Cwood is a nerd and so are all the Packer Favorite Prospects: 2023 Draft Discussion Thread

[Sandy]

43 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

The board would have to be pretty wrecked for me to pound the table for one of these WR's in round one.  

I want an EDGE.  Or a DL.  Or an OT.  Or a S.  Kind of in that order.  And the safety I want is a field general center fielder, not a box type safety.  I don't know enough about the draft to know if there is one of those worthy of a FRP.

Now...if we happen to get 2 FRP's??  That opens up possibilities to me.  I wouldn't like it, but I could live with even a TE with a later FRP.

For S, I don't see a center-fielder worth a first, but both PackerRaymond and I gave us Chris Smith in the second round in our mocks. I expect an 8.4 RAS and he's got the best deep instincts. Could start day one like Nick Collins.

I fully expect Paris Johnson Jr to demolish the combine and solidify himself in the top 6 or so picks, but if he's available he might be option 1a for me in the first. He's played both RG and LT in college, so he could start over Runyan this year. I like Skoronski as a G prospect with a shot at RT. Not a bad pick at 15.

Edge is so stacked in the first half of the first round. Combine will be important, but legit top ten talents might slip to 15.

[Sandy]

2 hours ago, vegas492 said:

 

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by Sandy
Double post

[vegas492]

37 minutes ago, ThatJerkDave said:

So far, in my very limited knowledge of prospects, I have two draft crushes, and a few that wouldn't immediately make me mad.  If I am being really honest, I liked Romeo Doubs more than any of the WRs in this draft that I have seen so far.  But, I am no expert.  I also really liked EQ, and he turned out mediocre at best. 

I really like Keion White the edge from Georgia Tech and Darnell Washington the TE from Georgia.  I also like Will Anderson Jr, but if we get him, the Bears really, really screwed up.  

I have zero crushes right now.  But...I do like White.  I've watched just a little, but what I've seen, I like.

I have not liked Washington.  Let me rephrase...I do not like Washington in the first two rounds.  There's just not NFL speed there worthy of a pick that high.  I do like everything else.

I really like Van Ness at EDGE.  But he's going to be a work in progress and will need time.  And we need more instant impact.

I hope the Bears get Anderson.  Because Carter is better.  He would be my crush if I thought there was a chance in hell we could get him.

I really like both top corners, Gonzalez and Witherspoon and we need neither of them.

Couple of the EDGE/End guys are enormous.  IF one of them falls, Wilson or Murphy, they make a ton of sense if we roll with that strong front with 2 DL with their hands in the dirt.  1 DE with his hand in the dirt and one OLB standing up.

I have watched Skoronski and have no idea if I love him or am lukewarm on him.  What I do feel about him is that he is probably the second safest prospect that we could get.

First safest to me is the TE, Mayer.  And I would not like taking a TE in round one.  But he is very safe.

Later in the draft, John MIchael Schmitz is better than Josh Meyers at center.

LaPorta is going to be a stud TE, cuz Iowa.  And he played WR and CB earlier in life.

 

 

[ThatJerkDave]

5 minutes ago, vegas492 said:

I have zero crushes right now.  But...I do like White.  I've watched just a little, but what I've seen, I like.

I have not liked Washington.  Let me rephrase...I do not like Washington in the first two rounds.  There's just not NFL speed there worthy of a pick that high.  I do like everything else.

I really like Van Ness at EDGE.  But he's going to be a work in progress and will need time.  And we need more instant impact.

I hope the Bears get Anderson.  Because Carter is better.  He would be my crush if I thought there was a chance in hell we could get him.

I really like both top corners, Gonzalez and Witherspoon and we need neither of them.

Couple of the EDGE/End guys are enormous.  IF one of them falls, Wilson or Murphy, they make a ton of sense if we roll with that strong front with 2 DL with their hands in the dirt.  1 DE with his hand in the dirt and one OLB standing up.

I have watched Skoronski and have no idea if I love him or am lukewarm on him.  What I do feel about him is that he is probably the second safest prospect that we could get.

First safest to me is the TE, Mayer.  And I would not like taking a TE in round one.  But he is very safe.

Later in the draft, John MIchael Schmitz is better than Josh Meyers at center.

LaPorta is going to be a stud TE, cuz Iowa.  And he played WR and CB earlier in life.

