Round 1 Pick 22; Quay Walker, LB Georgia

[PACKRULE]

13 minutes ago, Packerraymond said:

No one is crutching to it, that's weak. 

Dean played 6% of his snaps out of the box last year, Walker played 24% of them outside the box. Georgia hides Dean, that's not propping up a player we picked, it's just a fact. Walker comes down to the LOS to hold up a blocker at the POA, he slides out to the slot in trips. He's a tough eval because of how many different things Georgia has him do. 

I wonder if the GB noted that:)

[R T]

7 minutes ago, PACKRULE said:

I wonder if the GB noted that:)

No, they just wait for some blogger or media scouting cowboy to tell them. 😄

[PACKRULE]

10 minutes ago, R T said:

No, they just wait for some blogger or media scouting cowboy to tell them. 😄

So clearly they found my " use the firsts on D players " comments:). I wonder what's better media bloggers or dart board for success. 

Had to laugh saw the PFT article that the raiders declined all 3x 5th years options on their first rounders from the Mack trade year. Mayock what the heck. So even the experts miss all the time. Gute hasn't been perfect but he's hit quite a few. 

Edited April 29, 2022 by PACKRULE

[Chili]

Aaron Nagler made an interesting point that in the week leading up to the draft Walker was mocked to the Packers in 3 or 4 major publications so clearly somewhere, somebody knew something.

Perhaps somebody at Lombardi Ave leaking it to make it appear drafting Walker was a smokescreen when in fact the interest was very very real?

Second question.... was Walker always our target provided that the WRs they wanted were gone? I wonder who else was under consideration?

What's interesting is that for whatever reason Kansas jumped us at pick 21 and drafted McDuffie. Did we want him? I don't know but he actually failed the Packers CB thresholds. Out of all the CBs the Packers ever drafted under TT and Gute the shortest arm lengths was 30.25" with Hayward, Randall and Rollins all hitting that mark. McDuffie was actually 29.75. He was one of the very few corners to fall below the 30" arm length mark in this year's draft.

Trevor Penning, Zion Johnson and Cole Strange fitted the Packers OL thresholds. Thought there might've been a possibility drafting one of them. We didn't have a shot at Zion and Penning but we passed on Strange for Wyatt. Strange is also an older guy who turns 24 in June. For a OL prospect athletically he's pretty good but I guess we prioritised the DL. We can always find good OL in the later rounds anyway. I have my eye on Lucas and Goedeke.

I think Cine was on the top of the Packers board, he's comparable athletically to Savage. We didn't take up Savage 5th yr option until after the first round when the last two picks just so happens to be safeties.

Now they will have rearranged their board for the 2nd round, I wonder who are likely to be at the top.

[Norm]

39 minutes ago, Packerraymond said:

No one is crutching to it, that's weak. 

Dean played 6% of his snaps out of the box last year, Walker played 24% of them outside the box. Georgia hides Dean, that's not propping up a player we picked, it's just a fact. Walker comes down to the LOS to hold up a blocker at the POA, he slides out to the slot in trips. He's a tough eval because of how many different things Georgia has him do. 

The biggest takeaway of Georgia D and this draft is how many people don't have a clue that every player doesn't get to do whatever they want every snap just to get on highlight reels. And this isn't about this thread or anyone in it, just a lot of the stuff I've watched and read the last week of two cramming for it. I talked about it before we even drafted any of them.

[Norm]

1 minute ago, Chili said:

Perhaps somebody at Lombardi Ave leaking it to make it appear drafting Walker was a smokescreen when in fact the interest was very very real?

You're overthinking this.

[vegas492]

3 minutes ago, Chili said:

.

I think Cine was on the top of the Packers board, he's comparable athletically to Savage. We didn't take up Savage 5th yr option until after the first round when the last two picks just so happens to be safeties.

 

I think he was the one we were trying to get when we called the Vikes about that pick.  Only feel that way because of the timing of the Savage option pickup, as you noted.

