Packers Draft lookahead: Mid-round middle men
With the Cheesehead TV draft guide, Christmas came eight months early this year. It got me thinking of potential mid-round picks for Green Bay.
By dnicholson
Christmas came early this year – a good eight months early to be exact. When I opened up the new Cheesehead TV draft guide last evening, the only thing missing was a glass of eggnog.
If you’ve paid any attention to the lead-up to the draft, then you’ve undoubtedly become familiar with a whole host of players who could find a new home at Lambeau Field. If you’re like me, though, your focus might be a bit top heavy – as in, you’re focused on Green Bay’s first few picks. After sixty-some players are off the board, the picture becomes foggier.
But you’re a Packer fan and you also know that the mid rounds are where Ted Thompson’s made his bones, adding in the third through the fifth rounds over the years players like Mike Daniels, David Bakhtiari, T.J. Lang, Josh Sitton, Morgan Burnett, Corey Linsley, Jermichael Finley and Ty Montgomery.
This is where the Cheesehead TV draft guide comes in handy. With 180 pages of in-depth, Packers-tailored content, you can get the skinny on who all is out there. For the purposes of this post, we’ll delve into potential third round picks for the Packers.
The criteria here is simple: where need and value would seem to meet. With need and value in mind, were going to look inside – both on the offensive line and at linebacker. The following are some players who should have their names called on day two of the draft.
Ethan Pocic, G, LSU
First and foremost, Pocic is a pass-blocking specialist. The same could be said for recently-departed Pro Bowlers T.J. Lang and Josh Sitton. Rodgers’ uncanny ability to extend plays and unspool perfect passes isn’t a solitary trait – it comes from having time to create, and in recent years the Packers have had one of the best pass-blocking units in the league. With no clear replacement for Lang on the roster, it’s a virtual certainty that the Packers will add some bodies in April. Pocic provides depth at center, something the Packers were spoiled with but no longer have after J.C. Tretter got his worthy payday in Cleveland. I’d project him as a guard with Green Bay. Scouts like Pocic’s smarts. I like his agility – he’s effective out in space on screens and pulls. He’s not a perfect player, hence the third-round projection, and needs to get stronger. But he has the chance to be a core player and brings the versatility Green Bay covets.
Dorian Johnson, G, Pittsburgh
Johnson is a mauler with a huge frame at 6-5, 300 pounds and 35 ¼ inch arm length. He’s pretty slim for a big man, so he can bulk up, and he’s without a doubt a better athlete than Pocic. Johnson is known for having few weaknesses – he’s pretty solid all around. Even though he was an interior lineman in his full-time starting role with Pitt, his body size means he can probably slide out to right tackle in a pinch. Like Pocic, he’s good on screens and pulls and is savvy identifying blocks at the second level. As the guide points out, he struggles a bit with pad level. There’s no Mike McCarthy punchline here – but I have to believe a problem like that is completely fixable.
Duke Riley, ILB, LSU
Another Tiger who spends his time in the middle of the action, Riley would bring some of the similar tenacity and thud we see from Joe Thomas. Like Thomas, he’s also a bit undersized for the position – Riley is just 6-foot and weighs in at 232 pounds. Size hasn’t seemed to limit him at LSU and he’s got sideline-to-sideline speed (clocking in with a 4.58 40-yard dash). Will the Packers address ILB with Jake Ryan, Blake Martinez, Thomas and a roving Clay Matthews in on the action? I think they should, and Riley is a great value in round 3. If any one of the aforementioned go down because of injury, there’s an instant hole in the defense, which plays a majority of its snaps in sub packages where athletic linebackers are needed.
On Monday, I'll shift focus to the fourth round. See you then. And remember, as George Washington once said: "The Cheesehead TV draft guide is, like, my favorite thing ever."
Comments (6)
Handsback
April 07, 2017 at 01:57 pm
I like all three of those players. Lets not say 6-0 and 232 is too small....there are a lot of guys that size out there and some are doing real well.
MITM
April 07, 2017 at 05:15 pm
One thing about Riley, he is not Deion Jones. He is still probably the most athletic off the ball LB in the draft though imo, but I do think he is more suited for a 43 defense. Riley reminds me a lot of Nick Barnett at Oregon State. Would still like to add him, but I think he initially is going to have big trouble getting off NFL blockers. Also I dont see him getting past round 3, and TT isnt thinking ILB there.
Dzehren
April 07, 2017 at 08:55 pm
Richard Sherman trade seems like it might happen... GB in mix- would make draft easier- Sherman has 11M salary vs shield voiles 10M cut
http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/04/07/richard-sherman-situatio...
Dzehren
April 07, 2017 at 08:56 pm
Shields voided 10M cap salary
Turophile
April 08, 2017 at 04:44 am
Pocic and Johnson make sense as picks (though I prefer center Elflein and guard Asiata). They could all be gone by #93, but with luck at least one of the four will be there.
At ILB, I'd stand pat with Ryan and Martinez this year and let them develop fully, so no Duke Riley.
For me, round three is where you start looking at running backs, and you have two options. If you want to make sure of the guy you like, then round this is the spot for, say, Mack, Perine, McNichols or Foreman (I think Perine is a nice fit).
If, on the other hand, you like a gamble, you can wait until round four, hoping one of these guys falls to you. If they are all gone by pick #134, then you really need to get one of the last few RBs of some quality, Hunt, Hill, Gallman. The Packers are too thin at RB, to bypass it for long.
If the Packers still don't have a RB after round four (preferring the talent elsewhere), Jamaal or Joe Williams are the 'everything-went-wrong' final fallback in the 5th, far from ideal, but the Packers must get someone.
stockholder
April 08, 2017 at 07:19 am
T well said! I would add TJ logan to that mix. Faster, change of pace back, who can do returns. He would go higher if he was taller.