Leisher's Final, Yeap, I said final 2022 Packers Mock draft. Let's get real. 4/23

[jleisher]

I know some of you are jumping up and down that this is my last mock for the season.  Clap on my friends, clap on!  I have a special message for those forum squad members that don't like my mocking at the very end of this mock.  

 

Rod Marinelli Asst. DL advisor for one week.  See, he's even clapping this is my final mock.

 

Packers sign other free agents before the draft.

 

2022 Packers Mock Draft:

#22.  Packers trade down send pick #22 and #171 to KC for picks #29 and #94.  (781 pts to 764 +17 KC)

#28.

Trent McDuffie CB Washington 5'11" 193lbs.  (Why?  My gut is telling me that Alexander doesn't resign with the Packers.)  Scheme Fit: Skill set fits any scheme. Inside or outside.

OVERALL RATING:	90.9 / 100
GAME PERFORMANCE WEIGHTED RATING
TACKLING:		81%
RUN DEFENSE:		85%
COVERAGE:		94%
ZONE:		89%
MAN/PRESS:		91%

Man Coverage: He has very good man coverage ability, particularly in the short-to-intermediate area. He plays with outstanding quickness and short-area agility. This allows him to stay in phase in zone coverage.

Zone Coverage: He’s very effective in zone coverage. His good instincts are on full display when they play zone coverage. He shows good awareness when routes are entering and exiting his zone. 

Ball Skills: Although he hasn’t had the type of ball production to match his potential, he demonstrates good ball skills. He can track the football in the air and uses good hand-eye coordination to get his hands on the football.

Tackling: He has good tackling efficiency both on the perimeter and in the run game. He is an aggressive run defender who seemingly relishes the physical aspect of the football game. He does a good job limiting extra yardage while in coverage.

Versatility: I believe he has true versatility. He could be an asset in the kicking game as a core special teamer or as a punt returner. His lack of length and bulk may be problematic for him outside. However, he demonstrates the ability to suffice outside but thrive inside. 

Football IQ: He demonstrates good football IQ and instincts in coverage. In zone, he shows good awareness and easily passes off routes in coverage. He plays with a good understanding of where his help is in coverage.  

#29.

Treylon Burks WR Arkansas 6'2" 225lbs.  (Why?  Building for the future, no big trades for the superstar WR.)

OVERALL RATING:	88.4 / 100
GAME PERFORMANCE WEIGHTED RATING
HANDS:		81%
SHORT RECEIVING:		97%
INTERMEDIATE ROUTES:		99%
DEEP THREAT:		100%
BLOCKING:		32%

 

Scheme Fit: A system that can get the ball in his hands quickly so he can use his frame to break tackles and fight for extra yardage. 

Route Running: Burks is a spot route runner in the Arkansas offense. Doesn’t show the ability to make precise cuts. Most routes are rounded off at the top, lacking the detailed nuisances that the best route-runners possess in the NFL. Burks alings mostly from the slot where he is asked mostly to identify open spaces in opposing defenses’ zone coverage. 

Hands: This is the best trait for Burks as he would be considered a sure-handed receiver. Low drop rate at Arkansas. Has strong hands that allows him to secure difficult passes. Showed the ability to pluck the ball out of the air and made difficult catches look routine. Understands hand positioning based on the location of the pass. 

Ball Skills: Burks’ ball skills are impressive. Consistently wins 50/50 balls at the catch point. Has an aggressive mentality going up for the ball and wins most times. Thrives at body positioning and tracking the ball to make difficult catches. Shows the ability to make difficult one-handed catches.

Football IQ: Due to his usage at Arkansas, Burks has to have a high football knowledge. Understanding routes and spacing is a good trait of his. Burks has the ability to play multiple positions and also shows his in-depth knowledge of the playbook.

Versatility: Burks’ versatility was on full display at Arkansas. The Razorbacks often lined him up in the slot, in the backfield, and as a boundary receiver. This allows for the coaching staff to take advantage of his exceptional run after the catch ability. His movement skills are not that of a traditional offensive weapon, but the strength that he plays with running after the catch makes him a versatile player.

Competitive Toughness: Burks shows his competitiveness through his ability to win at the catch point on 50/50 balls and his physical run after the catch style. Would like to see Burks become a more physical blocker. Routinely missed blocks when blocking players on the perimeter—mainly due to effort.

