Five First-Round Options For Ted

[Deleted member 6794]

I'd like another TE brought it simply for competition and piece of mind, if we get more that would be great, BUT I think OL, DL, OLB, ILB are more important and I think it's easier to find and use WR's to open up the field than it is to find a TE. Gronks, Olsens, Finley type TE's are not out there all the time to just bring in. If we find one, great.

But 50+ and approaching double digit TD's by a TD in any offense is pretty decent production. his YPC wasn't great, but again, he's not the type that is going to open up the offense and nothing else around him was working either. What was Cobb's YPC last year? he was up around 14 a couple seasons, and last year I think he was at the lowest of his career. I expect RR's averages to go up if other things are working around him.

Rodgers yards per catch was terrible, ranking 66th out of 73 players (six of the seven players ranked behind him being RBs) with at least 50 receptions. IMO he´s fine as a red zone threat but the Packers need an athletic TE stretching a defense and opening up some space for receivers as well.

There´s no doubt ILB as another position in dire need of an upgrade, DL and OLB depends on which players are re-signed until the start of free agency. I would be fine with adding some much needed depth on the OL.

 

[TJV]

IMO ILB is a greater need if McCarthy is firm about moving Matthews back to OLB full time.

 

[Mondio]

That stat did stand out. In 2010 and 2014 the TEs averaged more than 11 ypc. This year's TEs ypc was more than 2 yds lower. IMO ILB is a greater need if McCarthy is firm about moving Matthews back to OLB full time.

everybody's YPC's were down, pretty much across the entire offense except for maybe Starks? With a more "normal" offense in GB i'm guessing RR is back up between 10-11YPC. Nobody will mistake him for Gronk, or a Finley replacement, but 50+ and 7-8 TD's will be pretty good.

 

[ThePerfectBeard]

I don't put 100% stock into player comparisons, but NFL.com has him compared to Jason Witten. Now if that's the case, you're damn right we should take him in the first. However, I'd be pretty happy with Vannett later in the draft.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I don't put 100% stock into player comparisons, but NFL.com has him compared to Jason Witten. Now if that's the case, you're damn right we should take him in the first. However, I'd be pretty happy with Vannett later in the draft.

I think fans shouldn't put any stock into player comparisons. Vannett isn't an athletic tight end best suited to fit the Packers needs.

 

[ThePerfectBeard]

I think fans shouldn't put any stock into player comparisons. Vannett isn't an athletic tight end best suited to fit the Packers needs.

I'm not saying put stock into it, but if he seems to grade out similar to Witten, you're damn right we should take him in round 1. Big, athletic tight ends don't just grow on trees and we shouldn't just be looking for the next Vernon Davis/Gronk. We need a guy that will bring down balls in the middle of the field with decent separation and speed. We don't need the next coming.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I'm not saying put stock into it, but if he seems to grade out similar to Witten, you're damn right we should take him in round 1. Big, athletic tight ends don't just grow on trees and we shouldn't just be looking for the next Vernon Davis/Gronk. We need a guy that will bring down balls in the middle of the field with decent separation and speed. We don't need the next coming.

Well, I´m all in favor of either signing a free agent or drafting a prospect to add an athletic tight end to the roster. But as I´ve said repeatedly I highly doubt Henry fits the Packers needs.

 

[ThePerfectBeard]

Well, I´m all in favor of either signing a free agent or drafting a prospect to add an athletic tight end to the roster. But as I´ve said repeatedly I highly doubt Henry fits the Packers needs.

I guess we'll just agree to disagree. I think anyone that can catch the ball and take hits in the middle of the field fits ours scheme since we don't have anyone willing to do that. It was painfully obvious that we couldn't utilize the middle of the field and were always playing the edge. All we need is decent quickness, some size, and hands. They don't have to be a world class talent, but a Heath Miller type would definitely help this team.

 

[Curly Calhoun]

Over at Lombardi Ave they've posted an interesting article from Fansided. They list five possible first-round choices for Ted and Green Bay, and they are:

1) Jarran Reed, DT, Alabama
2) Hunter Henry, TE, Arkansas
3) Darron Lee, LB, Ohio Stae
4) Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
5) Kevin Dodd, DE, Clemson


Personally, I'd be fine with any of these guys. In the unlikely event that all five were available at #27, a) Which one, if any, would you pick?, and, b) Which one, if any, do you think Ted would pick?

