2020 NFL Draft: Packers Pre-draft Prospect visits/Meetings

[PackFan2]

I wanted to make a thread to compile (via Walterfootball & nfltrade rumors) so I can see who the Packers have met with. Usually, these players are mid to late round or UDFAs. Post if I missed a prospect and ill update this list.

• McTelvin Agim, DE/3-4OLB, Arkansas (EW)
• Jet Anderson, RB, TCU (COM)
• Essang Bassey, CB, Wake Forest (COM)
• Ross Blacklock, DT/3-4DE, TCU (COM)
• Antoine Brooks Jr., S, Maryland (COM)
• Quintez Cephus, WR, Wisconsin (COM)
• Nevelle Clarke, CB, Central Florida (COM)
• Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State (COM)
• Darrion Daniels, DT/NT, Nebraska (SR)
• Michael Danna, DE, Michigan (EW)
• Kevin Davidson, QB, Princeton (EW)
• Quartney Davis, WR, Texas A&M (COM)
• Kristian Fulton, CB, LSU (COM)
• Javelin Guidry, CB, Utah (COM)
• Lavert Hill, CB, Michigan (COM)
• Noah Igbinoghene, CB, Auburn (COM)
• Anfernee Jennings, 3-4OLB/OLB/ILB, Alabama (SR)
• Jaylon Johnson, CB, Utah (COM)
• Brandon Jones, S, Texas (COM)
• Josh Jones^, OT, Houston (COM, VIR)
• Solomon Kindley, G, Georgia (COM)
• Terrell Lewis, DE/3-4OLB, Alabama (COM)
• Jordan Love, QB, Utah State (VIR)
• Kamal Martin, OLB, Minnesota (COM)
• Zack Moss, RB, Utah (COM)
• Dante Olson, ILB, Montana (EW)
• Dezmon Patmon, WR, Washington State (EW)
• Patrick Queen, LB, LSU (COM)
• Jalen Reagor, WR, TCU (COM)
• Reggie Robinson, CB, Tulsa (COM)
• Bravvion Roy, DT, Baylor (EW)
• Stanford Samuels, CB, Florida State (COM)
• Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Colorado (COM)
• Tommy Stevens, QB, Mississippi State (EW)
• Darrell Taylor, 3-4OLB/OLB, Tennessee (COM)
• Josh Uche, 3-4OLB/OLB, Michigan (COM)
• Ke'Shawn Vaughn, RB, Vanderbilt (COM)
• K'Von Wallace, S, Clemson (COM)
• Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota (COM)

Players that they WERE planning on bringing in for visits before Rona(Via Frozen).

1. Tua Tagovailoa - QB - Alabama
2. Javon Kinlaw - DL - South Carolina
3. Jordan Love - QB - Utah State
4. Jacob Eason - QB - Washington
5. Isaiah Wilson - OT - Georgia
6. Saahdiq Charles - OT - LSU
7. Jalen Hurts - QB - Oklahoma
8. Willie Gay Jr. - LB - Mississippi St.
9. Antonio Gibson - RB/WR - Memphis
10. Nate Stanley - QB - Iowa
11. Vernon Scott - S - TCU

Confirmed Virtual Meeting (via Zach Kruse of packerswire)

• Josh Jones^, OT, Houston (COM, VIR)
• Jordan Love, QB, Utah State (VIR)
• Saahdiq Charles - OT - LSU (VIR)
• Leki Fotu - DT (VIR)
• Denzel Mims - WR (VIR)
• Marshe Terry, S, Northern Illinois (VIR)
• Kameron Cline, DT, South Dakota (VIR)
  
• Cordel Igwuagwu, OG, TCU (VIR)
• Jonathan Garvin, DL Miami (VIR)

 

[AmishMafia]

Looks like they may consider moving up for a WR (or Ruggs is going later than I think) and that DL upgrades are important.

 

[HardRightEdge]

packerswire noted Combine interviews with Murray, Queen, Raekwon Davis and Terrell Lewis.

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/

 

[RicFlairoftheNFL]

I wanted to make a thread to compile (via multiple sources) so I can see who the Packers have met with. Usually, these players are mid to late round or UDFAs. Post if I missed a prospect and ill update this list.

