Amidst the excitement of mock draft season, in which we try to make top prospect lists, team needs, and draft order all fit together into 1 perfect pick, we often forget to ask the question, what kind of player does my team like to draft. Although the players height, weight, and 40 times aren’t a tell-all, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at what type of players the Packers like and who in the draft fits the profile.
The results are far from scientific but it’s just a spin on something that’s also far from scientific. As far as how I made my determinations, it was first of all based on patterns. The Packers love 6’3 receivers, for example, so I used 6’3 as my height, I didn’t throw in Cobb at 5’10 and average it out to a player that doesn’t exist anywhere on the Packers roster.
I also weighted a little more heavily toward starters. Rodgers and Hundley are both mid 220’s. Joe Callahan is 216. Rather than average the three, I made the starter and his backup the standard and left Joe out.
If there really wasn’t a trend but rather a range, that’s when I would rely on averages. Typically the ideal player wouldn’t reflect a specific player but a composite of a few.
As for 40 times, they are based on what players are expected to run. I’ll make a post-draft article which should be a little more accurate.
It should also be noted that height and weight will vary before the draft. A player listed at 6’2 115 on one site is 6’3 220 on another.
Quarterback
I found the ideal quarterback to be about 6’2 224 pounds and runs in the ballpark of a 4.7 40. There almost wasn’t a match but as I scoured around I found a pretty solid match.
Nate Peterman, Pittsburgh
Listed at 6’2 225, Peterman is expected to run right in that 4.7 range. He played well at the Senior Bowl but is expected to be drafted in the later rounds. Clearly that also works in my favor considering how unlikely it is the Packers take a quarterback in the front part of the draft.
Peterman has some boom potential. He mostly rode the bench at Tennessee due to poor play and later a broken hand. When he did play he largely underwhelmed. He later decided to transfer to Pitt and lit it up for two years. The questions about Tennessee and injuries no doubt drove his stock down the draft boards but if his play at Pitt is a better reflection of his abilities he’ll be a steal
Wide Receiver
Three of the Packers six receivers are 6’3 inches. Three of the six are also right in the 217 pound range. As for 40 times I did sort of an eyeball average and felt 4.46 was a good range.
Jalen Robinette, Air Force
Robinette is listed right at 6’3 215 pounds and is expected to run in the 4.50 range. Not surprisingly, Jalen is known for using his big body to essentially play like a tight end that takes the ball away in the air.
A senior, Jalen never racked up huge yardage numbers but in 2016 received first-team all Mountain-West honors and led the country with a freakish 27.4 yards per catch.
Jalen is expected to be drafted somewhere in the middle of the draft. Even though the second round is the sweet spot for TT to draft receivers, grabbing this guy in the 5th-6th round would be pretty fantastic.
Running Backs
No the “S” after back is not a typo. When looking at the Packers roster I used 4 people, Lacy, Starks, Montgomery, and Michael, and noticed a pattern. There are two types of backs the Packers like to have as a 1-2 punch. First you have the short and stout back (Lacy, Michael) that are around 5’11 225 pounds and run in the 4.6 range. Next are the tall and slim backs (Starks, Montgomery) that are around 6’2 217 pounds and run around a 4.5.
Samaje Perine, Oklahoma
Representing the short and stout group is the stoutest of them all. At 5’11 237 pounds he is actually HEAVIER than Lacy. Now I know what you’re thinking, if he’s heavier than Lacy, there is no way the Packers want him. Here’s the deal, the guy looks trim. I don’t know where he stores the extra 20 pounds but if you told me he was 215 I would have believed you.
It also makes sense to grab the short and stout guy as a compliment to Montgomery. Even if they do decide to sign Lacy to a deal, the Packers need an insurance policy and Perine would be it.
Expected to fall to at least the third round, the Packers, in need of a back, would have a good option available without expending a high pick.
Brian Hill, Wyoming
Representing the tall and slims, Brian Hill is 1 inch away from fitting the Starks/Montgomery mold to a T.
Brian Hill, listed at 6’1 219 with a 4.5 40, is a very well rounded back. He has good burst, a solid stiff arm, and a punishing thump at the end of his runs.
Possibly the best part of his game is his blocking, which will bode well for him being on the field with Rodgers.
Going as high as the second round, it seems like a stretch. Hopefully he slides a little bit.
Fullback
You didn’t think I’d leave out the fullbacks did you? Shame on you for even thinking it. Using Kuhn and Rip as the standard I came up with a back that’s around 6’1 253 pounds and is in the 4.7 range for the 40.
Nate Lese, UCLA
The pickings are slim in the fullback department but I found a pretty good back in UCLA’s Nate Lese. At 6’3 250 pounds, expected to run a 4.8ish, Lese is the kind of brick of a back that you want to see smash into a pile of guys on the 1 yard line.
Strangely, UCLA felt the need to not use him in that capacity. Like, at all. In 4 years, Nate has a grand total of -3 yards rushing. Receiving? 569 yards and 7 touchdowns. I’m not sure what kind of a weird twilight zone UCLA is living in but if the Packers are looking for a FB to be used as a receiving threat, they have a great one in Nate Lese.
