coogan has done over the last two years is be the starting center for two different schools who went to the national championship game and went a combined 27-1 while ranking 12^th and 19^th in rushing yards per game.  Good size, extremely high football IQ, and strong team leadership.  Technically sound and consistent in centering opponents with good grip strength.  Has limitations stretching beyond the A-gaps and has short arms, but so does Tanor Bortolini and Tanor’s now a top-10 center.  First OL named Rose Bowl MVP, and started 13 games at LG for Notre Dame as a sophomore, so he has positional flexibility.  If the Packers aren’t sold on Monk as the backup center, Coogan could very well be on their radar.

Don’t be surprised if it’s: Brandon Cleveland, DT, NC State – stubby but stout, Cleveland is a dog who fights hard to muddy up the A-gaps.  Naturally strong, heavy hands capable of quickly controlling and shedding blockers, and can burrow low and explode into double-teams looking to split them.  Can make plays behind the LOS, as evidenced by his 7 TFLs last season.  Rarely see him knocked to the ground or even off-balance.  Played more in the B-gap this year but has played more A-gap in his career.  Doesn’t offer much in pass rush and showed up a little light at the combine, but can collapse the pocket, had 32 pressures over the last two seasons, and word is the Packers like him.

 

5^th Round (#160): Will Kacmarek, TE, Ohio State – when you get late in the draft you look for guys who do one thing really well, and with Kacmarek it’s being that old-school big-bodied in-line blocking TE.  Size (6’5.5”, 260), strength, and plays with a lineman’s demeanor.  Not going to offer much as a receiving TE, kind of lumbering, but catches what is thrown his way.  Has over 350 special teams snaps and will be able to step in right away as a blocking TE and on special teams.  Transferred up from Ohio to OSU, only 23 catches in two seasons for the Buckeyes.  (Replaces John FitzPatrick)

If he’s still available: Jordan van den Berg, DT, Georgia Tech – van den Berg wasn’t really on anyone’s radar other than a late 7^th/UDFA until he absolutely nuked his pro day.  6’3”, 310, ran a 4.94, 36” vertical, 4.17 short shuttle, and 35 reps on the bench, good for a perfect 10.00 RAS, #2 of 2,270 all-time.  Transferred to GA Tech from Penn State, and while not known for his pass rush, he improved it in 2025 going from 1 sack, 4 hits, 13 pressures in 2024 to 3 sacks, 5 hits, 29 pressures in 2025.  The bench numbers suggest he has the strength to develop into a 1-tech, but the athleticism reminds me of Scott Matlock who the Chargers converted to a fullback.

Don’t be surprised if it’s: Sawyer Robertson, QB, Baylor – NFL size (6’4”, 216) with pro traits and arm talent to make all the throws, Robertson has a quick release and good velocity behind his throws.  Adequate poise to stand and deliver in the face of pressure and trusts his OL to do their job.  Subpar touch, timing, and accuracy though, and has a little too much Mahomes in him in not a good way (tries to make sidearm throws he can’t make).  The upside is there, but will need a couple of years of work from a good QB coach.

 

6^th Round (#201): Fernando Carmona, OL, Arkansas – the Packers rarely draft guys who played guard in college; the last one was Simon Stepaniak in the 6^th round in 2020 and the last one before that was Caleb Schlauderaff in the 6^th round in 2011.  But Carmona played LT for three years before moving inside to OG his senior year, and the Packers like guards with OT experience.  Physical, plays with an edge - sometimes too much of an edge as he collected a few personal fouls, but that’s what makes him a mauler in the run game.  Positional flexibility - was asked to take snaps at center at the combine, and can fill in at LT in an emergency.  Was one of only six players at the combine who participated in all seven athletic drills, which tells you a lot about his character and willingness to do what is asked of him.   (Replaces Elgton Jenkins)

If he’s still available: Dallen Bentley, TE, Utah – one year wonder at TE, but Utah has had a few good ones the last few years who he’s been stuck behind.  Showcased his athleticism at the combine running a 4.62 40 at 253 lbs.  Eerily similar to Tucker Kraft’s combine measurements and performance – both are 6’4”, Kraft weighed 254 and Bentley 253, and both ran a 4.62 40.  Quickly enters his routes, reliable hands and body control, and had zero drops on 76 targets last year.  Has the frame and effort to become a good blocker, but didn’t do so consistently and was more of a “get in your way” blocker.