• McTelvin Agim, DE/3-4OLB, Arkansas (EW)
• Michael Danna, DE, Michigan (EW)
• Kevin Davidson, QB, Princeton (EW)
• Dante Olson, ILB, Montana (EW)
• Dezmon Patmon, WR, Washington State (EW)
• Bravvion Roy, DT, Baylor (EW)
• Laviska Shenault Jr., WR, Colorado (COM)
• Tommy Stevens, QB, Mississippi State (EW)
• Darrion Daniels, DT Nebraska (SeniorB)
• Chris Williamson, CB Minnesota (EW)
• Anfernee Jennings, LB Alabama (SeniorB)
• Henry Ruggs III, WR Alabama (COM)
• Jalen Reagor, WR TCU (COM)

The name that scares me the most here out of all of them? Tommy Stevens from Mississippi State. If I remember right he was basically in a platoon situation with a Freshman all year last year.

 

[Dantés]

Every team makes an effort to meet with every prospect at some point and in some capacity. None of this means anything.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Every team makes an effort to meet with every prospect at some point and in some capacity. None of this means anything.

While there may be more interviews that reported, I don't know how that could be with some 300 guys at the Combine, more than there are draft picks and maybe some other guys of interest who come out of Pro Days.

Of course one never knows how serious the interest happens to be once all is said and done and the board is set. Or perhaps the interest is serious in positioning on the board, but the guy gets plucked ahead of a targeted pick.

In the end it does mean something with one or two of those guys usually ending up on the roster. You just don't know which ones. Last year Sternberger was one of the reported interviews.

 

[HardRightEdge]

The name that scares me the most here out of all of them? Tommy Stevens from Mississippi State. If I remember right he was basically in a platoon situation with a Freshman all year last year.

How scared could you be if the Packers were to spend a low round pick and put him on the practice squad?

 

[RicFlairoftheNFL]

He couldn't beat out a Freshman at one of the worst football schools in the SEC and possibly the country? And this doesn't bother you having him on the Packers?

 

[GleefulGary]

He couldn't beat out a Freshman at one of the worst football schools in the SEC and possibly the country? And this doesn't bother you having him on the Packers?

The amount of cares I have for a PS level QB is roughly zero.

Heck, Tim Boyle didn't exactly have a stellar college career. I saw an interview in The Athletic where some front office member of a different team thought Boyle was the best backup in our division.

 

[AmishMafia]

Every team makes an effort to meet with every prospect at some point and in some capacity. None of this means anything.

Each team is allowed 45 interviews (it used to be 60). This means a formal 15 min in a secluded room. These are the ones listed. Most prospects coaches are interested in, coaches and GMs will chat with them while they are waiting for weigh in or walking to lunch or . . .

 

[HardRightEdge]

He couldn't beat out a Freshman at one of the worst football schools in the SEC and possibly the country? And this doesn't bother you having him on the Packers?

Not really. Not if it was a 6th. or 7th. round pick or signed as an undrafted free agent. If the Packers see something in him and put him on the practice squad how much does that matter? Quick...name the 10 guys who finished last season on the PS. How about 5? Maybe 3?

You're talking like they'd spend a Day 2 pick on the guy. Now, that might be a disturbing development, but I wouldn't get in a bunch over somthing that is not going to happen.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Each team is allowed 45 interviews (it used to be 60). This means a formal 15 min in a secluded room. These are the ones listed. Most prospects coaches are interested in, coaches and GMs will chat with them while they are waiting for weigh in or walking to lunch or . . .

It might surprise some how little face time a team may have even with their first round pick. Savage said he had no idea the Packers had interest. I can't recall if he said nobody from the Packers spoke to him, but if that was the case it wouldn't have been the first time.

With the reduction of 60 to 45 Combine interviews, they bumped the time up to 18 minutes. Whoo whoo! That's the Combine. There's probably some chit chatting at Pro Days but a lot of prospects skip that if they were happy with their Combine performance.

Other than that, teams are allowed to bring up to 30 players to their facilities for on-site interviews, and in some cases they'll work the guy out. With some money and time involved, these visits should be regarded as more than casual interest even if it is still kicking tires. We'll be hearing about some of these pretty soon.

More on-site visits are allowed for guys that played college ball in the local market area, however that's defined. How many I can't recall but its not a ton.

Thompson was notorious for not bothering with the full allotment of 30 on-sites, usually around the fewest in the league and he didn't bother with the local market area interviews either. I think it is fair to say he was more of a tape and spreadsheet guy. The guys he did bring in for on-sites were mostly of the low round / UDFA type.