Tight End
Probably the most exciting revelation to be had in this process was the matchup at tight end. Although an unlikely scenario considering where the guy is expected to be drafted, the addition of this guy would be lethal.
David Njoku, Miami
In general I skipped over players that had no chance of falling to the Packers. If you use mock drafts in February as a reference, Njoku has no chance of falling to the Packers. That said, February mocks also said Ha Ha Clinton-Dix had no chance of falling to the Packers either until everyone had all kinds of love affairs with other safeties and voila, HHCD is in Green Bay.
At 6’4 245 pounds, expected to run a 4.7, Njoku is a few pounds away from being the exact guy I was looking for.
Having just started watching film on him I can honestly say he may be the best tight end I’ve watched coming out of college. Maybe it’s just because it’s been a long time since Ebron but he’s a freak. He is a man among boys and makes every facet of the game look effortless.
Although TE is not considered a top concern since Cook was added, if Njoku were to fall to 29 it wouldn’t surprise me to see the Packers pull the trigger. It would, however, cause me to leap from my chair in excitement.
Offensive Tackle
Let’s face it, offensive tackle and offensive line are synonyms with the Packers. It makes sense too. You’ve got the big guys and you have the big athletic guys. Why limit yourself?
Taking a look at the 4 tackles on the Packers depth chart, Bakhtiari, Spriggs, Bulaga, and some guy named Murphy, the status quo Packers tackle is a 6’5 307 pound monster with 40 times around 5.11.
As a side note, I also took note of the big boys bench reps. I can’t know what the prospects will bench but when I make a post combine update article I’ll be sure to take that into account. For the record, 27 reps is the standard for tackles, Spriggs taking the top spot with 31.
Adam Bisnowaty, Pittsburgh
Another Pittsburgh guy, Bisy, as he will henceforth be known, comes in right at 6’5 307 pounds. A little on the slow side, Bisy is expected to run in the high 5.2’s.
Not a highly regarded player, scouts are all over the board. Some see him as an undrafted guy, others expect him to get picked up on the third day.
The measurable are there but something in the athleticism department has to give if he is going to be a starter in the NFL.
Offensive Guard
Since the Packers like tackles I thought I’d have fun with the center and guard positions. I grabbed one position player and one tackle that fit the profile for each position.
The typical Packers guard is 6’4 315 pounds and runs in the 5.15 range. He needs to be able to register somewhere around 32 reps on the bench. Basically we’re looking for another Lang.
Dion Dawkins, Temple
Representing the tackle group is Dion Dawkins. I cheated a little because he’s listed at a OT/G but he fits the profile so it works on a few different levels.
Dawkins, as opposed to Bisnowaty, is actually a highly regarded prospect. Expected by some to go in the second round, Dawkins also fills a need for the Packers in the absence of the great and powerful Sitton.
At 6’3 317 pounds, expected to run a 5.10, Dawkins is someone to keep an eye on.
Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky
Although a slight stretch, Lamp is about as close as I could find among the scant group of guards to choose from.
The true guard of the group, Lamp is regarded as the top guy in the guard category. His impressive showing at the senior bowl turned some heads.
Lamps is also seen as a second rounder.
Center
With basically nobody to reference and very few prospects to choose from, this should have been a very difficult and fruitless exercise. Instead I’m quite proud of the result. At center I essentially made Corey Linsley the standard at 6’3 298 pound with 36 reps on the bench.
Julie’n Davenport, Bucknell
Possibly the most intriguing aspect of this matchup is the fact that Davenport is 1 of 4 players the Packers met with during the Senior Bowl and East West Shrine Game.
Although hard to find a tackle with Linsley’s dimensions, Davenport is… sort of close. Although 6’6 Davenport is a lightweight at 310 pounds. Davenport is largely known for his strength which would put him right in line with Linsley who is known for being an insanely strong guy.
Playing for Bucknell makes a lot of people nervous but others see the upside and want a piece of the action. It’ll be interesting to see if the Packers get to him first.
Pat Elfein, Ohio State
Listed as a G/C, Elfein is much closer to a match to Linsley. At 6’3 300 pounds, Elfein is the 3rd ranked center and the 7th ranked guard according to Walter Football.
Pat is a bull of a man with a mean demeanor and an equally fierce work ethic. His issues typically come up when talking about his ability to move around. In other words he’s a solid center that could maybe play guard.
Nose Tackle
The packers depth chart lists NT, DT, and DE as separate positions. I’m sure the Packers know the distinction but I couldn’t pick it out. Best I can tell, the DT position is a nose tackle playing in the DE spot.
Either way I basically made two categories, NT and DE. The big guys like Kenny Clark listed as DE’s were added to the NT spot.
All that being said, the prototype I came up with is 6’2 308 pounds, runs a 5.0 and reps 29 times.
Caleb Brantley, Florida
The 6’2 314 pound Brantley is a little bigger and a little faster, at 4.98 than the average Packers DT, and I’m okay with that. Brantley is actually closest to the profile of last years first round draft pick Kenny Clark.