[ReasonablySober]

59 minutes ago, Packerraymond said:

Yes, clear example of why Dean got the numbers, Dean rarely covers, rarely is the "take on" guy. Walker or Tindall usually take that role on. 

I don't know where you're getting that from, but Dean was an elite coverage linebacker. 

Yards per cover: 
Nakobe Dean: 0.39 (94th percentile) – 126 yards on 324 snaps
Quay Walker: 0.87 (33rd) – 260 on 299

Passer rating allowed: 
Nakobe Dean: 43.3 (99th percentile) – 22/37 for 126 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
Quay Walker: 97.6 (50th) – 30/35 for 260 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

[craig]

5 minutes ago, Norm said:

The biggest takeaway of Georgia D and this draft is how many people don't have a clue that every player doesn't get to do whatever they want every snap just to get on highlight reels.....

TT always talked about "good football player."  Good coaches try to limit guys to things they can be successful at. 

I imagine that for guys who are good football players and good physical specimens, that coaches broaden their scope of responsibility.  I think ILB can be a position that has broader range.  How much pass rush?  Engaging blockers?  Pass coverage?  Blitzing?  Edge rush?  Covering TE's?  Covering RB's?  Covering WR's?  I imagine a really talented ILB can be given a much larger range of tasks than a less talented guy.  No idea whether Quay will actually be good and be able to handle lots of stuff.  Gute's guys must have thought so.  

[PACKRULE]

16 minutes ago, Norm said:

You're overthinking this.

Quadruple agent. 

[PACKRULE]

13 minutes ago, ReasonablySober said:

I don't know where you're getting that from, but Dean was an elite coverage linebacker. 

Yards per cover: 
Nakobe Dean: 0.39 (94th percentile) – 126 yards on 324 snaps
Quay Walker: 0.87 (33rd) – 260 on 299

Passer rating allowed: 
Nakobe Dean: 43.3 (99th percentile) – 22/37 for 126 yards, 0 TD, 2 INT
Quay Walker: 97.6 (50th) – 30/35 for 260 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT

Without knowing some of the responsibilities and coverages this can be misleading. Is Dean cover RB's in the center of the field or slot WRs? Good find on the stats to counter Ray's post earlier but again this can be misleading too as if Walker got the tougher assignments he'll of course give up the greater % and yards. 

[coachbuns]

1 hour ago, ReadyToThump said:

The physical tools are certainly there. Instincts? Not so sure.

His potential could make him a better pro than college player.

I'm just not so sure I wanna spend the 22nd pick overall on said player!

To late .. they spent the 22nd pick on him already!

[ReasonablySober]

25 minutes ago, PACKRULE said:

Without knowing some of the responsibilities and coverages this can be misleading. Is Dean cover RB's in the center of the field or slot WRs? Good find on the stats to counter Ray's post earlier but again this can be misleading too as if Walker got the tougher assignments he'll of course give up the greater % and yards. 

Dean not only covered slot, he was often covering wideouts. 

I've mainly lurked here for over a decade, but college football is my life in the fall, and Dean was my favorite player to watch last season. So when someone says he rarely covers I just had to point out that it's a bizarre thing to say. Dean was literally THE star cover linebacker in football last season. 

[Packerraymond]

5 minutes ago, ReasonablySober said:

Dean not only covered slot, he was often covering wideouts. 

I've mainly lurked here for over a decade, but college football is my life in the fall, and Dean was my favorite player to watch last season. So when someone says he rarely covers I just had to point out that it's a bizarre thing to say. Dean was literally THE star cover linebacker in football last season. 

He covers WR's while spending 94% of his snaps in the box? That's an interesting assignment. I'm through Clemson, Arkansas and Kentucky games, he hasn't covered a receiver yet, that's Walker. Dean gets to pickup the back leaking out of the backfield. 

Maybe this will change as I get into late games, but I doubt it, he's their box LB. 

[ReasonablySober]

Here's one.