Scouts spend a lot of time beating the bushes and develop relationships with college coaches. Frankly, you'll probably get more from a player's college coach who can be trusted than any number of interviews. For instance, Gutekunst made a point of telling us about the good things Gary's coach at Michigan had to say about him as a factor.

Gutekunst did more on-sites and has availed himself of the local area allotment. He and/or his crew appear to be more chatty than the prior regime.

 

[Dantés]

While there may be more interviews that reported, I don't know how that could be with some 300 guys at the Combine, more than there are draft picks and maybe some other guys of interest who come out of Pro Days.

Of course one never knows how serious the interest happens to be once all is said and done and the board is set. Or perhaps the interest is serious in positioning on the board, but the guy gets plucked ahead of a targeted pick.

In the end it does mean something with one or two of those guys usually ending up on the roster. You just don't know which ones. Last year Sternberger was one of the reported interviews.

Well hear tell, not being a scout myself, that between all star games, pro days, the combine, etc, every team will make an effort to talk to every draftable prospect that they can.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Well hear tell, not being a scout myself, that between all star games, pro days, the combine, etc, every team will make an effort to talk to every draftable prospect that they can.

"That they can" is the operative term, or more to the point, "that they may."

 

[Dantés]

"That they can" is the operative term, or more to the point, "that they may."

The point being that I don't think there's much to glean from lists of meetings and visits.

 

[HardRightEdge]

The point being that I don't think there's much to glean from lists of meetings and visits.

Clearly, between the Combine and site visits a team may have 70 actual sit down, face-to-face interviews or more intense scrutiny in Green Bay, plus whoever they might bring in from Madison or Northwestern or UW Whitewater as a local market exemption. Don't ask me why the Bears don't claim NU players as belonging to their market because I have no idea.

Even if a team uses all 70 of those opportunities and those were the only guys they were interested in which is certainly not the case, you'd be able to draft only 1/10 of them, or 1/7 this year, even if they were all on the board in the right spot which surely few would be.

So, any one interviewee or site visiter getting drafted or picked up as a UDFA is a long shot.

However, when you look at the names of the guys being interviewed at the Combine and the positions of need, there is a lot of correlation. You can't view that as some kind of randomness.

More telling, here's a list of the Packers 30 on-site visitors last year:

https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...isits-tracker-montez-sweat-drew-lock-aj-brown

Of those 30, the Packers drafted Sternberger and Holman, and signed UDFA Randy Ramsey who made the practice squad. That's a pretty high hit rate from among 300 Combine participants plus a bunch of other guys being looked at during Pro Days where a few end up popping and making a roster or PS.

Below that list is the 10 local market exemptions who visited and were probably worked out as well. Those are all low round / UDFA projections at best. It's more of a cattle call, doing it because you can, and it might not even cost a plane ticket. There may be some PR involved, giving some local boys a shot, or a dispensing of a favor in that mix.

I don't follow the weekly comings and goings of the PS players. There may be somebody on these lists other than Ramsey that got signed to the PS at one time or another during the season but no name jumps out at me. Nonetheless, that 3 out of 30 from the site visits should tell you that those visits in particular are not run of the mill tire-kicking, or "due diligence" as some like to say. That's a lot of plane tickets, hotel rooms, meals, and front office and coaching time. You would expect it to have more meaning than idle chit chat around the batting cage so to speak.

Mostly, though, these lists are a place to get some ideas in filling out the picks for the Amish Mafia draft contest. That of course has nothing to do with who you think the Packers should pick, rather who they will pick. Sternberger was, I believe, the most popular correct name in last year's contest. That site visit had something to do with that I believe.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Well hear tell, not being a scout myself, that between all star games, pro days, the combine, etc, every team will make an effort to talk to every draftable prospect that they can.

Back tracking a bit, if I still had a CRT in front of me I'd swear you play one on TV.

 

[PackFan2]

Every team makes an effort to meet with every prospect at some point and in some capacity. None of this means anything.