Although NFL.com compares him to Aaron Donald, Caleb is best known for being a Gilbert Brown type. Not in size, obviously, but a guy that plants his feet and refuses to be moved.
The knock on him seems to be a lack of athleticism, making him more of a straight ahead guy than a stunt and twist guy. Actually the picture in my head as I describe him is Mike Daniels so I’m quite happy with the description.
Defensive End
Another somewhat tricky position, I had to remove the tackles and pull back Datone Jones in order to get a sense for what kind of ends the Packers like. Using Jones and new addition Dean Lowry to the mix I found the Packers really like big guys in the defensive end spot.
At 6’5 290 pounds, running a 4.83, I couldn’t really find a match but there were two that were kind of close. I picked the more fun of the two.
Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova
Pass-man (Ya, never typing that man’s name again as long as I live), hits the 290 mark but is 2 inches taller at 6’7, and runs a 4.72. Bigger and faster ain’t a bad thing.
The basic premise behind the Tan-man is that he has the physical tools to be a great football player… but isn’t a very good football player. He’s very raw and plays for a school that has no real competition to measure him against.
If football doesn’t work out for him, though, word has it the guy is sort of a genius and already has an internship with a big accounting firm under his belt. So there’s that.
Outside Linebacker
With the exception of Peppers who they didn’t draft, and Datone who they drafted as a DE, the only guy on the squad that isn’t 6’3 is Kyler Fackrell at 6’5. Similarly, if you eliminate the same two guys, the only one not in the 240 range is Nick Perry. With that, I’m looking for a guy that’s 6’3 242 pounds and runs a 4.7 40.
Carroll Phillips, Illinois
Measuring out as Clay Matthews 2.0, Carroll Philips measures in at 6’3 240 pounds and runs a 4.62. If that number were to hold up at the combine, by the way, Phillips would be the fastest pass rusher on the team.
Somewhat of an unknown commodity, Phillips was stuck behind Dawuane Smoot, a potential first round pick, and spent most of his college career bouncing around from college to college.
Carroll ultimately only played 1 year but made a good enough impression to be considered a top pass rusher in the 2017 draft.
With any luck, the “wild man” will fall far enough for the Packers to snag him.
Inside Linebacker
There is quite a bit of symmetry between the three ILB’s for the Packers. Height, weight, 40 time, and bench are all right in line with one another. What do they all look like? 6’2 235 pounds, run a 4.68 and rep 225 around 21 times.
Raekwon McMillan, Ohio State
At one time, Raekwon was the name you heard when discussing top ILB prospects. Recently, he’s slipped a little with some scouts being so cold as to call the guy a safety or to suggest he may be better suited at outside linebacker.
Still, at 6’2 240 pounds, and running a 4.7 McMillan enters the draft as an inside backer. But will he leave as a Packer?
You’re welcome.
Cornerback
As much as I can understand wanting 6’3 wide receivers, I can’t for the life of me understand the Packers obsession with short corners. To be specific, 5’11 is the sweet spot for Teddy T. Randall, Rollins, and Shields are all listed at 5’11 with Hawkins listed at 5’10. Gunter and Waters are the only corners that are over 6 feet tall.
The precise measurements, if you were wondering, for the perfect Packers corner are 5’11 195 pounds and runs a 4.57.
Tre’Davious White, LSU
Considering how much talent there is at corner in the draft this year, the fact that this 5’11 191 pound corner is still considered a potential first round pick is impressive. He’s expected to run in the low 4.5’s.
The breakdown is what you would probably expect to hear. He’s a great cover guy but his size is a concern.
Safety
A position that was once the worst in the NFL is now one of the better groups for the Packers with HHCD and Burnett holdin’ it down. Still, the depth isn’t really there as we saw when Burnett went down and an investment in the safety position would not be a waste.
Unlike the corner position, the Packers seem to like bigger guys. There are 2 5’11 safeties on the team but the two starters are both 6’1 so I’m sticking with that. Both are also right at the 208 pound mark so after averaging out the 40 times I’m looking for a 6’1 208 pound safety that runs a 4.4
Jabrill Peppers
To my absolute shock, Jabrill Peppers was an exact match, and the only one of this whole experiment. Jabrill is a guy that I wrote off. I saw him as just another “weapon” that excites everyone until he gets on a team, plays terrible, and for the next 5 years you hear the coaches say something to the effect of, “we have to find ways to get him more involved.”
Peppers is listed as a safety but also plays as a KR/PR/WR/RB/coach (presumably). The more I thought about it, though, the more I started to like it. He’s a fantastic athlete and with Jabrill, at the very least, you get an instant upgrade on special teams, a solid backup safety, and possibly an additional weapon on offense.
The Packers will most likely need to spend a first round pick on Peppers which I doubt will happen but if it did it could make things very interesting.
No I didn’t do punter or kicker, nor will I ever. Besides, the fact that you even thought of replacing Mason Crosby is blasphemy!