Big Play Ability: At Arkansas, Burks is a high-volume player that has multiple 10-plus touch games. He has big-play ability down the field in one-on-one opportunities. He is not a vertical threat running away from defenders, but his ability to adjust to the deep ball and come down with the pass gave him opportunities to make big plays for the Arkansas offense. 

 

#53.

Abraham Lucas T Washington 6'7" 324lbs.  Scheme Fit: Power blocking scheme may serve him well, but he can play in any scheme

OVERALL RATING:	84.9 / 100
GAME PERFORMANCE WEIGHTED RATING
PASS BLOCKING:		94%
RUN BLOCKING:		73%

Pass Set: He displays smooth footwork and fluidity in his pass set. He is a sufficient-level reactive athlete when it comes to redirecting on a defender’s move. He displays good patience and is extremely hard to speed rush.

Competitive Toughness: He plays with good and nasty competitive toughness required for the position. This is evident in his ability in the run game. He shows some nastiness as a finisher. 

Football IQ: He plays with a high-level football IQ. He knows when he needs to get good depth with an athletic speed rusher. He also shows the ability to recognize blitzers off the edge. 

Versatility: He has predominantly aligned at right tackle. He projects with sufficient swing ability to left tackle. He doesn’t have much guard flexibility.  

 

#59.

Nik Bonitto Edge Oklahoma 6'3" 248lbs.  Ideal Role: Starting 3-4 outside linebacker or 4-3 off-the-ball linebacker with DPR ability on passing downs.

OVERALL RATING:	86.2 / 100
GAME PERFORMANCE WEIGHTED RATING
TACKLING:		72%
PASS RUSH:		100%
RUN DEFENSE:		78%
COVERAGE:		74%

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. 

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. 

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.

Drake Jackson Edge USC 6'2" 254lbs.  Ideal Role: Edge rusher  Scheme Fit: 3-4

OVERALL RATING:	89.3 / 100
GAME PERFORMANCE WEIGHTED RATING
TACKLING:		70%
PASS RUSH:		89%
RUN DEFENSE:		75%

First-Step Explosiveness: He demonstrates effective first-step explosiveness off the snap; particularly in obvious passing situations. He typically gets a better get-off from a three-point stance than a two-point one.

Run Defending: He needs to improve at defending the run, particularly when he is the play-side run defender. He’s better as a chase player where he can use his lateral mobility to get to the football. 

Effort: He plays the game with inconsistent effort at times. On obvious passing downs, he is slightly more effective as a decisive rusher to play in attack mode and press the issue. Would like to see more effort and precision getting off blocks at the point of attack.

Football IQ: He plays the game with good football IQ. He can take the next step while learning to set tackles up throughout the game. He also shows adequate ability to alter his rush depending on where the QB steps up in the pocket

Versatility: He lacks true versatility. At this stage, his skill set is best suited as a 3-4 OLB. He lacks the bulk, mass, and strength to be a traditional 4-3 DE.

 

#94.

Alontae Taylor S/CB/ST Tennessee 6' 199lbs.  Ideal Role: Developmental starter, special teams Standout Scheme Fit: Zone with some press-man coverage 

 

OVERALL RATING:	79.3 / 100
GAME PERFORMANCE WEIGHTED RATING
TACKLING:		68%
RUN DEFENSE:		85%
COVERAGE:		83%
ZONE:		74%
MAN/PRESS:		80%

Versatility: Taylor has appeal in any coverage concept, although there are some matchups in man coverage that present challenges. He has some experience working from the slot and has favorable traits to be considered at safety. Taylor has been a steady presence for Tennessee on the punt and punt return units. 

Man Coverage Skills: Taylor is aggressive and physical in man coverage where his best reps come when he can play up on the line of scrimmage, crowd releases, create jams, and put the cap on routes early. While he has the speed to carry routes vertically, he has modest agility which creates some challenges when trying to stay connected with elusive and shifty route-runners that can snap quickly through breaks and create separation. While I like him more in zone coverage, Taylor can hold his own in man. 

Zone Coverage Skills: Taylor has really developed his feel for zone coverage and does well to stay leveraged, reach his landmarks, and adjust on the fly. His ability to cue the backfield and work into throwing lanes shines on tape. He’s comfortable operating from a half-turn, squeezing routes, and layering coverage. 

Ball Skills: Taylor’s ability to play the football has improved steadily throughout his career—keep in mind he converted from wide receiver in the fall of 2018. With that said, he still has room for growth. There are times where he is late to find the ball and is clearly more comfortable driving forward on the football at this point.

