Mock Draft: Four Potential Players Available At No. 23 Overall
by Brandon on Mar 11, 2010 7:00 AM CST
in Green Bay Packers Draft
47 comments
There's been a lot of free agent news over the past week, but Wednesday featured a number of Pro Days. GM Ted Thompson was at the Alabama Pro Day. The biggest star at their Pro Day was ILB Rolando McClain who should be long gone by the time the Packers pick. A future replacement for NT Ryan Pickett might be NT Terrance Cody, who is listed at a massive 6'4" 354 lbs.
As far as who might be available at the end of the 1st round, NFL Draft Scout has a mock draft page with four drafts to choose from, and four different selections for the Green Bay Packers at No. 23 overall:
Idaho G Mike Iupati. According to Mocking The Draft, he could probably come in and start at left guard immediately, or be a future left tackle prospect. I'm no fan of LG Daryn Colledge, though he could lose his starting job to G Jason Spitz next season, so Iupati would immediately improve a weak spot in the lineup. As much as I'd like to see the Packers draft for defense in the 1st round, Iupati is very appealing.
Florida C Maurkice Pouncey. If anything the Packers have wanted more bulk inside to handle strong nose tackles, and that's the one thing Pouncey struggles with according to Mocking The Draft. But he does sound like a heck of a player. I'm impressed that he was a starter at Florida since his true freshman year.
Boise State CB Kyle Wilson. According to Mocking The Draft, "he was, without a doubt, the top cornerback [at the Senior Bowl]." Though the Packers need help in the secondary, safety depth is the top priority. Cornerback isn't the biggest need position for 2010, with CB Al Harris and CB Pat Lee both expected to return from injury. But Wilson could be a great pick for the future. Mocking Dan said that Wilson can struggle with zone coverage, so it sounds like he could use at least one season to get used to the NFL.
Oklahoma OT Trent Williams. He isn't listed at the top of the 1st round because of his limited college experience at left tackle, but as Brian at Buffalo Rumblings says, "don't sleep" on him. He's a great tackle prospect.
Of all those players, Iupati got my attention because he could improve the left guard spot immediately in 2010. If he really is good at pulling, then his agility may help a dormant screen passing game come to life.
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that's a decent OL
Gotta replace Clifton real soon too, but the rest of the line looks good for years to come.
The value would be there
but I would prefer to eventually put TJ Lang there. Lang should be a starter and should eventually move into the LG position. So the value of the pick is there, but I don’t think Iupati would help our team as much as I would like him to.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
If Iupati falls past the steelers, I'd be shocked
he’s their type of guy, and they’ve got line issues (and QB issues).
Wilson’s been rising, but the guy that intrigues me is the the falling of Joe Haden. I don’t think he’ll fall to 23, but he’s worth trading up for if it’s not going to kill us too much. Also, being that there are so many great 2nd round prospects for CB, I would rather wait on a Patrick Robinson from FSU or even Parish Cox from OkSU. I also think Wilson will be there at 56.
The other consideration is trading down. This is an option I would only exercize if their T guy is not there or they can’t trade up for Haden. Getting an extra 2nd or 3rd would be phenomenal for picking up the OLB you want and addressing your other needs. This draft is very solid, and good solid players can be gotten later on. It would not shock me in the least if this is where TT goes.
If we keep the pick, O-line or OLB seem to be the order of the day… or we can reach for Patrick Robinson.
"That's not a weird stat. Rickie is a run-scorer," Yost said. "It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter," Yost told reporters. "See, you guys have no concept. He's a run-scorer. So there's nothing weird about it. That's what he does."
Haden’s stock fell mostly due to his 4.56 40 time but the news is that he was hurt at the combine so I’d expect a much faster 40 time at his pro day but no realistic chance of getting him anyways. Even with a slow dash I think most scouts would just go to film and pick Haden anyways.
by turnitin.com on Mar 13, 2010 2:50 AM CST up reply actions
Iupati
Iupati is strictly a power man blocker. He doesn’t have the kind of mobility, IMO, to function in the zbs. He didn’t do as well at the combine as people thought he would, so he is likely a late late 1st or 2nd rd pick. Unless a team has a glaring hole at LG…
Pouncey is a strong possibility… He is a rarity as a true 1st rd talent as a Center. I am not Wells fan though, so I would be for replacing him any time.
