Leisher's 2022 Packers Mock Draft. Norm, you thought I forgot didn't you? 4/5/22

[jleisher]

Rod Marinelli Defensive Line Senior Advisor Training Camp.

 

Packers resign:

    Dennis Kelly T 1yr $3m

    Kevin King CB 1yr $2.5m

    Whitney Mercilus Edge 2yrs $6m

 

FA's:

    DeShon Elliott S Ravens 2yrs $5m 75%

 

    Jerry Hughes Edge 1yr $3m 80%

 

Packers Draft:

 

#22.  TRADE!!!!!!  Packers send #22, #59, 2023 1st rd and 2024 2nd rd picks to Seahawks for DK Metcalf WR and pick #72.

 

#28.

    Jordan Davis DL Georgia 6'6" 340lbs.  (NEW)

Run Defending: He is the best interior run defender in the country. He simply cannot be single-blocked on run plays. Even when he is double-teamed, he still makes plays in the run game. 

Effort: In the past, the consistency in his effort has been questioned. But he appears to be in better condition in 2021. This helps him to give better effort over the course of a game. 

Football IQ: He displays good football IQ. This is evident in his ability to locate the football in the run game. He also plays with good instinctive feel for blocking schemes.

Versatility: He displays the positional versatility to play any of the interior defensive line positions. He also shows the schematic versatility to play in an even or odd front scheme.  

 

#53.  TRADE!!!!!!!  Packers send Jordan Love QB and pick #53 to Washington for Terry McLaurin WR and Taylor Heinicke QB.

 

#72.

Nik Bonitto Edge Oklahoma 6'3" 248lbs.  (NEW)

First step explosion: Bonitto offers excellent first-step quickness and is explosive out of the blocks. He is able to gain the edge quickly, forcing tackles to over-kick, and then he uses his quickness and lateral agility to counter inside. Given his lack of size, his explosiveness and quickness are his best assets to get home. 

Run Defending: As a run defender, Bonitto can set a firm edge and hold his ground at the point of attack. He is excellent at disengaging blocks and tracking the ball-carrier. He uses his quickness and lateral agility to stay uncovered and slip and evade ensuing blockers to make the play. Relentless in pursuit, Bonitto chases plays down backside and the effort is outstanding. 

Effort (Motor): Bonitto plays with an outstanding motor and displays tremendous effort every down. He is relentless in his pursuit of the quarterback and is often gifted production late in the down simply because he never stops working. He plays with his hair on fire and is aggressive in his attack. 

Football I.Q: Bonitto is a very instinctual football player who understands his assignments. He can process quickly and can read blocking schemes. He is asked to play a variety of roles for the Sooner defense, whether it's rushing the passer, dropping in zone coverage, or being a spy. 

Versatility: Thanks to his lack of size and top-end strength, Bonitto will be labeled as a tweener when you look at his projection at the next level. I believe he has the skill set to not just be an effective edge rusher but I think he has the skill and athleticism to play off-the-ball linebacker who can cover and play the run in an even front defense. 

 

#92.

George Pickens WR Georgia 6'3" 200lbs.

Route Running: He is a good route-runner. He understands how to attack leverage against man coverage. He also has the skill set to run the entire route tree.

Hands: He is a natural hands-catcher. He easily catches the ball away from his frame. He also shows good tracking ability on deep balls. 

Ball Skills: His outstanding ball skills are transferable to the NFL. He does an excellent job tracking the deep ball in the air. He also shows strong mitts to pluck the football in contested-catch situations. 

Football IQ: His football IQ wouldn’t be classified as a glaring weakness. He has moments of adjusting his route depending on coverage and down/distance. 

Versatility: He lacks true versatility. He’s ideally suited outside and off the ball. His skill set does not project well to playing inside in the slot.

Competitive Toughness: Physical toughness may not be his strongest attribute. However, he’s extremely competitive at the catch point. There are instances in the past of him high-pointing the football over smaller defenders.

Big Play Ability: He has the ability to make big plays in an offense, particularly on downfield throws. He also shows the vertical deep speed to take the top off the defense. 

 

#132.

Mike Rose LB/ST Iowa St. 6'2" 245lbs.

 

#140.