Tackling: Taylor is a competitive and physical tackler that is enthusiastic about getting involved. With that said, he needs to find more consistency with his results. He’s an aggressive tackler that aims low and generally tries to wrap, but he does miss too frequently and I believe it has more to do with executing with better control. He is guilty of leaving his feet and dropping his head on contact and it leads to whiffs. 

Football IQ: Taylor has showcased steady growth when it comes to developing his feel and instincts in coverage, especially in zone. He is capable in any coverage technique and he wasn’t guilty of coverage breakdowns in any of my exposures. He has only played cornerback since the fall of 2018 and it didn’t take him long to develop into one of the best corners in the SEC. 

Run Defending: Taylor is an enthusiastic run defender with a fast downhill trigger and he loves to be physical. He does well to take on contact and spill runs back inside while maintaining outside leverage. He has the makeup of a corner that will make his team’s run defense better and not just be “willing.

 

#113.  Packers trade up sending picks #132 and #140 to Washington for pick #113.  (76pts to 68pts, +8 Washington.)

Alec Pierce WR Cincinnati 6'3" 213lbs.  Ideal Role: X receiver/big slot Scheme Fit: Any

OVERALL RATING:	83.1 / 100
GAME PERFORMANCE WEIGHTED RATING
HANDS:		71%
SHORT RECEIVING:		75%
INTERMEDIATE ROUTES:		81%
DEEP THREAT:		85%
BLOCKING:		64%

Route Running: Pierce is a deceptive route-runner that generates strong vertical push in his stem and his ability to win down the field opens opportunities for him to sell and snap off routes. He is crisp through his breaks and I love how he bends both his stem and breaks to move defenders and create space. He makes terrific adjustments against zone coverage and knows how to make himself available.

Run After Catch: Pierce is competitive, physical, and decisive after the catch. Given how he was used in college, he was not provided with the most advantageous opportunities to create additional yardage after the catch. I don’t anticipate yards after the catch to be a major part of what he contributes but he is capable. 

Ball Skills: Pierce makes silly catches every time you pop on the tape. He has supreme body control and does a wonderful job of putting himself in position to make a play on the ball in the air. The game truly slows down for him at the catch point. He locates, tracks, and adjusts to the football at a high level. 

Football IQ: Pierce’s commitment to sound technique as a route-runner and ability to read coverage and adjust on the fly speaks to his football intelligence. He runs his routes with good pace and deception. He is decisive after the catch and was flagged for just one penalty through the entirety of his college career. 

Versatility: Pierce has appeal as a traditional X receiver or big slot at the next level. I like him best in the intermediate to deep portions of the field—he doesn’t have the skill set that commands manufactured touches that are designed to allow for YAC. Pierce has never been tasked with return opportunities and hasn't played much on special teams over the last two seasons at Cincinnati. 

Big Play Ability: Pierce’s speed, ball skills, hands, and body control make him a dynamic threat down the field. He averaged more than 17 yards per catch for his college career and he was clearly the “shot play” guy for the Cincinnati offense. 

 

#228.  Packers trade pick # 228 and 2023 5th rd pick to NE for N'Keal Harry WR.  (Low cost / high reward possibilities.)

 

#249.

Luke Wattenberg T/G/C Washington 6'4" 293lbs. Ideal Role: Rotational interior OLScheme fit: Power run scheme

OVERALL RATING:	76.8 / 100
GAME PERFORMANCE WEIGHTED RATING
PASS BLOCKING:		69%
RUN BLOCKING:		72%

Versatility: He has true positional versatility. He played tackle in high school and has played guard and center throughout his collegiate career. He also shows the football IQ to play both positions if required. 

Football IQ: He has high-level football IQ. He easily adjusts the protection when the defense has shifted. He plays with good instincts and awareness to recognize stunts and games. 

Competitive toughness: He plays the game with good competitive toughness. He finishes with a level of nastiness that is ideal for interior OL play. He competes really hard when he has to anchor against bull rushers. 

Pass Set: He is sufficiently fluid. His footwork is adequate and he has a strong punch. He can see loops and stunts but is an average reactive athlete with regards to lateral movement. 

 

#258.

Matt Hankins CB Iowa 6'1" 175lbs.  Ideal role: Potential developmental starting cornerbackScheme tendencies: Half-turn deep zone coverages, primary Cover 3 shell

Iowa cornerback Matt Hankins has the look and feel of a potential steal in the 2022 NFL Draft process. This is a well-coached, productive player who has offered an ample amount of big plays for the Iowa defense as a super senior. 

