One To Watch: Greg Little
The Packers would do well to look at the wide receiver out of North Carolina as a possible replacement for James Jones.
By PackerAaron
I am by no means a draftnik. You could probably tell that from my meager input into the Cheesehead TV Draft Guide. That's why I generally get out of the way at draft time and let our resident draft gurus, Brian Carriveau and Andrew Garda, do their jobs.
But what I DO know a little bit about is the Packers and what they look for at certain positions. And I am here to tell you that physically, Greg Little is everything the Packers look for at wide receiver. He's big, strong and works over the middle. He's fantastic after the catch, partly due to his history as a running back, though he's not a speedster by any means. In other words - a Packers receiver.
Little missed all of the 2010 college football season for "maintaining an inappropriate relationship with an agent" (and then lying to the NCAA about it). This has caused him to fly under the radar a bit, or at least as much as someone as talented as Little can in the age of the 24/7, 365 Draftnik Industrial Complex.
He's projected to be taken anywhere from the top of the 3rd to the bottom of the 4th. Given the fact that James Jones will be hitting the free agent market, where he will most likely receive starters money which the Packers would be unwilling to match, it makes sense for General Manager Ted Thompson to use a late 3rd round pick to replace Jones, whom he spent a 3rd on back in 2007.
The best part of Little's game is his physicality after the catch. He's unafraid of contact and works over the middle without hesitation. You can see some of this in the video below:
While no YouTube video can substitute for actual coaches tape, you can see the physicality I'm talking about.
Throw in the fact that he has some experience returning kicks and I think the Packers will take a hard look at him if he is indeed there when they're on the clock at the end of the third. Obviously, Thompson and company will have done their homework as to his personality and make the determination how much his violation of NCAA rules should be held against him. Clearly, Thompson has not avoided drafting guys who missed the previous season (Harrell, Starks - though those were obviously injury related rather than disciplinary.)
And yes - none of the above means anything other than the lockout continues to drag on. I think I've done more homework on Greg Little than I have on any other college prospect in the history of Cheeshead TV. Just my incredibly uninformed ramblings...
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Comments (11)
April 13, 2011 at 02:55 pm
Looks like a great athlete. Size/speed combo look impressive. Only one year as a WR in college though. Possibly a bit of a character or maturity issue. Might need the right coaching and environment to succeed. Reminds me of Finley. Has all the physical tools but the lack of polish and maturity causes him to be more of a project then some teams can handle and he slips further in the draft then his talent should allow. A few years later....GM's round the league wake up one Sunday and wonder why they passed on that beast of a weapon.
April 13, 2011 at 03:26 pm
That's why TT gets the big bucks, to separate the Finley's from the Robert Ferguson's of the world. It's so much easier to do after the fact isn't it?
Not dissing Ferguson by the way, he eventually matured into a semi-decent receiver and had his moments on special teams too. I eventually grew to like the guy, but he was no Greg Jennings, or James Jones for that matter.
April 13, 2011 at 06:21 pm
Looks like a player... against FSU, gonna have to see what else is out there on him. If I had my druthers I'd like to see us go with more of a "take the top off" kinda guy, doubt it will happen, but a guy can dream.
GBP 4 LIFE
April 13, 2011 at 07:19 pm
Randall Cobb is another fit, in my opinion. He's a Donald Driver clone, except an inch shorter and a tick faster. And he's a fantastic kick/punt returner. Maybe he falls to the bottom of round 2...
April 13, 2011 at 08:03 pm
Messing with an agent then lying about it? He will be a Viqueen.
April 13, 2011 at 08:17 pm
Isn't he referred to as "Greg the Little punk" ........
Per Matt Waldman of the NY Times ......
" But Little’s intensity all too frequently crossed the line with outbursts that are both a distraction and a source of penalties. I have watched him remove his helmet on the field, shout at teammates over mistakes, punt the football into the stands after scoring, and taunt a defender he put on the ground with a great block. In the last example, Little didn’t know that he had hurt the defender severely. He stood over him running his mouth. "
I'll pass & so will TT .......
April 14, 2011 at 11:23 am
While there is a problem in there, I see an ultra-competitive player who is only 21 years old.
I don't see a cocky player, that is going to go on a bling shopping spree and get in debt with a jewerly store, or a kid who's gonna shoot another human being.
You can't make a football team of choir boys. Even Greg Jennings, who kneels down and praises the lord after every touchdown, has complained publicly about lack of targets.
April 14, 2011 at 02:52 pm
Way too many flags ...... Combine his antics listed above with his suspension & lying to the NCAA about his 'agent contact' ...... What else would a team need to know? ...... Teams have to play the odds & odds are that Little has more BS to offer his next team .....
"Choir Boys" (for the most part) can be trusted.
April 14, 2011 at 04:42 pm
good research woodyg -- and i agree with your conclusion: no way this kid winds up in green bay.
my big hope for WR is leonard hankerson, and fuck it, i hope we take him at 32. people will say that's a reach, i say whatever. this kid can ball.
April 14, 2011 at 06:12 pm
He can drop the ball also. Consistantly. Hankerson, that is.
Regarding Little. The first issues, yelling with poor execution, yelling at opponents after he blocks and injuries them, that to me is an over-competitive kid. It can be corrected.
Now, lying and suspensions? Yeah, it's too much.
Some problems you can deal with, specially if it's more of imaturity than anything else. But too much, too much doesn't get corrected.
April 14, 2011 at 07:42 am
I don't think we need a Little receiver. The NFL is a big mans game.