I have been a fan of Wilson for awhile. I would rather get an OT or OLB, but Wilson wouldn’t be a bad pick in any way to me. He has some great cover skills, not to mention ball skills to make plays!
I would love Trent Williams!! And his combine performance sold me! He is among the best power blockers in the draft, but his combine showed he has the mobility to play the zbs very well to. Even if he doesn’t work out as a LT, he has Pro Bowl talent for RT. He might make 3 OL spots better! RT w/ him takint the position, Lang moving to LG and Spitz beating out Wells at Center!!! Any time one player can improve 2 or 3 positions he becomes more valuable!!! I don’t think there is much chance he fall to 23 though!!!
Thought it was interesting
NFP’s mock draft currently has Spiller falling to the Packers at 23.
I’ve gotta say, it would be really hard to pass him up if he made it to us.
dickie_thon: Third baseman Bill Hall / Watches the third strike go by / Gamel grabs his glove
another Aaron Rodgers senerio?
that would be delightful.
2010 WhiteSox Baseball: "even if it works it's still stupid"
Why do we need another inside guy?
Between Wells, Sitton, Spitz, Lang, and the rest of the decent backups we don’t need more inside O-line help. We need outside guys, replacements for Cliffy and Tauch (although Lang might fit at RT as wel).
No, if a LT isn’t there that they like I’m good with a trade down or some defensive help(specifically in the secondary or OLB). Hell, Spiller does sound interesting too if he falls that far.
Trade Down....draft Hughes
We all know it’s gonna happen. This draft is just too stacked for TT to resist trading down and amassing picks like he does. Personally, I’m all for it.
Ideally, I’d love to trade back a few spots to the very late 1st/very early 2nd and nab a guy like Jerry Hughes, OLB from TCU. The guy is a pass rushing phenom, and as we all know, improving our pass defense is perhaps our top off-season priority. Getting a guy who can consistently harass a QB goes a lot further toward shoring up your pass D then simply drafting a CB, who can really only take one receiver out of the play.
With an additional mid-round pick, I think the Pack would be in position to address the rest of their needs in rounds 2-4. This draft is considered the deepest ever, so finding a high-caliber CB, S, or OT in these rounds isn’t out of the question.
Bottom line is this: the Packers may have a handful of critical needs, but there is only one position where a rookie can realistically step in from day 1, start, and make an impact. I love Brad Jones, and thought he was a solid presence last year, but you need play-makers at the OLB position. I could really only justify not taking Hughes (or some other OLB or trading down) if a top-tier LT like Bulagu fell to us, or a supreme talent like CJ Spiller.
"stay (green and) gold"
by Green and Bold on Mar 11, 2010 12:14 PM CST reply actions
Hughes
Hughes is my favorite player in this draft!!! Love his abiltiy to pressure the QB… I wouldn’t count on trading down to get him though. He has risen from the 2md into the bottom third of the 1st. I’ve seen him as high as 18 to ATL. IF we don’t take him there is a VERY strong chance AZ takes him at 26. THey have a need for a 34 OLB that can rush the QB in the worst way. Bringing in J. Porter, might alleviate the need a bit, but its still risky to pass on him at 23.
Totally agree… Only a top LT (Bulaga, Williams, maybe Brown) or a difference maker like Spiller should be taken before Hughes!!! Even Spiller you might be able to find someone similar in the 3rd or later.
@ Stroh: Who's this Hughes Kid? LOL Never heard of him... : ) HA! Gotta Smile Stroh...
by Bird Dog Uni on Mar 11, 2010 3:05 PM CST up reply actions
Jerry Hughes
Played at TCU. Ideal fit for a 3-4 OLB.
6’ 2…255 lbs.
Take over from there Stroh!
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
OK
26 sacks in past 2 seasons.. 26 games? Production
4.69 40, 26 bench, explosive 1st step, quick and agile in shuttle tests (should be good in coverage). Ability/potential
Best 34 OLB/pass rusher in the draft.. HANDS DOWN!!!
