WinnipegPackFan
Cheesehead
- Joined
- Sep 23, 2005
- Messages
- 1,943
- Reaction score
- 0
Posted December 25, 2006
Which holes will Thompson plug in draft?
How about finding complements to Driver or Kampman?
By Rob Demovsky
With college football's bowl season under way, NFL teams' scouts are finishing their in-season player reports.
Those reports will be modified following the all-star games, February's NFL scouting combine, individual workouts and one-on-one interviews. Nevertheless, enough is known about many of the top college prospects for teams to have educated opinions about the players they will consider selecting in April's draft.
So, it's at this point that teams like the Green Bay Packers begin assessing not only their needs but what will be available to them before the draft, a la in free agency.
Without knowing whether Ted Thompson, the Packers' normally conservative general manager, will take a more active approach to free agency in his third offseason running the team, it's safe to assume he again will rely heavily on the college draft to fill many of the glaring holes on his roster.
In Thompson's first two drafts, he has selected a quarterback and a linebacker with his first-round picks. Those are probably the only positions — other than specialists — that Thompson is unlikely to consider with his first-round pick on April 28.
The Packers appear stacked at linebacker with last year's No. 1 pick, A.J. Hawk, entrenched as a starter. The other two starters — Brady Poppinga and Nick Barnett — are under contract for next season, and there's another rookie, Abdul Hodge, who is viewed as an eventual starter.
At quarterback, much hinges on whether Brett Favre returns next season. Not enough is known about Aaron Rodgers, the Packers' No. 1 pick in 2005, to determine whether or not he'll be a viable replacement. However, Thompson and first-year coach Mike McCarthy continually have praised Rodgers' development and appear committed to giving him the first shot at replacing Favre.
The Packers are going to need a starting running back in the near future, even if they re-sign Ahman Green. Though Green has bounced back from a quadriceps tendon injury from 2005 and is on the cusp of another 1,000-yard season, he'll turn 30 on Feb. 16. However, with the new zone-blocking scheme, the Packers are of the belief they don't necessarily have to spend a high draft pick on a back.
Green Bay could use a cornerback, given its starters, Al Harris and Charles Woodson, are 32 and 30, respectively, and it doesn't have a proven No. 3 corner.
Taking all of that into consideration, the Packers' greatest need on defense is another outside pass rusher to complement Aaron Kampman, who has a career-best 15½ sacks.
Their top need on offense is another playmaker in the passing game, likely at receiver, to complement Donald Driver, who also is having a career year.
With that in mind, here's a look at the top college prospects at those two positions.
Defensive end
It appears the top choice is Clemson's Gaines Adams. The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder has 10½ sacks and 15½ tackles for loss this season. He's been compared to Jevon Kearse. The problem for the Packers is Adams is likely to be gone when they select. He could be a top-five pick, and heading into Week 16, the Packers were guaranteed to pick no higher than eighth.
There may not be another defensive end worthy of a top-10 selection, depending on which juniors come out. The other top senior prospects are Nebraska's Adam Carriker, who at 6-6, 295, is among the biggest ends in the draft. He's a complete player like Kampman, who can play the run and the pass.
Notre Dame's Victor Abiamiri (6-4, 270) is another senior worthy of first-round consideration.
Players like Michigan's LaMarr Woodley (6-3, 274), Georgia's Quentin Moses (6-5, 257), Purdue's Anthony Spencer (6-3, 261) played defensive end in college, but some scouts project them as outside linebackers in a 3-4 scheme in the NFL. The Packers play the traditional 4-3.
Hawaii's Ikaika Alama-Francis (6-5, 250) is the most raw of the possible senior first-round picks. The Hawaii native was recruited to play basketball, and didn't play a significant number of snaps until 2004.
Among the juniors who are expected to declare are USC's Lawrence Jackson (6-5, 265), who could be the second-best prospect behind Adams, Auburn's Quentin Groves (6-3, 254) and Florida's Jarvis Moss (6-6, 251).
Receivers
There's one exceptional player, Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson. At 6-5 and 235, the junior has ball skills akin to Randy Moss. He has 13 touchdowns this season and 26 in his three-year career. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds and boasts a 48-inch vertical jump. He comes from a family that values education, so it's not a given he'll declare early. But given the possibility he could be among the first three players taken, NFL teams believe he'll come out.
Because there aren't many top-flight seniors, there figures to be a bunch of junior receivers in this draft, including USC's Dwayne Jarrett (6-5, 210), who could end up being rated ahead of Johnson.
The other top juniors are Ohio State's Ted Ginn Jr. (6-0, 180), Tennessee's Robert Meachem (6-3, 210), LSU's Early Doucet (6-0, 207) and Texas' Limas Sweed (6-5, 219).
The top senior likely will be Notre Dame's Jeff Samardzija (6-5, 218), who is a big, sure-handed target. He's also a baseball prospect as a pitcher, and was drafted in the fifth round by the Chicago Cubs in June. He signed a five-year contract reportedly worth up to $7.25 million, but there is believed to be an out if he chooses football.
