2018 Draft Recap/Grades

[BUCKnation]

If the Packers hadn't had a good center in a decade, would you draft one #2 overall?

If there was a center rated that highly sure, but there wont be anytime soon. I'm not even the highest on Saquon, but I can easily see them picking him from their POV.

Should a RB ever be graded this high? Especially when his productive window likely is not going to overlap very much with your QB's window?

idk, but I don't think you'll find a Jags or Cowboys fan upset they took an RB at 4 in the last 2 years. I also believe that is the main reason for a rating that high. Before that, RB's were lucky to be top 10 picks, which is probably fair value.

[Balls2TheWalls]

idk, but I don't think you'll find a Jags or Cowboys fan upset they took an RB at 4 in the last 2 years.

I have a hard time saying Saquon Barkley is a more complete pro than Ezekiel Elliott. I also think that the Jags will be pretty upset that they are paying Fournette 8M dollars a year. That being said, there also weren't 3 more top 10 quality QBs there to be drafted that year.

[ReasonablySober]

Everytime someone brings up how much of a generational prospect Runningback X is, I laugh and think of this.

Watch on YouTube

[Balls2TheWalls]

Everytime someone brings up how much of a generational prospect Runningback X is, I laugh and think of this.

Watch on YouTube

Yeah, he's not even close to a generational talent.

[Ron Swanson]

Pretty much. A RB has to basically be an AP-level prospect for me to even consider drafting him with a Top-5 pick, and the irony is that Adrian Peterson wasn't even a Top-5 pick. Don't know what reality the Giants are living in when it's 2018 and they bypass two potential franchise QB's to take a RB #2 overall.

[Balls2TheWalls]

Unpopular opinion. I think Joe Mixon looked like a better running back last year than Saquon Barkley looks this year.

[M-C-G]

The reason we drafted a punter was simple. Vogel was a bad holder. It is clear that Crosby did not want Vogel holding for him. The scouts and Gute would not come out and say it, but if you watch the exit interview from McCarthy on the Packers site -- he makes it no secret that the reason we drafted a punter was holding. If you draft a Vogel who doesn't make holding mistakes, then you made a good draft pick; even in the 5th round. By all accounts Scott is a generational talent at punter. He averages a hangtime that you simply don't see in college football. He punted in big games and, in those games, was touted as a weapon on special teams.

Yeah, I can recall Crosby giving him the death stare after several missed FG. No idea if this guy will be better, but it had everything to do with holding.

Don't get me wrong. It is not *all* holding. JK Scott is a special leg talent at punter. It is the fact that being able to only do half of your job is a problem. The Packers want a punter that can do both. Vogel was a pro-bowl alternate for his leg strength, but I believe we muffed 6 snaps last year? The consistency of your setup in the field goal game is everything.

To clarify a bit, the reason we were looking for a punter beyond Vogel was all holding. He was just fine as a punter.

[Kerb Hohl]

If there was a center rated that highly sure, but there wont be anytime soon. I'm not even the highest on Saquon, but I can easily see them picking him from their POV.

Should a RB ever be graded this high? Especially when his productive window likely is not going to overlap very much with your QB's window?

idk, but I don't think you'll find a Jags or Cowboys fan upset they took an RB at 4 in the last 2 years. I also believe that is the main reason for a rating that high. Before that, RB's were lucky to be top 10 picks, which is probably fair value.

Fournette averaged 3.5 yards/carry.

The Cowboys/Zeke were not good when Dak wasn't good.

I think both of those guys are good RBs and the numbers are a bit misleading due to attention/usage, but I think Barny posted about both of them being not worth their pick at all and not all that valuable in relation to their pick, either.

[Profound23]

I just wanted Josh Jackson. I didn't care if we took him at 14, traded down, traded up from our second....etc.

I can't believe he fell to us in the second round. I also can't believe we basically traded down four spots and got a future first.

Right now I think a solid B just because we missed out on pass rushers (although, there wasn't much left by the time we picked and anyone would have been a reach at that point). If Derwin James was the one to fall to 18 it would be an A, but who knows Jaire could easily be a better player than James.

[Balls2TheWalls]

I just wanted Josh Jackson. I didn't care if we took him at 14, traded down, traded up from our second....etc.

I can't believe he fell to us in the second round. I also can't believe we basically traded down four spots and got a future first.

Right now I think a solid B just because we missed out on pass rushers (although, there wasn't much left by the time we picked and anyone would have been a reach at that point). If Derwin James was the one to fall to 18 it would be an A, but who knows Jaire could easily be a better player than James.

I felt very similarly about Jaire Alexander but after watching his 2016 film in a vacuum I feel very differently about him. He admitted that his body wasn't right this season. If he did what he did in 2016 in 2017, he would have been the first CB off the board. I realize a similar argument could be made for Harold Landry, but Landry was supposed to be 100% coming into this season, and Alexander got hurt part way through this season.

[bizarro]

Hot damn. I just went to Packers.com and watched the draft interviews. We got some damn greyhound-running Clydesdale's in the WR room. Pretty pumped to see how that turns out w/ Michael Clark also in the mix. Say good bye Trevor Davis.

[Balls2TheWalls]

Hot damn. I just went to Packers.com and watched the draft interviews. We got some damn greyhound-running Clydesdale's in the WR room. Pretty pumped to see how that turns out w/ Michael Clark also in the mix. Say good bye Trevor Davis.