Hows that??? LOL
So Mr. Bird Dog....
Is that enough to make you hop on the Jerry Hughes Bandwaggon?
Come on everybody, join Stroh and I on the Jerry Hughes Bandwaggon!
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
never!!!!
brandon graham 6’1" 265lbs,4.67 40,——31 reps on bench. 19.5 sacks last 2 years———-led nation in TFL with 26————-2nd on the all time school list in TFL’S and qb sacks.
plus played in a big time conference for 4 years……experienced————-almost forgot, he dominated at the senior bowl and won mvp honors.
But Hughes has the most sacks in the past 2 seasons!!! 26 in 26? games… Can’t beat that production… And Hughes has dropped in coverage a little. He wansn’t asked to do so much cuz he was such a threat as a pass rusher. Got some great links on Hughes. Most seem to think he is the best of the 34 OLB in this draft.
http://www.draftboardinsider.com/cgi-bin/prospect.cgi?id=905
http://www.walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2010jhughes.php
http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/Impact-potential-of-34-rush-linebacker-class.html
Graham will get a higher grade as a 43 DE, but Hughes gets the nod as a 34 OLB, IMO…
yawn!!!!!!!!1
graham will be drafted ahead of him for a reason
acyuallly
kindle and graham are the studs coming out this year,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,not hughes
Graham
Graham might be drafted ahead of Hughes, but it’ll be by a 43 team, not a 34 D. But you are probably correct that Graham will get drafted higher. Kindle is a OLB for either the 43 or 34. His skill set is pretty suited for either, though he doesn’t have the sack production in college that you would want to see, he doesn’t seem to finish like Hughes or Graham. I have seen a 43 team like the Giants take him. I think a 34 team would be making a mistake by taking either before Hughes!
Daryl Washington (TCU) is miles ahead of Kindle. The one thing Kindle has is size and speed but he didn’t make it count as much as you would’ve liked in college so there’s no evidence to suggest it would be any different in the league. Also hes no good in coverage.
by turnitin.com on Mar 13, 2010 3:06 AM CST up reply actions
George Selvie had a similar set of statistics
And then people learned the value of double teaming, and POOF! Selvie vanished like smoke.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Mar 12, 2010 11:24 PM CST up reply actions
Graham
Crabby makes a good case. Graham competed in the Big Ten.
Still, is there any tape on their pass coverage? I know they were DEs in college, but did they ever get asked to drop back in coverage?
Just askin’
by 50 years and Counting on Mar 11, 2010 6:09 PM CST up reply actions
probably
didn’t do much pass coverage, but hughes didn’t do much either, but the thing i like about him is that we have a player just like him that came from the same school and plays the same position in woodley from the steelers.
just getting my hopes up, but graham will probably be gone before 23, he and kindle are 1and 1A. there’s talk that the pats are high on him at 22 and they love the 3-4 lb’s……
clarify
“we”, meaning the nfl has a player like graham in woodley. just so there’s no confusion that “we” meant the packers.
lets be honest
in pass coverages in the 3-4 are mostly zone. it’s not like were asking our olb’s to cover a WR 1 on 1. how many times did matthews drop back in coverage last year? 5% of the time? just saying you can teach a young man to play in space for 2.5 seconds.
i just like grahams pedigree and that his motor never stops. he just plays downhill and makes plays. he’s the kind of olb a 3-4 defense looks for, big, fast and strong…
Agreed, but...
I agree either guy can be taught to cover. But it seems like he won’t be beating out Jones till mid-season at the earliest.
Isn’t a first rounder supposed to help you from day one. At least that’s been the complaint about TT, his first round picks still need development. Graham and Hughes seem to fit that description.
by 50 years and Counting on Mar 11, 2010 6:38 PM CST up reply actions
I disagree
Whether it’s Hughes, Kindle, or Graham…they will start from Day 1. Brad Jones is a serviceable backup, nothing more.
"No player is greater than a team."
-Vince Lombardi
But what about pass coverage
All those guys look good rushing the the passer and defending the run on YouTube. But Kampman dropped back about 30% of the time, or so I remember reading.
Can you teach a converted DE to cover for 2.5 seconds in one training camp? I don’t know the answer. It just seems unlikely.
