TimesFour

Archive for April, 2012

The 2012 Green Bay NFL Draft

by on Apr.16, 2012, under Commentary, NFL Draft, Opinion

by Ghost of Lambeau

Introduction:
I have been doing this since 2005. I enjoy putting this together. It allows me to do the things I like to do – think and analyze. Just so everyone understands, I am not a professional scout. In fact, I am limited to the same media most of you have access to. I don’t get to talk with any player. And, the goal is to find players that would benefit the Packers. Not any other team. Last year, 4 players from my list made the Packer roster. That is about par for the course.

This year GB will have some draft needs due to; the possible career ending injury to S Nick Collins, replacing free agents who signed with other teams like Scott Wells and QB Matt Flynn, and will need to address injury situations such as S Nick Collins. OT Derek Sherrod and RB Alex Green are also coming back from serious injuries. OT Chad Clifton and WR Donald Driver are still in GB. And RB Ryan Grant is still unsigned. Then there are those defensive improvements the Packers need to make. This all makes for an interesting draft. I think that the Pack will focus on ROLB first, followed by the DL and safety. That is my prediction and I’m sticking to it – until I get surprised in round one that is.

Offense:

At this point it looks like Finley, Clifton, & Driver will all be back. Flynn & Wells are gone. and Alex Green & Sherrod due to injury, the needs on the offensive side of the ball could be small. The bet is that Green and Sherrod come back healthy. At least on the surface a backup QB, OC, and maybe a RB should do it. But we usually find out that there are deeper things going on in the Packer pre‐draft meetings.

QB:
Flynn won’t be a Packer next year. Assuming Graham Harrell takes over as the number two guy, GB will need one. They have
signed Nick Hill as a QB replacement candidate who was on my 2008 draft list. The appropriate candidate will have to be willing to wait & develop. Luck and Robert Griffin won’t be available for GB. Ryan Tannehill was a WR before playing QB and he has started only 19 games. He will be a project no matter where he is taken. There is a good chance he won’t be there in the first and GB won’t be looking at QB in the first even if he was there. So who’s left?

1) Kirk Cousins, MI St, 6‐3, 202 – Key stats – 151.3 eff. Rating, 65.1% comp, 24 TD’s, 7 Int. He is a 2nd or 3rd round pick. He is mobile, smart, accurate, and careful with the ball. That is this year’s mantra for available QBs. He is a 3 year team captain and the is the QB with the most wins in Michigan State history.

2) Russell Wilson, WI, 5‐11, 21 – Key stats – 201.6 eff. Rating, 72.5% comp, 31 TD’s, 3 Int. He is a 2nd or 3rd round pick. Had only one offseason to learn the Badger offense and lead it. He was also voted a team captain. He is a student of the game. He is very mobile, smart, accurate, and careful with the ball. Like Moore, he lacks ideal height. But he does everything well.

Russell Wilson tries to make it in the NFL

3) Kellen Moore, Boise State, 6‐0, 191 – Key stats – 176.7 eff. Rating, 74.1% comp, 41 TD’s, 7 Int. He is a 5th or 6th round pick. He is also the all time QB win leader with a 50‐3 record. He is very mobile, smart, accurate, and careful with the ball. He knows his offense and football in general – considered a coach on the field. He is a very high character guy. Height is his only major problem.

4) Case Keenum, Houston, 6‐2, 210 – Key stats – 177.8 eff. Rating, 71.7% comp, 45 TD’s, 5 Int. He is a 7th round pick. He is the QB with the most wins in Houston history. And he is the most productive passer in NCAA history. He is very mobile, smart, accurate, and careful with the ball.

5) Jarrett Lee, LSU, 6‐4, 210 – Key stats – 152.0 eff. Rating, 62.3% comp, 14 TD’s, 3 Int. He is an UDFA. He started some games early for LSU. I thought he looked good. I would take a chance on him – especially since he won’t have to play right away. He has enough tools to work with and develop.

6) Alex Thiry, St. Scholastica, 6‐4, 190 – Key State – 218.14 eff. Rating, 70.48% comp, 37 TD’s, 3 Int. He is an UDFA. When he talks in a press conference, he sounds like Rodgers. Carful with the ball, needs more arm strength, but that can be fixed. He studies film. He reads defenses at the LOS. Very high character guy. The play book will be a bit thicker in the pros, but I think he can pick it up.

7) Alex Tanney, Monmouth IL, 6‐3, 216 – Key State – 182.0 eff. Rating, 71.50% comp, 38 TD’s, 8 Int. He is an UDFA. He is a very high character guy. And it doesn’t hurt he is a very good QB. He should get a chance somewhere. All he did at Monmouth was win games.

(continue reading…)

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