Man Coverage Skills: When he is charged with playing press, which wasn’t often in the games that I watched, I was impressed with his lateral mobility and his hand pop to stab and create delayed releases. His ability to turn and carry is sufficient and I’ve seen him hold firm as a defender in the trail. Big, physical X-receivers may physically challenge his ability to stay in position at the catch point, however. 

Zone Coverage Skills: He’s got a good nose for coverage and he converts to attacking the football quite well. He’s patient and effective in his zone drops to split route stems flooding his area and has a willingness to sit on routes underneath—he has the agility to attack and crowd receivers suddenly from this position. 

Ball Skills: If you want a taste of his ball skills, check out his leaping interception against ISU WR Xavier Hutchinson down the field, where he had to elevate and high point the football on an underthrown ball. He showed good reactive quickness on a tipped ball that he intercepted against Indiana in the season opener, too—although that play was negated due to roughing the passer. He doesn’t have the natural hands of his teammate, Riley Moss, but I’d still consider this to be a quality trait. 

Tackling: This dude plays mean as a hitter. He’s not going to be able to bully ball-carriers frequently at the NFL level, but he closes with intent and urgency and carries that pace through his hits. He laid out TE Peyton Hendershot on the sideline on an impressive form tackle—that one stuck with me. He gets square effectively and showcases firm striking ability. 

Versatility: I think he has enough reactive movement skills to move inside if you wanted to play him on a specific matchup and needed to reduce him inside, but his bread and butter is playing deep-third coverage and I appreciate his footspeed to pedal here and stay leveraged. He’s got ample special teams appeal with his movement skills and physical approach. I think you could make an argument for him to play all four special teams kick units. 

Football IQ: Hankins has served as a starter for the Hawkeyes going all the way back to 2017, so he’s a well-seasoned player and it shows. He trusts his fundamentals, illustrates good field vision and anticipation for route combinations, and has handled passing off routes and banjoing coverage sufficiently when faced with stacks and switch releases. 

Run Defending: Having 40-plus tackles in four consecutive seasons despite never playing more than 10 games in any individual year is a testament to how active he keeps himself. As a deep-third defender, he’s able to identify run game quickly and is potent with his hands to attack blockers. He’s a plus tackler on the edge and takes good angles to cut tacklers into the sideline. 

 

UDFA's:

Trae Barry TE Boston College 6'7" 245lbs.  *Played QB, TE, and WR in high school. Lettered in track and basketball in addition to football in high school. 

Scheme tendencies: Pro style, vertical passing game   2021 Projected role: Starting tight end 

 

Markquese Bell Florida A&M 6'2" 205lbs.  Scheme tendencies: Scheme versatile safety that can thrive in the box and on the roof

 Experienced in all areas of the defense in coverage, he has the flexibility to turn and run in man coverage, but also has the awareness in zone to remain engaged on routes entering and exiting his areas. Bell also has high end ball production as he registered a MEAC leading five interceptions in 2019.

 

Brad Hawkins S Michigan 6'2" 195lbs.  Ideal role: Developmental traditional strong safety

Special Teams Ability: I think he does have sufficient athleticism to get down the field and carry a gap in kick coverage and he’s certainly physical enough as a tackler. My question here would be in how effective he is to mirror in space and try to come to balance as an open-field tackler.   

 

Ben Stille DE Nebraska 6'5" 295lbs.  Ideal role: Rotational/developmental 3-4 4i alignment IDL  Scheme tendencies: Odd-front defense that requires two-gapping front

 

Noah Burks Edge Wisconsin 6'2" 245 lbs.  Scheme Fit: 3-4 attacking defense 

Leadership: Burks is known by his teammates as a leader by example. He has taught alignment responsibilities to his teammates. He communicates well as the plan adjusts pre-snap. His work ethic is evident—he returned to school to improve his pass rush ability. 

 

Austin Allen TE Nebraska 6'8" 253 lbs.  Scheme Fit: Any

Hands: Vacuum-cleaner style hands that offer a massive catch radius and consistently provide receptions, even when thrown in disadvantageous spots.