If you don't think this means anything, youre more than welcome to ignore this thread. TBH this list is personally for me but I thought I'd share it. Its a FACT that these prospects who are identified as informally or formally meeting with the packers are usually drafted late round or picked up as UDFA.
Heres a list of prospects that met with the packers in 2018... Many familiar names...

https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...rs-pre-draft-prospect-visits-meetings-tracker

Mostly, though, these lists are a place to get some ideas in filling out the picks for the Amish Mafia draft contest. That of course has nothing to do with who you think the Packers should pick, rather who they will pick. Sternberger was, I believe, the most popular correct name in last year's contest. That site visit had something to do with that I believe.

^This 100%. The majority of my picks for Amish's draft are from these visits.

 

[Dantés]

If you don't think this means anything, youre more than welcome to ignore this thread. TBH this list is personally for me but I thought I'd share it. Its a FACT that these prospects who are identified as informally or formally meeting with the packers are usually drafted late round or picked up as UDFA.
Heres a list of prospects that met with the packers in 2018... Many familiar names...

https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...rs-pre-draft-prospect-visits-meetings-tracker


^This 100%. The majority of my picks for Amish's draft are from these visits.

What I'm saying is that the real list of guys that Packers people meet with at some point and in some capacity is so vast that of course it includes people that the Packers select or bring in. Because it includes most of the class, generally.

But I've said my piece and I'll leave the thread alone.

 

[RicFlairoftheNFL]

The amount of cares I have for a PS level QB is roughly zero.

Heck, Tim Boyle didn't exactly have a stellar college career. I saw an interview in The Athletic where some front office member of a different team thought Boyle was the best backup in our division.

I'd believe that cause once you get below Rodgers and Stafford the whole division is weak at QB

 

[GleefulGary]

I'd believe that cause once you get below Rodgers and Stafford the whole division is weak at QB

I mean, Cousins is pretty dang solid.

Trubisky is ***.

 

[tynimiller]

I mean, Cousins is pretty dang solid.

Trubisky is ***.

Yup, Cousins is a top half of the league or close to it QB. Shoot many posters here would say Rodgers is lower 1/3 anymore these days LOL

 

[FrozenTakesInGB]

I posted this in the main section, but it might get more hits in the draft subsection. I realize that Dantes doesn’t think this matters, but it might be interesting to some...

Let me know if you see any themes!

This order is based on where I’d guess they have these players on their big board, but I have no definite insight into that. These are players that they WERE planning on bringing in for visits before that all went out the window.

1. Tua Tagovailoa - QB - Alabama
2. Javon Kinlaw - DL - South Carolina
3. Jordan Love - QB - Utah State
4. Jacob Eason - QB - Washington
5. Isaiah Wilson - OT - Georgia
6. Saahdiq Charles - OT - LSU
7. Jalen Hurts - QB - Oklahoma
8. Willie Gay Jr. - LB - Mississippi St.
9. Antonio Gibson - RB/WR - Memphis
10. Nate Stanley - QB - Iowa
11. Vernon Scott - S - TCU

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I posted this in the main section, but it might get more hits in the draft subsection. I realize that Dantes doesn’t think this matters, but it might be interesting to some...

Let me know if you see any themes!

This order is based on where I’d guess they have these players on their big board, but I have no definite insight into that. These are players that they WERE planning on bringing in for visits before that all went out the window.

1. Tua Tagovailoa - QB - Alabama
2. Javon Kinlaw - DL - South Carolina
3. Jordan Love - QB - Utah State
4. Jacob Eason - QB - Washington
5. Isaiah Wilson - OT - Georgia
6. Saahdiq Charles - OT - LSU
7. Jalen Hurts - QB - Oklahoma
8. Willie Gay Jr. - LB - Mississippi St.
9. Antonio Gibson - RB/WR - Memphis
10. Nate Stanley - QB - Iowa
11. Vernon Scott - S - TCU

If true and you have been spot on with many things and for discussion sake, I will assume you are correct. I would say that since 5/11 are QB's and relatively highly rated QB's, the Packers might be actually thinking about drafting a QB anywhere from round 1-6. I wouldn't agree with spending a high pick on a QB (rounds 1-3), but I also don't know what the Packer brass thinks of #12 is and how much longer he has left to play. Appears they are doing their due diligence on "if this guy falls to us at #30 or at #62, do we take him?".

 

[RicFlairoftheNFL]

If Eason Tua or for some weird reason Burrow are there at 30 I have to pull the trigger. Even with Tua's injury I think it's worth it to have him in film study with Rodgers in year one.