Trevor Davis is not going to get cut unless you have a very real option at KR/PR. If Jaire Alexander is in our top 3CBs, I want him no where near returning.

[Balls2TheWalls]

Hot damn. I just went to Packers.com and watched the draft interviews. We got some damn greyhound-running Clydesdale's in the WR room. Pretty pumped to see how that turns out w/ Michael Clark also in the mix. Say good bye Trevor Davis.

If I had to guess, I think that we hold 7 receivers this year and cut back on holding TEs. I think that Adams/Cobb/Allison/Davis are all sure things, with Davis being a sure thing because he had incredibly good return numbers last year. I think the other 3 spots come down to Moore/Valdez-Scantling/Clark/St.Brown/Yancey.

[Profound23]

I just wanted Josh Jackson. I didn't care if we took him at 14, traded down, traded up from our second....etc.

I can't believe he fell to us in the second round. I also can't believe we basically traded down four spots and got a future first.

Right now I think a solid B just because we missed out on pass rushers (although, there wasn't much left by the time we picked and anyone would have been a reach at that point). If Derwin James was the one to fall to 18 it would be an A, but who knows Jaire could easily be a better player than James.

I felt very similarly about Jaire Alexander but after watching his 2016 film in a vacuum I feel very differently about him. He admitted that his body wasn't right this season. If he did what he did in 2016 in 2017, he would have been the first CB off the board. I realize a similar argument could be made for Harold Landry, but Landry was supposed to be 100% coming into this season, and Alexander got hurt part way through this season.

Yeah, I like his potential.

Also, admittedly I had never heard of Oren Burks until his name was mentioned on the radio last week as a potential late 2nd or 3rd day pick for us. After watching him I like the potential and hope they find a spot for him. Don't know if they think he is Jabrill Peppers like or Deion Jones, either way he was worth a 3rd round pick.

[bizarro]

I just wanted Josh Jackson. I didn't care if we took him at 14, traded down, traded up from our second....etc.

I can't believe he fell to us in the second round. I also can't believe we basically traded down four spots and got a future first.

Right now I think a solid B just because we missed out on pass rushers (although, there wasn't much left by the time we picked and anyone would have been a reach at that point). If Derwin James was the one to fall to 18 it would be an A, but who knows Jaire could easily be a better player than James.

I felt very similarly about Jaire Alexander but after watching his 2016 film in a vacuum I feel very differently about him. He admitted that his body wasn't right this season. If he did what he did in 2016 in 2017, he would have been the first CB off the board. I realize a similar argument could be made for Harold Landry, but Landry was supposed to be 100% coming into this season, and Alexander got hurt part way through this season.

Yeah, I like his potential.

Also, admittedly I had never heard of Oren Burks until his name was mentioned on the radio last week as a potential late 2nd or 3rd day pick for us. After watching him I like the potential and hope they find a spot for him. Don't know if they think he is Jabrill Peppers like or Deion Jones, either way he was worth a 3rd round pick.

He's developmental. But, he's worth that development. You don't find cerebral men of that size and athleticism that often. He has a long ways to go in the overpursuing and tackling department...but, I think that will come given his work ethic. He'll most likely be a dime guy to start - a rich man's Joe Thomas perhaps. But, there is plenty of room for growth.

[HaroldinGMinor]

Whatever gets Jake Ryan off the field on passing downs is fine by me.

[Balls2TheWalls]

I don't think Alexander is potential. He got up for big games, and in 2016 he made big plays in big games. He had 2 picks and a force fumble against the Deshaun Watson led Clemson team. I watched his 2016 film against Ward's 2017 film, and if he had another 2016 season we don't touch the kid. I also don't see Ward do anything better on the field than Jackson. If anything I think that Ward gets away with a lot of up field handplay that will get called in the pros. The only argument you could make for him over Jackson is that Jackson doesn't have 4.32 speed.

As far as Burks, he has everything you want aside from Linebacker fundamentals. If you watch his film, his instincts are A+. He is great in coverage, he is much more natural in coverage than anything else. It is clear he played safety. Once he has the body and tackling skills to match his coverage play, he could be Roquan Smith light. I think he would pop off the screen if he played at a bit name college. His D-line got blown up repeatedly by almost every major team in the SEC. It makes his film look less impressive than it should.

[phillipmike]

Pretty much. A RB has to basically be an AP-level prospect for me to even consider drafting him with a Top-5 pick, and the irony is that Adrian Peterson wasn't even a Top-5 pick. Don't know what reality the Giants are living in when it's 2018 and they bypass two potential franchise QB's to take a RB #2 overall.

Completely agree Ron. Also watch out for Tammy 1 and 2.

[humanrefutation]

Gettleman is an idiot. I would have taken Rosen.

That isn't even an indictment of Barkley. I think he'll be really good. But they need a QB to build their future on, and it's likely that they won't be picking that high anytime soon.

[Ill-yasova]

Everytime someone brings up how much of a generational prospect Runningback X is, I laugh and think of this.

Watch on YouTube

Yeah, he's not even close to a generational talent.

Looking for opinions here. I think Jonathon Taylor is the best pro prospect at RB I’ve ever seen on the Badgers. Where does he rank compared to guys like Barkley and Fournett?