Kyren Williams RB Notre Dame 5'9" 194lbs.  (NEW)

Vision: I think he does well enough with his initial read to key the penetration or leverage of the IDL and make a judgment on how to negotiate his initial press to the line of scrimmage. But with that said, I did think there were some instances where he could have tucked his runs upfield with more urgency instead of stringing out and looking to stretch and manufacture a gap for himself. With a good line in front of him, he’ll be quite consistent, but initial penetration could really derail his consistency in reading the front. 

Durability: The Irish have been utilizing him in a timeshare in the backfield with RB Chris Tyree, who has taken approximately 25% of the rushes over the course of each of the last two seasons. That, plus the presence of a running quarterback in Ian Book in 2020, has kept Williams fairly fresh as a ball-carrier and his total carry count low. He will leave CFB well south of 500 career carries but he hasn’t missed time and plays condensed enough to avoid major hits and body blows. 

Explosiveness: You wish he had a little bit more juice in long-speed situations, as footraces 40-plus yards downfield don’t always convert into scores and his short-area explosiveness isn’t what you’d hope for from a sub-200 pound back to hang his hat on. The scouting idiom ‘quicker than fast’ applies here for Williams, but if you do get him out into the open field, he’s plenty capable to finish for a chunk gain. He doesn’t showcase a lot of pop in his lateral cuts either—it’s more suddenness than dynamic power through his body to change directions. 

Versatility: Take your pick; he can do a ton. I love the fact that Notre Dame afforded him some reps as a slot receiver and he did very well in those instances to use free releases and free access to attack space and accelerate away from leverage. Passing downs are where he’s strongest. I like him more in zone concepts than in gap/power and lead situations, given he’s not the kind of body I’d typically advocate to run up inside interior gaps with a head of steam. 

Passing Down Skills: Williams is an accomplished receiver between his time at the high school level as a wide receiver recruit and 77 receptions across the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He’s got soft hands and was asked to run plenty of routes from plenty of alignments, including Texas and flat routes out of the backfield, shallow crossers and ins as a slot or split receiver, and then as an implementation in the screen game. Williams will have little issue staying on the field on third down when you also account for his work in pass protection—he’s one of the most cerebral and effective pass protection backs in recent memory. 

 

#171.

Cade Mays OL Tennessee 6'5" 325lbs.

 

#228.

Christopher Allen Edge/LB/ST Alabama 6'4" 252lbs.  (NEW)

First Step Explosiveness: Allen lacks quick-twitch off the ball. He has a solid first step at the snap. Pair it with his snap timing, he does a good job engaging with blocks in a timely fashion. He generates enough explosiveness and power to shock blockers. 

Run Defending: A hard edge setter, Allen flashes to funnel RBs back inside to his help. Against pulling guards, he meets them with a powerful shoulder to halt their momentum and blow up the designed run path. His long arms allow him to stack/lock-out, peek, and shed blocks. He locates the ball-carrier before making his move to disengage.

Effort(Motor): Allen plays with a ridiculous amount of effort and a hot motor. He is consistently firing off counter punches paired with his leg drive to work toward the football. The fight he displays on every play is infectious. Some of his sacks in 2020 where a result of non-stop effort. Even when his first move does not land or win, he continues to attack until he reaches his desired position.

Football IQ: Quickly identifies run or pass. Allen understands weight distribution and plans his attack off of it. When rushing the passer, he is aware of when to stop his rush and play the passing lanes. He identifies pullers for kick out and seal blocks. I would like to see a better feel for peel-back blocks. 

Versatility: Allen aligned as the boundary and field defender at the end of the defensive line. His physical power and length offer opportunities as a stand-up rusher ahead of opposing guards. His effort, blocking shedding, and tackling would be impactful on special teams. 

 

#249.

Jake Ferguson TE Wisconsin 6'5" 250lbs.  (NEW)

Route Running: He’s not a dynamic route runner but he does show some acceleration through the top of his routes and I’ve seen him run a wide array of targets from his TE alignments; including stick, out, dig, corner, spot and a delayed release from the flat. I appreciate the variety of spaces he can attack against both man and zone coverage and he found a fair amount of space to work unless he was getting catch coverage from physical defenders who could bump him and attach within the first 5-yards. 

Versatility: Ferguson has no shortage of attachments, alignments or pre-snap movements at his disposal. Teams that like to change the pre-snap picture or package in indicators for defensive responsibilities will appreciate how much he’s been asked to move around. I think he’s a viable NFL receiver at the TE position and as a blocker I’d consider him to have an overall plus skill set so you’re going to have a chance to get a 3-down player if you need one. 