I can't wait till April 28 gets here.

 

[thisisnate]

Good with Lee. Want to see how he performs at combine more than any of the other 5, cos I'm banking on his athleticism being pretty exceptional.

Henry I feel like is such an overvalue to project him to the 1st. I know a lot of fans would like that pick, but I would be a little disappointed.

Not interested in WR in the 1st.

Dodd I don't know that much about.

Reed I'd be fine with but not excited. Would get a "yeah, okay, that works" reaction out of me.

 

[RepStar15]

I would take Darron Lee, no doubt. He is everything the Packers lack defensively. Speed, agility and natural awareness of himself on the field. He is so young, he would be a franchise player and would have some of the NFL's best linebackers to learn from.
Ted Thompson will take whoever is highest left on his draft board. Right now, I think that could be Kevin Dodd or Jarran Reed. I think he wants to beef up the Dline to make up for the lack of production from some of his lesser-effective early round picks (Datone Jones).

 

[RepStar15]

I would not say Richard Rodgers is good enough, but I also would not say that Hunter Henry is worthy of a first round pick. I like the TE from UCLA Thomas Duarte. Seems to have speed and hands that the Packers last. Could get him for a steal in the 4th, but most likely a 3rd round pick. To me, no tight end is worth a first round pick. Gronk (2nd), Jimmy Graham (3rd), Witten (3rd), Julius Thomas (4th), Kelce (3rd), etc. Vs the list of TE drafted in the first: Jermaine Gresham, Eric Ebron, Greg Olson (with the exception of Olson, extremely underwelming).

 

[Wynnebeck]

Just going to give the weaknesses and overall look for each of these picks from CBS Sports:

1. Jarran Reed

WEAKNESSES: Good effort in pursuit but will tire quickly. Limited pass rush skills and doesn't show the functional moves to beat blockers and infiltrate the pocket. Not a three-down player in every scheme. Will stand up at times off the snap, negating his ability to two-gap. Average overall range and pursuit speed with minimal impact outside the hashes.

IN OUR VIEW: Country strong with tree trunks for thighs and long arms, Reed is a classic two-gap run-stuffer stout enough to play inside at defensive tackle or outside at end. At 6-3, 311 pounds, Reed has the girth and strength to line up virtually anywhere along the defensive line, making him a fit for 3-4 and 4-3 teams, alike.

2. Hunter Henry

WEAKNESSES: Lacks ideal bulk and muscle tone for the position and is still growing into his body. Struggles to establish body position as a blocker and ends up going where the defender wants. Too easily overmatched at the point of attack, struggling to sustain or control blocks.

Grabby and wild in pass protection and has too many snaps on his film that will be penalized in the NFL. Only nine career touchdowns, wasn't used as consistent red-zone threat.

IN OUR VIEW: Henry was an ideal fit for the Razorbacks' multiple-tight end offense with pro-style looks that asked him to line up inline, wing and in the slot. Henry has reliable hands (didn't have a drop in 2015) with fluid body adjustments to catch the ball in stride and track the ball into his mitts. He is a competitive blocker, but too easily overpowered at the point of attack, leading to him getting beat or penalized.

Although he's not a reliable inline blocker at this point in his development, Henry has the best hands and route running athleticism of any tight end in this draft class, projecting as a Day Two "F" or joker tight end prospect.

3. Darron Lee

WEAKNESSES: Leaner-than-ideal features for the position with a narrow torso and maxed out build. Physical mindset with pop in his hands, but lacks ideal play strength to consistently unglue himself from blocks. Stonewalled and engulfed by offensive linemen and needs to improve his take-on technique to stay clean and gain body position.

Overaggressive and will over-run angles. Needs to better come to balance and break down on the move. Needs to mix up his moves and show a better plan as a blitzer. Needs to eliminate the dumb, avoidable penalties (roughing, facemask, etc.).

