Packers 2011 Mock Draft
With 9 picks, I wanted to project some trades from Teddy Thompson, but will stick with the picks for now because finding trade partners isn't easy and I have no idea what the possible new rookie wage scale will be like, and how it will affect the trade value chart.
Round 1, #32: DE CAMERON HEYWARD, Ohio State; 6-5, 296
A phenomenal value at #32, he will make the transition from Cullen Jenkins a little less painful. Along with Mike Neal, it's an extremely talented pair of DEs with great size to anchor the line with Raji in the middle. Ryan Pickett and CJ Wilson will play ahead of Heyward early, but IronHead2 might prove to be too good to keep on the bench much. Still, he will make us all forget about that stupid fool Johnny Jolly and will give the Packers a solid 6-man DL rotation featuring: Raji, Pickett, Neal, Howard Green, CJ Wilson, and Heyward. Jarius Wynn still figures in the mix as someone is likely to be injured (Neal might be that guy)
Round 2: #64 OLB SAM ACHO,Texas; 6-2, 259
Samuel Onyedikachi Acho is a Dallas native whose middle name means "one who is like God".
Won the Wuerffel Trophy (all-around excellence in athletic, academic and community achievement) and ARA Sportsmanship Award. Ted Thompson likes his players to be good people, and not Johnny Jolly-like stupid criminals. Acho is a good dude, and while not quite Brian Orakpo, he has the skills to get to NFL QBs. Other possibilities for the Packers 2nd pick as OLBers are Jeremy Beal (Oklahoma), Brooks Reed (Arizona) and Jabaal Sheard (Pittsburgh). One of these guys will slide to #64.
Round 3: #96 OT JOSEPH BARKSDALE, LSU; 6-5, 325
I think this guy has a chance to become a very good NFL Offensive Tackle, and one day could have people wondering why the guy was taken so low when we see big busts that look like him taken in the first rounds.
I don't understand why this guy is not a consensus round 2 guy..... I suspect he will go earlier than this and we'd have to trade up to get him, which won't happen. Why he's rated this low, I don't know.
Round 4: #129 WR CECIL SHORTS III, Mount Union; 6-0, 205, 4.50-Forty
The same school that produced Pierre Garcon for the Colts:
Shorts had his third-straight 1,000 receiving season as he has a team-best 63 catches for 1,106 yards and 17 touchdowns.
He also had 22
punt returns (16.1 yd average) with two touchdowns and nine
kick returns (22.8 yd. average) and one touchdown.
Comp: #131 CB CORTEZ ALLEN, The Citadel; 6-1, 197
Solid kid, character, he has some skills as demonstrated at the NFL Combine in Indy. A classic Ted Thompson pick here (good size, physical, not a criminal) which could pay dividends down the road.
Round 5: #163 CB DEMARCUS VAN ****, Miami, 6-1, 176, 4.25-Forty
From The U like Sam Shields last year, Van **** is faster than schit, but raw. Like Shields was. The Packers went to the U well last year in Shields and this time they use the last pick in round 5 to take the speedy Van ****, who will add speed to the return game if he can catch the kicks/punts. He's over 6-feet tall, which is what Ted Thompson looks for in his CB's. He can easily add some muscle in the Packers program. Clay will help him out there.
Van ****’s combine 40 times of 4.25 and 4.28 proved he has the speed to transition to the next level, and his Miami workout provided a great stage for his plus quickness. Size may be the defensive back’s biggest issue. Standing 6-0 3/4 and 176 pounds, Van **** has a thin build that could use some filling out. - Gil Brandt, NFL.com
Round 6: #197 RB NOEL DEVINE, West Virginia; 5-8, 179, 4.32-Forty
A projected a seventh-round pick by many experts. Devine's frame (5-7, 160) & nagging foot & toe injuries the past 2 seasons have caused his draft stock to level out as a late second-day option.
A player with a similar body type & high-level collegiate production, Darren Sproles, was a fourth-round pick in 2005 (130th overall). Devine needs to add some muscle, but he's had success in high school in Florida (the best high school competition in the USA), and at the collegiate level at the highest level.
Mike McCarthy has admitted that much of the Packers special teams return unit failures are because they just didn't have the personnel. Adding Devine, Van ****, and Shorts give McCarthy 3 guys who can run.
Round 7 (from Car): #201 QB NATHAN ENDERLE, Idaho; 6-4, 240
EAST-WEST SHRINE GAME: QB Nathan Enderle, Idaho: At 6-feet-5, 235 pounds, Enderle's height and big arm immediately stand out, especially in a game in which several of the other quarterbacks have only marginal size and zip. On Saturday, however, it wasn't Enderle's arm strength that impressed, but his touch.
He outplayed the other quarterbacks in this game. - Rob Rang
Round 7: #233 OLB JABARA WILLIAMS, Steven F Austin; 6-2, 228
Yesterday (April 4th) -For a player not at the combine, the pro day workout today really helped Jabara Williams.
Williams ran 4.58 and 4.60 in the 40-yard dash, had a 36 1/2-inch vertical, a 9-foot-10 broad jump, 4.38-second short shuttle and 7.18-second three-cone drill. - Gil Brandt, NFL.com
RECAP
- DE Cam Hewyard
- OLB Sam Acho
- OT Joseph Barksdale
- WR Cecil Shorts
- CB Cortez Allen
- CB Demarcus Van ****
- RB/PR/KR Noel Devine
- QB Nathan Enderle
- OLB Jabara "the hut" Williams