Competitive Toughness: This has felt like a constant area of improvement for Ferguson over the years at Wisconsin. He’s done well to continue to add strength onto his frame and it allows him to play sticky when fitting initially and offer recovery when defenders try to shuck him with extension. He’s not a mauler but he plays with an urgency. He’s a handful at the catch point and bullies defenders with the ball in the air. 

Ball Skills: Impressive catch radius and did well to adjust to throws put on his back shoulder when running up the seam. I’ve watched him convert low and go to the ground to dig out a throw on an out pattern that was on his shoe laces with a defender on his inside hip. He made a spectacular one-handed grab against Penn State on a ball he had to work way too hard for. He’s been well conditioned to adjust to throws based on his QB play. 

Blocking Skills: He flashed in mobility and skill to get attached to defenders as a blocker, but too often whiffs on securing a clean fit with his hands and is working to simply keep leverage on the defender. Skilled defensive players have had success stacking him with relative ease on films studied, too. That said, I do believe he’s gotten better at the secondary effort on these plays to stay attached, particularly on LBs. 

Football IQ: Ferguson has been called upon in a number of different alignments and detachments. I think he'll do well in a traditional Y (in-line) role but he’s proven he can handle a big menu. He’s been granted a lot of reps at Wisconsin and for a prospect playing at a position that stereotypically offers a large learning curve, I think he’s as well prepared as anyone could hope for to step into the pro game and contribute meaningful snaps. 

Big Play Ability: Ferguson has the ability to energize his team by making tough catches in traffic and holding on through body blows at the catch point. But I don’t see a vertical receiver or a consistent seam-buster who is going to be good for downfield receptions and I like him more as an intermediate and shallow receiver. 

 

#258.

Kyler McMichael CB North Carolina 6'0" 205lbs.  (NEW)

Man Coverage Ability: McMichael is an above average man-cover corner who shows excellent size and length. He is best working near the line of scrimmage where he likes to press early and be physical throughout the route, disrupting timing. He stays in phase well when working vertically and is excellent at reading the hands of the receiver to know when to break up the ball. I wish he was more fluid and had better deep speed because receivers can separate against him both vertically and horizontally.

Ball Skills: McMichael has just average ball skills overall. He lacks top interception production and only recorded one in his entire career. He is often in the right spot to make plays on the ball—especially down the field in man coverage—but too often misses or allows the receiver to make a better play on it. 

Tackling: McMichael is a reliable tackler who comes in control, wraps up, and drives to the ground. He’s a strong player who delivers a punch upon impact. There are instances where he takes a bad angle, thus getting beat and not being able to make the play, but overall he is strong in this regard. 

Versatility: McMichael is an outside-only corner who lacks top-end quickness. He can not play inside as he will be a liability with two-way gos and having just too much space for quicker receivers. He is best outside where he can use his size and length to his advantage and work against the sideline. 

Competitive Toughness: McMichael is a tough and physical player. He plays physical throughout the route and never backs down from a challenge. Additionally, even though McMichael was benched in favor of a younger player, he never quit and continued to give his all for his program. 

Football I.Q: McMichael has good overall IQ. He shows good instincts and awareness in zone coverage. He understands when to pass things off in zone and has a natural feel in space. I appreciate the way he plays and the savviness he shows. 

Run Defending: McMichael is a strong run defender who takes pride in his game. He is quick to come downhill and does a good job staying outside forcing the ball-carrier inside. He does a good job fighting off blocks and is a good overall tackler. 

 

UDFA's:

Kalon Barnes CB Baylor

Austin Deculus T LSU

Karsten Battles LS Oregon

Malcom Rodriguez Edge Oklahoma St.

Nolan Turner S Clemson

John Chenal FB Wisconsin

Chigoziem Okankwo TE Maryland

Justin Rice LB Utah

Isaiah Weston WR Northern Iowa

 

Drink up my friend, I can do another one for you tomorrow if you wish.  If it upsets you so much that I do so many mocks, just don't read them and move on.

[smetana34]

Two 1sts and two 2nds for DK. Woof

[hitnhope]

4 premium picks for a guy who wants to get paid like Davante, while not being nearly as good.

It was a bad idea last time, it's a bad idea this time, and will be a bad idea next time.   

How many times are you going to try and sell this terrible idea?