Only two full seasons at the linebacker position and still learning different nuances of the position. Doesn't have an indestructible body type.

IN OUR VIEW: Lee is a fantastic athlete with long arms and aggressive hands, but needs to develop his functional strength to consistently stack and shed at the line of scrimmage and keep himself clean. Although he is still young in linebacker years, he is a high character competitor, playing with sky-high confidence and natural football instincts to pick things up quickly. In the mold of Ryan Shazier or Kwon Alexander, Lee is a versatile run-and-hit linebacker with an attacking mind-set that fits today's NFL.

4. Corey Coleman

WEAKNESSES: Coleman lacks ideal size and growth potential and will have some focus drops, especially over the middle. The biggest question mark surrounding Coleman and his next level fit is his transition from Baylor's offense to a more traditional pro-style scheme.

He wasn't asked to run a full route tree in college with almost all of his production coming on hitches, in-cuts and go patterns. As explosive as coach Art Briles' offense has been, it's not known for producing high level wideouts, which gives NFL teams pause.

COMPARES TO: Emmanuel Sanders, Broncos - Coleman plays bigger than he'll measure with the route athleticism to create separation before and after the catch.

IN OUR VIEW: The NFL has yet to see a wide receiver from Baylor coach Art Briles' system translate and produce similar numbers in the pro game, but Coleman could break that streak. He has an athletic skillset at all levels of the field. Coleman is one of the best deep threats in the country with above average tracking and adjustment skills to make tough catches look easy, playing above the rim.

5. Kevin Dodd

WEAKNESSES: Not a twitched up rusher who can easily change speeds in his rush, lacking cat-like quickness. Needs to better keep his balance through gaps. Doesn't consistently use his hands to convert speed to power and isn't much of a bully.

Undeveloped pass rush repertoire and needs to add more to his bag of tricks to fool blockers. Tends to think too much and play overly patient at times. Lack of hand tactics will cause his rush to stall. Only one season of starting experience and productivity. Benefited from playing opposite Shaq Lawson, rarely facing double-teams.

COMPARES TO: Kony Ealy, Carolina Panthers - Similar to when Ealy entered the league two years ago, it will take some time for Dodd to adjust to the pro game, but all the skills are there for him to develop into a reliable starter.

IN OUR VIEW: Based on traits, Dodd checks several boxes for the NFL with the size, length, athleticism and strength potential to be effective in the NFL. He also improved his ball awareness and discipline as his reps increased last season, showing encouraging growth that indicates he isn't near his football ceiling.

Going by these musings, Coleman intrigues me.

 

[NelsonsLongCatch]

Being a TCU fan and watching too much Big 12 football, Coleman has always intrigued me. I personally don't believe he'll be available at #27. Per the experts, there is a ton of defensive line depth in this draft. Might be a good draft to trade out of #27 and move back.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I would prefer Darron Lee out of the group but highly doubt he'll be available at #27.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I like the TE from UCLA Thomas Duarte. Seems to have speed and hands that the Packers last. Could get him for a steal in the 4th, but most likely a 3rd round pick.

Duarte played wide receiver for the Bruins though. At 225 pounds he won't be able to line up at TE in the NFL.

 

[RepStar15]

Duarte played wide receiver for the Bruins though. At 225 pounds he won't be able to line up at TE in the NFL.

The average size of an NFL tight end is 6'3 240, he would be on the smaller side, but is so young still adding a few pounds should not be an issue. He is about the same size as Owen Daniels. He was used as a hybrid TE at UCLA. Probably would not be used as a blocking TE (as that's where we are failing with using Richard Rodgers - too slow to be going out and catching footballs, he should be blocking) but use him as another option for #12

 

[Deleted member 6794]

The average size of an NFL tight end is 6'3 240, he would be on the smaller side, but is so young still adding a few pounds should not be an issue. He is about the same size as Owen Daniels. He was used as a hybrid TE at UCLA. Probably would not be used as a blocking TE (as that's where we are failing with using Richard Rodgers - too slow to be going out and catching footballs, he should be blocking) but use him as another option for #12

The 136 tight ends currently on an NFL roster have an average weight of 255 pounds. Duarte would have to add a significant amount of weight to play the position in the NFL.