Thoughts ?
Which holes will Thompson plug in draft?
How about finding complements to Driver or Kampman?
By Rob Demovsky
With college football's bowl season under way, NFL teams' scouts are finishing their in-season player reports.
Those reports will be modified following the all-star games, February's NFL scouting combine, individual workouts and one-on-one interviews. Nevertheless, enough is known about many of the top college prospects for teams to have educated opinions about the players they will consider selecting in April's draft.
So, it's at this point that teams like the Green Bay Packers begin assessing not only their needs but what will be available to them before the draft, a la in free agency.
Without knowing whether Ted Thompson, the Packers' normally conservative general manager, will take a more active approach to free agency in his third offseason running the team, it's safe to assume he again will rely heavily on the college draft to fill many of the glaring holes on his roster.
In Thompson's first two drafts, he has selected a quarterback and a linebacker with his first-round picks. Those are probably the only positions — other than specialists — that Thompson is unlikely to consider with his first-round pick on April 28.
The Packers appear stacked at linebacker with last year's No. 1 pick, A.J. Hawk, entrenched as a starter. The other two starters — Brady Poppinga and Nick Barnett — are under contract for next season, and there's another rookie, Abdul Hodge, who is viewed as an eventual starter.
At quarterback, much hinges on whether Brett Favre returns next season. Not enough is known about Aaron Rodgers, the Packers' No. 1 pick in 2005, to determine whether or not he'll be a viable replacement. However, Thompson and first-year coach Mike McCarthy continually have praised Rodgers' development and appear committed to giving him the first shot at replacing Favre.
The Packers are going to need a starting running back in the near future, even if they re-sign Ahman Green. Though Green has bounced back from a quadriceps tendon injury from 2005 and is on the cusp of another 1,000-yard season, he'll turn 30 on Feb. 16. However, with the new zone-blocking scheme, the Packers are of the belief they don't necessarily have to spend a high draft pick on a back.
Green Bay could use a cornerback, given its starters, Al Harris and Charles Woodson, are 32 and 30, respectively, and it doesn't have a proven No. 3 corner.
Taking all of that into consideration, the Packers' greatest need on defense is another outside pass rusher to complement Aaron Kampman, who has a career-best 15½ sacks.
Their top need on offense is another playmaker in the passing game, likely at receiver, to complement Donald Driver, who also is having a career year.
With that in mind, here's a look at the top college prospects at those two positions.
Defensive end
It appears the top choice is Clemson's Gaines Adams. The 6-foot-5, 260-pounder has 10½ sacks and 15½ tackles for loss this season. He's been compared to Jevon Kearse. The problem for the Packers is Adams is likely to be gone when they select. He could be a top-five pick, and heading into Week 16, the Packers were guaranteed to pick no higher than eighth.
There may not be another defensive end worthy of a top-10 selection, depending on which juniors come out. The other top senior prospects are Nebraska's Adam Carriker, who at 6-6, 295, is among the biggest ends in the draft. He's a complete player like Kampman, who can play the run and the pass.
Notre Dame's Victor Abiamiri (6-4, 270) is another senior worthy of first-round consideration.
Players like Michigan's LaMarr Woodley (6-3, 274), Georgia's Quentin Moses (6-5, 257), Purdue's Anthony Spencer (6-3, 261) played defensive end in college, but some scouts project them as outside linebackers in a 3-4 scheme in the NFL. The Packers play the traditional 4-3.
Hawaii's Ikaika Alama-Francis (6-5, 250) is the most raw of the possible senior first-round picks. The Hawaii native was recruited to play basketball, and didn't play a significant number of snaps until 2004.
Among the juniors who are expected to declare are USC's Lawrence Jackson (6-5, 265), who could be the second-best prospect behind Adams, Auburn's Quentin Groves (6-3, 254) and Florida's Jarvis Moss (6-6, 251).
Receivers
There's one exceptional player, Georgia Tech's Calvin Johnson. At 6-5 and 235, the junior has ball skills akin to Randy Moss. He has 13 touchdowns this season and 26 in his three-year career. He has run the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds and boasts a 48-inch vertical jump. He comes from a family that values education, so it's not a given he'll declare early. But given the possibility he could be among the first three players taken, NFL teams believe he'll come out.
Because there aren't many top-flight seniors, there figures to be a bunch of junior receivers in this draft, including USC's Dwayne Jarrett (6-5, 210), who could end up being rated ahead of Johnson.
The other top juniors are Ohio State's Ted Ginn Jr. (6-0, 180), Tennessee's Robert Meachem (6-3, 210), LSU's Early Doucet (6-0, 207) and Texas' Limas Sweed (6-5, 219).
The top senior likely will be Notre Dame's Jeff Samardzija (6-5, 218), who is a big, sure-handed target. He's also a baseball prospect as a pitcher, and was drafted in the fifth round by the Chicago Cubs in June. He signed a five-year contract reportedly worth up to $7.25 million, but there is believed to be an out if he chooses football.
Thoughts ?