 

 

I like Washington as a younger version of old Marcedes Lewis.  He is a beast of a blocker, and just a huge target.  I don't think he is going to be a Travis Kelce.  And I do understand the value is poor.  Looking back, was Bubba Franks really worth a first? Probably not.  Was it a serious misstep that set the franchise back? No, I don't think so.  I see a stud blocker, and a guy that will get first downs and touchdowns.  If that takes a first, it won't be great, but I don't think that I would throw a fit.

I think Van Ness is a hand in the dirt guy more than we like.  I have nothing against his game.  I just think that his game is not the Packers' game.  Maybe I am still a little stuck with the classic Capers 3-4 front, and it is not as important in the defense that we run now.  I just see him as more of an Aaron Kampman.  And I actually feel that way about most of the edge guys that I took quick looks at earlier.  I will look deeper later, just the first impression that I get is this is a DE and not an OLB, and we use the OLB type more.  

I also defer to anyone on OL play.  I can see amazingly good, and astonishingly bad.  But I have next to no idea about the nuances of the position.  

[CrazyJoeDavola]

Since safety was brought up what does everyone think of Sydney Brown from Illinois? Looks to have good ball skills. Maybe lacks in the tackling department but no worse than average I would say.

I am also looking at Brandon Joseph from Notre Dame later in the draft. he is a rangy player and brings return experience with him too.

[vegas492]

1 hour ago, ThatJerkDave said:

I like Washington as a younger version of old Marcedes Lewis.  He is a beast of a blocker, and just a huge target.  I don't think he is going to be a Travis Kelce.  And I do understand the value is poor.  Looking back, was Bubba Franks really worth a first? Probably not.  Was it a serious misstep that set the franchise back? No, I don't think so.  I see a stud blocker, and a guy that will get first downs and touchdowns.  If that takes a first, it won't be great, but I don't think that I would throw a fit.

I think Van Ness is a hand in the dirt guy more than we like.  I have nothing against his game.  I just think that his game is not the Packers' game.  Maybe I am still a little stuck with the classic Capers 3-4 front, and it is not as important in the defense that we run now.  I just see him as more of an Aaron Kampman.  And I actually feel that way about most of the edge guys that I took quick looks at earlier.  I will look deeper later, just the first impression that I get is this is a DE and not an OLB, and we use the OLB type more.  

I also defer to anyone on OL play.  I can see amazingly good, and astonishingly bad.  But I have next to no idea about the nuances of the position.  

It's getting old.  You know.  Logging into two accounts and then posting.... 

That's how much we have in common concerning this topic.

Van Ness.  I like him because he puts his hand in the dirt.  Our best defense last year had a DE with his hand in the dirt.  I like the versatility.  And the power, and I feel like he goes from speed to power and vice versa quickly.  

Hindsight being what it is, Franks was a wasted first round pick.  So too would Washington.  I wouldn't hate him in the second, but I wouldn't love it either.

For Skrow on the OL?  Short arms, best suited for guard.  He's Bulaga but a tick shorter.  I think he's a plug and play guard, either side, but maybe there's some tackle there.  And he's safe.  About as safe as you can get for an OL.

[Haha21]

1 hour ago, CrazyJoeDavola said:

Since safety was brought up what does everyone think of Sydney Brown from Illinois? Looks to have good ball skills. Maybe lacks in the tackling department but no worse than average I would say.

I am also looking at Brandon Joseph from Notre Dame later in the draft. he is a rangy player and brings return experience with him too.

Love Sydney Brown. If he was there in the 3rd I would be thrilled. He’s a poor man’s Brian Branch. Needs to clean up his tackling like you mentioned.

[MaximusGluteus]

2 hours ago, vegas492 said:

And he's safe.  About as safe as you can get for an OL.

[ThatJerkDave]

This afternoon, I am going to take a quick look at the DLs.  Again, I am looking at the draft network's top 100 prospects.  I am not seeing too much of a pattern with these guys.  Most of our DL are between 295 and 310.  With Ford and Slaton pushing 330.  Dave's approximate math puts our average DL at 6'4 310, but I don't think there is even a trend, that is just how big most of these guys are now.  And we don't have any other workout numbers to really go from at this point.

-Jalen Carter 6'3 310 GA(2).  He is fast, and he is strong.  He is probably going to be a Chicago Bear and general pain in the Packers butt for like the next 8 years.  There were highlights of him rushing on the end as well as the middle, and even one where he was standing up.  I do wonder if he will struggle a bit against the run early on, he doesn't really have the big man gut, yet.  But that is really the only knock that I have at this juncture.

-Bryan Bresee 6'5 300 Clem (17). I like the way he moves.  For the Packers, he is a DE, and not one of the two nose positions that we use.  The write up says that he missed a lot of time because of injuries.  Is that a trend?