Don’t be surprised if it’s: Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana – there’s some smoke to the Packers looking at RB, and it’s going to hinge on how they evaluate Lloyd and his ability to stay healthy.  Black is a bowling ball of a RB at 5’9”, 211, with contact balance and leg drive that let him average almost 3.5 yards after contact.  Reportedly ran a 4.45 at their pro day, but wasn’t invited to the combine.  Only caught 8 passes over two seasons for Indiana, but caught 34 in two seasons for James Madison, and is already over 24 years old having spent six seasons in college.

 

7^th Round (#236): Toriano Pride, Jr., CB, Missouri – undersized CB (5’10”, 185) with decent length (31” arms) and blistering speed (4.32 40, 1.51 split).  Played outside for Missouri and more than held his own in the SEC, holding receivers to 20 catches on 45 targets for 194 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs, good for a 53.4 passer rating against.  Physical and aggressive from press, finds openings to snake his hands into the catch point, and toughness is not an issue in run support, but will get dragged for additional yardage and tends to bite on release fakes.  Might need to move into the slot.  (Competes with Hadden, Bartholomew for roster spot)

If he’s still available: Mikail Kamara, Edge, Indiana – Kamara was one of the darlings of the 2024 Indiana team, posting 10 sacks and 68 pressures.  Sack production fell off big time in 2025 with only 2 sacks, but still generated 59 pressures, and was not invited to the Combine.  On the shorter side (listed at 6’1”) and already over 24 years old, but does have special teams experience on his side as he blocked the punt in the national championship game that put Indiana in front for good. 

Don’t be surprised if it’s: J. Michael Sturdivant, WR, Florida - started off with a bang as a freshman at Cal with over 700 yards receiving, but never took the next step and regressed a little every year while bouncing around to three teams (which isn't that uncommon anymore).  Height/weight/length/speed prospect (6'3", 207, almost 33" arms) who popped a cool 4.40 with a 39" vertical, he can get on top of DBs quickly, is good at tracking the ball, and isn't afraid to go over the middle.  Routes need better attention to detail, could use a little more strain in run blocking, and you have to wonder why he never came close to producing what he did as a freshman.

 

7^th Round (#255): Michael Heldman, Edge, Central Michigan – Heldman didn’t do much his first three seasons, combining for 8.5 sacks and 17.5 TFLs.  Then he blew up his senior year with 10.5 sacks, 16.5 TFLs, and backed it up with his pro day with a 4.70 40, 40” vertical, 7.05 3-cone, 4.31 short shuttle, and 29 reps on the bench, good for a 9.90 RAS at 6’4”, 265.  With Parsons possibly starting the season on the PUP, the Packers could use an extra body at edge and one they might need to try to sneak back on the practice squad once Parsons is ready.  (Competes with Cox/Mosby for roster spot)

If he’s still available:  Deven Eastern, DT, Minnesota – big bodied DT with a big wingspan, Eastern played a lot of NT for Minnesota and it took an Act of Congress to move him off of his spot.  Raw power to control his gap and the quickness off the snap to get into the backfield, also uses his length to disengage.  Plays with too high of a pad level to stay at NT which resulted in him ending up on the ground too often, and didn’t offer much for pass rush.  I’ve heard the Packers like him, probably as an early-down 3 or 5-tech.

Don’t be surprised if it’s: Miles Kitselman, TE, Tennessee – at 6’5”, 251, he’s built like an in-line TE and acts like it as he does not shy away from run blocking duties.  Needs to play with better hand placement and pad level, but keeps his feet chopping and can deliver some pop as a move blocker.  Runs a decent route tree and has above-average play speed, but had issues with drops and double-catches in 2025 that did not show up on the tape in 2024.

 

Last four out: Sam Roush, TE, Stanford; Romello Height, Edge, Texas Tech; Ephesians Prysock, CB, Washington; Drew Shelton, OT, Penn State

 

UDFAs:

Behren Morton, QB, Texas Tech
Damon Bankston, RB/KR, New Mexico State
Chip Trayanum, RB, Toledo
Tanner Arkin, TE, Illinois
Kajiya Hollawayne, WR, Temple
Anthony Smith, WR, East Carolina
Jake Pope, OT, Illinois State
Josh Gesky, OG, Illinois

Anterio Thompson, DT/FB, Washington (don’t be surprised if they try to convert him to fullback after he ran a 4.73 at 306 lbs on their pro day)

Josiah Green, DT, Duke
Nikko Taylor, Edge, Oregon State
Keyshawn James-Newby, Edge, New Mexico
Jayden Dugger, LB/Edge, Louisiana
Trent Hendrick, LB, James Madison
Karon Prunty, CB, Wake Forest
Jacob Thomas, S, James Madison