 

Master Teague III RB Ohio St. 5'11" 225 lbs.  Scheme tendencies: Vertical offense, shallow crossers, option routes, play-action killshots, high frequency of split flow and inside zone 

 

Nick Ford OL Utah 6'5" 315 lbs.  Scheme tendencies: Multiple offense with spread and RPO concepts

Luke Tenucta T Virginia Tech 6'9" 322 lbs.  Ideal Role: Developmental swing tackle Scheme Fit: Zone run scheme

 

To the forum squad, here is my message.

I'll mock anytime and as many times as I want!

 

GO PACK GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

[AlexGreen#20]

• A #4 CB
• A WR with a room temperature IQ
• A RT-only who's a bad scheme fit. 
• A pass rusher undersized for our scheme
• A pass rusher who's only able to get pressure out of the pressure package. 
• A pure ST DB
• A 2nd round WR in the 4th round. 
• A C-only with no anchor. 

 

You outdid yourself this time dude. 

[cannondale]

Rumor has it they had to tell Burks where to line up and what to do on most every play. That's not Packer People

[Old Guy]

1 hour ago, cannondale said:

Rumor has it they had to tell Burks where to line up and what to do on most every play. That's not Packer People

That reminds me of a guy the Packers drafted years ago out of Oklahoma, Torrence Marshall. Guy was a stud at linebacker for Oklahoma but was dumber than a box of rocks. Needless to say, he played some special teams but never really saw the field on defense. 

Those the easy guys to scratch off your draft board. 

[Norm]

Best mock I've ever seen. Better do a few more before Thursday or I'll be furious

[Packerraymond]

7 hours ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

• A #4 CB
• A WR with a room temperature IQ
• A RT-only who's a bad scheme fit. 
• A pass rusher undersized for our scheme
• A pass rusher who's only able to get pressure out of the pressure package. 
• A pure ST DB
• A 2nd round WR in the 4th round. 
• A C-only with no anchor. 

 

You outdid yourself this time dude. 

Do you like any player in this draft?

[Norm]

11 minutes ago, Packerraymond said:

Do you like any player in this draft?

Rod Marinelli

[n8ghee]

I love a train wreck, and that’s why I hope you never stop posting

[AlexGreen#20]

1 hour ago, Packerraymond said:

Do you like any player in this draft?

Plenty, but this is just absurd

[R T]

25 minutes ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

Plenty, but this is just absurd

Not calling you out but would be curious to know why you think Lucas is a bad scheme fit. The Packers had him in for a 30-visit which would show some level of interest that his skill set would work in their system. His visit could be viewed as a smokescreen but if he is not a scheme fit it wouldn't be much of a smokescreen and a complete waste of a 30-visit. 

[Gopackgonerd]

CB in round one just wouldn't make sense even if Jaire ends up leaving. You're probably just going to piss him off with a pending contract on the horizon for him. I feel like if they were planning on not doing it why not trade Jaire before the draft? 

[AlexGreen#20]

13 minutes ago, R T said:

Not calling you out but would be curious to know why you think Lucas is a bad scheme fit. The Packers had him in for a 30-visit which would show some level of interest that his skill set would work in their system. His visit could be viewed as a smokescreen but if he is not a scheme fit it wouldn't be much of a smokescreen and a complete waste of a 30-visit. 

Bad laterally, and only works at one spot which I don't want to be available pending a Jenkins extension.

I don't think the 30 visit should be assumed to be an expression of interest. They're used for clarifications. So you can probably say he's on the board, but that's as far as I think you can go.

[hitnhope]

You certainly are welcome to post your abundance of mock drafts.

What some of us find amazing is that for someone who obviously spends a lot of time at this, why you are so bad at it?  

Bad trades, topped off by bad picks at typically the wrong positions.

The above would be an obvious failure of a draft that doesnt draft the type of players the Packers typically take, and in places they would not typically take a player.  You double up at edge (a position of need), but spend the higher pick on a player that doesnt really fit the Packers profile and the second at #92 on a player that has about a .0001% chance of being there that late.  Top pick on a cornerback?   The WR pick on a player reputed to have an extreme lack of intelligence and unable to pick up the playbook to pair with Rodgers?

I'll just end there, but could keep on going.

[Packerraymond]

53 minutes ago, AlexGreen#20 said:

Plenty, but this is just absurd

It's really not, you're just dramatic. There's not a single below average pick in this draft.

[AlexGreen#20]

Just now, Packerraymond said:

It's really not, you're just dramatic. There's not a single below average pick in this draft.

It's not bad for a generic teamless draft. For the Packers, it's lacking.