If Caper’s didn’t give a Pro Bowl pass rusher a pass on coverage I just don’t see him telling a rookie that he can attack every down.
But maybe I’m missing something.
by 50 years and Counting on Mar 11, 2010 9:08 PM CST up reply actions
LMAO ~ I've been there... That was suppose to be tongue in CHEEK! : )
Stroh ~ Converted me after the Senior BOWL… : ) lol Although Graham had a great game… and I think he’d like the cold weather in GB more than TCU’s Hughes will… I’d be happy with either/or!!!
Go Pack!!
by Bird Dog Uni on Mar 11, 2010 8:04 PM CST up reply actions
ANYONE who played for Michigan that can't deal with the cold is a player that will never fit in with the Packers.
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Mar 11, 2010 8:19 PM CST up reply actions
@ OBrien: If you read a little closer... I Said,
“I think Graham would like the cold more than Hughes… Since Graham played at Michigan! : ) Hughes played for TCU in TEXAS!
by Bird Dog Uni on Mar 12, 2010 12:20 PM CST up reply actions
I was just tagging on a hypothetical statement.
Because let’s face it: How many Michigan fans would do a facepalm if their DEs were freezing in 50 to 60 degree weather in September and 20-30 in late November?
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Mar 12, 2010 11:23 PM CST up reply actions
Personally I’d be shocked if the Packers drafted an interior lineman like Pouncey in the first round. You can find starting centers much later than that. Greg Bedard was singing the praises of Matt Tennant, for example, who’s projected a second-round pick; Scott Wells came out of the sixth round, and he’s been serviceable. And I’d be even more shocked if he was considered the best player available at that point – and if he were, I think the Packers would look to trade down.
Looking at some of the scouting on Williams has me concerned about his suitability for a zone blocking scheme, and he remains high enough on most draft boards that I don’t think the Packers have a realistic shot at him.
Iupati I can see, but only if TedCo think he’s a surefire LT of the future. Between Spitz, College and Wells at LG/C we’re covered; Sitton’s got RG sewn up for now; and Lang, Giacomini and Barbre provide competition at LG/RT. Maybe even Tauscher for bonus points. ;-)
Of the four, I think Kyle Wilson is the most likely, but I don’t think any of the four will end up being the Packers pick.
Bulaga
I’ve been out of the draft loop for a while. Is Bulaga no longer an option? If so, is it because his stock has risen or fallen?
Thanks.
Buluga?
2010 WhiteSox Baseball: "even if it works it's still stupid"
by OznCoop on Mar 11, 2010 5:29 PM CST up reply actions 2 recs
An immediate stop gap
I’d plug “it” in immediately at LG. Nobody will be trying the swim move on this guy.
I'm glad i'm not the only one who's mind goes here when he sees "Bulaga"
dickie_thon: Third baseman Bill Hall / Watches the third strike go by / Gamel grabs his glove
Some people have him ridiculously high...
Like the Seahawks are REALLY going to do that… Carroll SHOULD draft his old USC player Charles Brown…
by OBrienSchofieldismyHero on Mar 11, 2010 8:00 PM CST up reply actions
Hughes vs The Other 2
-Brandon Graham is too stiff and won’t be able to cover
-I watched Kindle in a few games and he did not strike me as a very physical player…too finesse. How’s he gonna hold up against the run with a big RT smothering him?
-Hugher, in my opinion, is the best of the bunch. He has the upfield explosiveness of a Brandon Graham but he’s a also a very fluid athlete who will be able to cover when called upon.
"stay (green and) gold"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwoo94qwh_4
His balance, instincts, explosiveness, motor, and desire are all impressive. I can see him giving big RT’s fits when rushing the passer.
Here’s the report from Walter Football:http://walterfootball.com/scoutingreport2010jhughes.php
He’s their #1 3-4 OLB.
I do wish he weighed maybe 5-10 more pounds. But we were #1 against the run last year, and finding a guy who can consistently harass the passer has got to be our primary concern.
It’s scary to think how good he can be after a couple years of working with Kevin Greene.
"stay (green and) gold"
by Green and Bold on Mar 13, 2010 10:10 AM CST up reply actions
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