2024 Packers Top 30 Prospect Visits

[Pokerbrat2000]

Maryland sure does seem to produce a lot of draft prospects for a team that so routinely plays like garbage on the field. They must have terrible coaches out there.

They have had a rough ride since joining the Big10 in 2014, but possibly they are a program on the rise? 3 straight bowl appearances helps recruiting and really is the way that Barry Alverez and Company got on the College Football map. Of course back in the 90's there weren't 43 Bowl games, more like half that.

They have never posted a better than .500 record in Big10 games, their record within the conference is 27-57. But their 8-10 conference mark over the last 2 seasons I think tells us where they might be heading...mediocrity within an expanding Big10?

My gut feeling, with NIL and the Transfer Portal in full swing, the mid to lessor teams might fall even further back in talent. Those 2 things have really impacted college sports and in a negative way (IMO).

 

[tynimiller]

@tynimiller or anyone else?

I've always been puzzled by all the hype around the combine and pro days. I mean I get it, GM's and Scouts are looking at individuals doing things, not seen in games. They are getting an idea of speed, agility, strength, etc. but while all of that is part of the equation, it doesn't replace what players do on the field, in full pads, during a real game, against real opponents.

I am seeing guys that were barely on anyone's radar, after ALL the football games were played for the 2023 season, jumping way up on mock boards. Why? Because they ran a super fast 40 or had an impressive shuttle time? Now I do understand using RAS and the way the Packers use it, but to see guys all of a sudden being talked about because they ran a 4.3 (hand timed) at their Pro Day, seems crazy.

I guess what I am asking, is it prudent for a GM to overweigh all this post season hyperbole, while possibly ignoring the players abilities on the field? I can't imagine a good GM getting swayed by it, but sure seems to change the way the media and fans talk about players.

Truth is sometimes a player’s IQ can make plays and there are times where their physical traits are the only reason they make plays.

Fact is at the next level even the smartest player with physical shortcomings will continually be defeated in reps due to their physical shortcomings. That’s why testing can be a massive piece of the puzzle for fleshing out a prospects true projection to the next level.

I don’t think any players ever surprise me at this point that folks claim were no where to be seen until post combine testing…now years back when I wasn’t as crazy with my prospect reviewing I would be shocked at a few names at this point in the discussions but that’s not the case anymore…and I know a fraction of the depth actual teams do.

Now there are for sure some guys that change their projections for sure - but I don’t think any prospects are popping up on teams radars now.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Now there are for sure some guys that change their projections for sure - but I don’t think any prospects are popping up on teams radars now.

Thanks for the insight. Kind of like I inferred, seems like those "off the radar" prospects are showing up more and more in the in the modern day of clickbait material and thus for casual fans like myself, they seem to "come out of nowhere".

 

[Thirteen Below]

I don’t think any players ever surprise me at this point that folks claim were no where to be seen until post combine testing…now years back when I wasn’t as crazy with my prospect reviewing I would be shocked at a few names at this point in the discussions but that’s not the case anymore…and I know a fraction of the depth actual teams do.

Now there are for sure some guys that change their projections for sure - but I don’t think any prospects are popping up on teams radars now.

So you're thinking a stellar combine/pro day is more likely to confirm what the teams already know, than to change what mighthave been a poor opinion?

What about a disappointing combine? Did Kinchens hurt himself in the eyes of some teams?

I remember Kelvin Benjamin about 10 years back, claiming he deliberately ran a mediocre 40 in order to slip down in the draft to a team with a good record. He did end up getting picked 28th, but I still find that story hard to believe. Seems pretty risky. If he'd slipped just a few more spots, he'd have been picked in the early 2nd by the 2-14 Texans or the 4-12 Browns, and signed a 2nd round contract instead of a 1st.

 

[PikeBadger]

Maryland Terrapins Coaching Staff 2023 | College Football Network

Mike Locksley put together a talented coaching staff for the Maryland Terrapins, and we look at who will run each unit.

collegefootballnetwork.com

Looks pretty impressive to me.

Why don't they ever win anything?

 

[DoURant]

2 more top 30 visits

 

[DoURant]

@tynimiller feel free to copy/paste this data into the OP if you want to.