Rodgers has the size to be a decent blocker but unfortunately he's terrible at it.

 

[Poppa San]

The 136 tight ends currently on an NFL roster have an average weight of 255 pounds. Duarte would have to add a significant amount of weight to play the position in the NFL.

Rodgers has the size to be a decent blocker but unfortunately he's terrible at it.

Hmmm.... can't block, can't run. I've got the weight and most of the height. Looks like I missed my calling.

 

[Curly Calhoun]

It will be interesting to see if the Packers sign any more of their UFA prior to the draft, which could determine which way they go on April 28th (i.e., sign BJ Raji and Jarran Reed becomes less attractive). Ted likes to draft defense on the first round, and the only times he hasn't he went for offensive lineman, so I'm guessing the two skill position guys listed here won't be wearing green and gold.

Of course, it is quite possible that all of these guys will be gone by the time the Packers take their first pick.

 

[ExpatPacker]

Darron Lee would be a great pick for Green Bay. Myles Jack and Reggie Ragland are projected to be the first 2 LBs off the board. Darron Lee and Jaylon Smith are close behind. It may come down to one of those two. Jaylon would probably have been a top-10 before his injury. I have a feeling that one of those two will be taken before the Packers are on the board, but I'd be pretty surprised to see both gone. Darron and Jaylon both have what the Packers need--good speed and athleticism, very strong pass rushing, and just overall solid.

My suspicion is that Lee will be taken first because Jaylon won't be ready to play until mid-season of next year, assuming that he recovers fully from his injury.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

Darron Lee would be a great pick for Green Bay. Myles Jack and Reggie Ragland are projected to be the first 2 LBs off the board. Darron Lee and Jaylon Smith are close behind. It may come down to one of those two. Jaylon would probably have been a top-10 before his injury. I have a feeling that one of those two will be taken before the Packers are on the board, but I'd be pretty surprised to see both gone. Darron and Jaylon both have what the Packers need--good speed and athleticism, very strong pass rushing, and just overall solid.

My suspicion is that Lee will be taken first because Jaylon won't be ready to play until mid-season of next year, assuming that he recovers fully from his injury.

I expect Jack, Ragland and Lee to be off the board well before the Packers pick. Because of his injury it´s possible Smith is still available at #27 but that isn´t a sure thing either.

 

[Vrill]

I've been saying all along that Corey Coleman will be the best WR in this draft. The dude has crazy speed. Track star type speed. Hes smooth and fluid and hes one hell of a competitor. He goes from 0 to 100 as fast as anyone I have seen. He reminds me of Tedd Ginn with better hands and a bigger catch radius.

Kevin Dodd is a guy that could catapult up the board. He is currently the #4 or #5 DE on Kiper and Mayock's big boards. He was just as productive at Clemson as Lawson was. Dodd dominated in both playoff games this past year.

I'm in love with Eric Striker from Oklahoma. I hope we draft him in the middle rounds somewhere. The guy is a true leader who makes play all over the field from various positions (ILB/OLB/Box Safety) - Don't let his size fool you. He is a Football Player.

Reggie Ragland goes against what we truly need at ILB however. He is a downhill thumper. He reminds me of Denzel Perryman from last year. Ragland isn't that sideline to sideline ILB we need. Honestly, Ragland is one player that I can see that falls into round 2.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

I've been saying all along that Corey Coleman will be the best WR in this draft. The dude has crazy speed. Track star type speed. Hes smooth and fluid and hes one hell of a competitor. He goes from 0 to 100 as fast as anyone I have seen. He reminds me of Tedd Ginn with better hands and a bigger catch radius.

At 5-10, 190, I don't see him capable of succeeding on the perimeter in the NFL. The Packers for sure don't need another slot receiver.

 

[thisisnate]

At 5-10, 190, I don't see him capable of succeeding on the perimeter in the NFL. The Packers for sure don't need another slot receiver.

But... but... he's so fassssssst. Tried to Google image "Al Davis ghost" but couldn't find anything tasteful.