2023: Packers drafted four of their top 30 visit players:

-S. Clifford (5th)
-D. Wicks (5th)
-K. Brooks (6th)
-L. Nicholls (7th)

2022: Packers drafted five of their top 30 visit players:

-D. Wyatt (1st)
-C. Watson (2nd)
-R. Doubs (4th)
-R. Walker (7th)
-S. Toure (7th)

2021: Packers drafted zero top 30 visit players

2020: Packers drafted two top 30 visit players

-J. Love (1st)
-J. Deguara (5th)

2019: Packers drafted two top 30 visit players

-J. Sternberger (3rd)
-K. Hollman (6th)

2018: Packers drafted four top 30 visit players

-O. Burks (3rd)
-J. Moore (4th)
-M. Valdez-Scantling (5th)
-K. Donnerson (7th)

High: 5
Low: 0
Average: 3
Day 1: 2
Day 2: 3
Day 3: 12

Conclusion: It's possible that the list of top 30 guys tells us nothing (2021), but the odds are that the Packers will draft 2-5 of the guys on their list. The spread is really proportional too. Gutekunst has made 61 picks as the Packers' GM-- 8 have been round 1 (12.5%), 13 have been in round 2 (21.3%), and the other 40 have been on day 3 (65.6%). Tracking fairly closely with that, 11.7% of the top 30 selections have been round 1, 17.6% have been day 2, and 70.6% have been day 3.

Tariq Carpenter in 2022 was another drafted player in the 7th. Crazy they drafted 6 guys that year from top 30

 

[DoURant]

I couple more visits lined up.

 

[tynimiller]

I couple more visits lined up.

I've shared about Omar before but folks he truly did and does pop whenever you watch the Nebraska film...an otherwise rough team to watch Omar has put excellent tape together.

Reason to add him? Diversity. He played high level outside corner in 2021 (nearly 90% of his snaps aligned there) and produced one of the highest PFF grades that year for outside corners with over 400 snaps. 2022 taken by injury and then in 2023 he shifted to more of a slot/box safety role for Nebraska (65% in slot and 22% in the box alignment). Again performing at a high level. His long speed is decent not special (mid 4.5 guy) but his footwork and quickness/acceleration can hang in coverage in tight spaces or wide if needed. In truth if drafted I instantly believe he is a more capable slot than Nixon if I'm honest...however folks know I may be a bit harsher than some on Nixon and his slot skills (or lack of).

 

[DoURant]

@tynimiller I've seen a couple reports of meeting virtually with prospects. Are these counted toward Top 30 visits? It doesn't State it is, but wondering how those fit in.

Edited, saw it said visually, not virtually

The 2 prospects I found were

Lideatrick "Tulu" Griffin WR Mississippi St
Tarheed Still CB Maryland

 

[tynimiller]

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[tynimiller]

@tynimiller I've seen a couple reports of meeting virtually with prospects. Are these counted toward Top 30 visits? It doesn't State it is, but wondering how those fit in.

Edited, saw it said visually, not virtually

The 2 prospects I found were

Lideatrick "Tulu" Griffin WR Mississippi St
Tarheed Still CB Maryland

Virtually don't count towards what this thread is tracking.

 

[DoURant]

Another OL Top 30 visit

 

[tynimiller]

Another OL Top 30 visit

I just got a text from my contact when an alert for a post here happened as well. Confirmed it. He and Cooper are the only Top 50 Prospects so far to visit in our limited 30 available.

 

[DoURant]

Chris Edmonds DB/S from Arizona St 6'2" 215LBS

 

[AmishMafia]

I just got a text from my contact when an alert for a post here happened as well. Confirmed it. He and Cooper are the only Top 50 Prospects so far to visit in our limited 30 available.

Guyton not top 50?

What I am getting:
OT a possibility high in the draft
Safeties may be bigger than I expected
Focus on OT, LB, S, DT

Maybe Packers aren't as confident in Walker at LT. Or maybe it's just such a great year for OTs we are thinking an elite OT would be a great for Love.

 

[tynimiller]

Guyton not top 50?

What I am getting:
OT a possibility high in the draft
Safeties may be bigger than I expected
Focus on OT, LB, S, DT

Maybe Packers aren't as confident in Walker at LT. Or maybe it's just such a great year for OTs we are thinking an elite OT would be a great for Love.

I have not received actual confirmation Tyler Guyton has received an in person 30 visit?? Let me reach back out and look.

 

[tynimiller]

That was fast, it seems we hosted Guyton...crazy thing is I show a few sites which track that don't list him. I messaged two I know to let them research. I'm going to add him to this thread's OP with an * incase some confirm it wasn't the case.

 

[PikeBadger]

I've shared about Omar before but folks he truly did and does pop whenever you watch the Nebraska film...an otherwise rough team to watch Omar has put excellent tape together.

Reason to add him? Diversity. He played high level outside corner in 2021 (nearly 90% of his snaps aligned there) and produced one of the highest PFF grades that year for outside corners with over 400 snaps. 2022 taken by injury and then in 2023 he shifted to more of a slot/box safety role for Nebraska (65% in slot and 22% in the box alignment). Again performing at a high level. His long speed is decent not special (mid 4.5 guy) but his footwork and quickness/acceleration can hang in coverage in tight spaces or wide if needed. In truth if drafted I instantly believe he is a more capable slot than Nixon if I'm honest...however folks know I may be a bit harsher than some on Nixon and his slot skills (or lack of).

Not to mention that all these college kids in a very average draft class are instantly better than our returning starters.

 

[PikeBadger]

Another OL Top 30 visit

I'm thinking Guyton visiting may be at least partially a smoke screen. Just a hunch.

 

[tynimiller]

I'm thinking Guyton visiting may be at least partially a smoke screen. Just a hunch.

I personally don't think that is how Gute operates. Wasting a limited in person detailed time with a prospect would be a waste if just a screen.


@Dantés I will say one thing....Mims and Guyton both don't fit the physical build structure we rarely look to draft in offensive lineman. Both though despite over 6'6' and over that 320lb threshold are premium athletes that move better than even smaller prospects. For one I think special athletes might cause Gute to buck the trend...I'd throw Patrick Paul in with these two as well as he is the later version of these two from a consensus perspective.

 

[Dantés]

I personally don't think that is how Gute operates. Wasting a limited in person detailed time with a prospect would be a waste if just a screen.


@Dantés I will say one thing....Mims and Guyton both don't fit the physical build structure we rarely look to draft in offensive lineman. Both though despite over 6'6' and over that 320lb threshold are premium athletes that move better than even smaller prospects. For one I think special athletes might cause Gute to buck the trend...I'd throw Patrick Paul in with these two as well as he is the later version of these two from a consensus perspective.

Mims is way above the other two for me.

He’s ahead of them in terms of development despite being much younger and having much less experience.

Guyton and Paul are both developmental AND old. I hate that combination.

 

[tynimiller]

Mims is way above the other two for me.

He’s ahead of them in terms of development despite being much younger and having much less experience.

Guyton and Paul are both developmental AND old. I hate that combination.

I jive with your order but disagree somewhat on how bad Guyton and Paul are.

Older for sure but they’re not like old guys that just now showed a good year.

I more or less found the concept of Gute using limited visits on Mims and Guyton whom don’t fit anywhere close to our norms. Outside of insanely high RAS

 

[Dantés]

I jive with your order but disagree somewhat on how bad Guyton and Paul are.

Older for sure but they’re not like old guys that just now showed a good year.

I more or less found the concept of Gute using limited visits on Mims and Guyton whom don’t fit anywhere close to our norms. Outside of insanely high RAS

Paul is not good. That’s my opinion. He’s talented, but he can’t start as a rookie unless you want serious problems. At 24 years old, that’s not acceptable to me unless he’s a late rounder.

Guyton is better and a little younger, but he’s not at all consistent. It’s super high variance with him. He looks awesome and then he looks awful. That kind of play doesn’t work on the OL. You’ll wreck a gameplan playing like that.

I’m all the way out on both. That’s just me.

Now if he somehow drops, as Bruce Feldman projected in his latest mock, give me Latham way above any of them. That would be sick.

 

[AmishMafia]

Mims is way above the other two for me.

He’s ahead of them in terms of development despite being much younger and having much less experience.

Guyton and Paul are both developmental AND old. I hate that combination.

What if Fautanu and Fuaga are there as well?

Mims may eat himself out of the NFL - or was that Latham who gains/loses 30 lbs at breakfast. I meant 'the offseason'.