-Keeanu Benton 6'4 315 WI (62).  Went to Wisconsin, so you know he stinks (trollface.jpg). He is probably not going to be a pass rusher.  But he looks like a very active NT.  He reminds me of Ryan Pickett.  But Pickett was 6'3 290 at Ohio State.  This is another big that does fit what the Packers do.

-Calijah Kancey 6'0 275 Pitt (63).  Talk about a complete opposite from the last guy.  He is very small for a DT.  I think on the Packers he is a rush OLB.  I think he is probably best suited at DE in a 43.  The highlights were fun to watch.  But I really wonder how that works against NFL linemen that will hold the hell out of him.  

-Mazi Smith 6'3 326 MI (65).  I like his speed for someone that is as heavy as he is listed.  Even in highlights, he doesn't seem as stout as Benton, but probably offers a little more pass rush.  

-Gervon Dexter Sr 6'5 300 FL (81).  First thing that I notice, even on the highlights is that he seems a tick slow out of his stance.  While the rest of the OL and DL move at the snap, it seems like you see snap, see movement, see Dexter start.  I didn't see a whole lot of manhandling of OL, but a lot of stalemating.  This is third round territory, so we aren't looking at players without warts.  He looks a lot like Dean Lowry.  I know that isn't some people's cup of tea.  But Dean Lowry has 7 years of average to above average play in the NFL.

-Byron Young 6'3 292 AL (91).  I am mixed on this one.  The highlights that I watched all seemed like he was unblocked.  So, I watched the Auburn game.  To me, Young either beats his guy immediately, then makes the play, or he is blocked.  He didn't miss any tackles.  If his hands got on the ball carrier, the ball carrier was going down.  But I wasn't impressed with his speed or hustle on plays that he didn't make the play.  He is just kind of there.

 

Dave's verdict:

I think that my favorite guy for the Packers is Keeanu Benton ( @beekay414 isn't going to let me live this one down).  If these rankings hold, he is there in the second or third, and fits well with Clark and Slaton as bigs for us.  That would be a pretty stout front, and may even allow Kenny to work more on getting to the QB some.  I also like Gervon Dexter if he is there in the third.  Watch his highlights and think Dean Lowry, but for third round rookie money.  I think it is a good value.  Dexter isn't as good as Bresee, but it was a value judgement for me.  I think that we could get more impact whether that is now or the future, from our first round pick.

 

 

[beekay414]

3 minutes ago, ThatJerkDave said:

I think that my favorite guy for the Packers is Keeanu Benton ( @beekay414 isn't going to let me live this one down).  If these rankings hold, he is there in the second or third, and fits well with Clark and Slaton as bigs for us.  That would be a pretty stout front, and may even allow Kenny to work more on getting to the QB some.  I also like Gervon Dexter if he is there in the third.  Watch his highlights and think Dean Lowry, but for third round rookie money.  I think it is a good value.  Dexter isn't as good as Bresee, but it was a value judgement for me.  I think that we could get more impact whether that is now or the future, from our first round pick.

Benton is a friggin' stud, my dude. Don't feel bad.

[squire12]

26 minutes ago, beekay414 said:

30 minutes ago, ThatJerkDave said:

I think that my favorite guy for the Packers is Keeanu Benton ( @beekay414 isn't going to let me live this one down).  If these rankings hold, he is there in the second or third, and fits well with Clark and Slaton as bigs for us.  That would be a pretty stout front, and may even allow Kenny to work more on getting to the QB some.  I also like Gervon Dexter if he is there in the third.  Watch his highlights and think Dean Lowry, but for third round rookie money.  I think it is a good value.  Dexter isn't as good as Bresee, but it was a value judgement for me.  I think that we could get more impact whether that is now or the future, from our first round pick.

Expand  

Benton is a friggin' stud, my dude. Don't feel bad.

wrestling background as well....aka Kenny Clark

[ThatJerkDave]

Well, I am looking at a few more WRs before I go to sleep.  

-Andrei Iosivas Princeton 6'3 200.  Well, I have found Gute and my favorite WR.  TDN compares him to Christian Watson.  I am not as enamored with him as I was with Watson, but he may be more of an MVS type.  He will have to learn to block, but he is big and fast.  MVS was a pretty good blocker by the time he left here, no reason to think the same can't happen with Iosivas.

-Dontayvion Wicks UVA 6'2 205.  He reminds me of the guys that we have been getting as UDFAs.  Malik Taylor, Juwann Winfree, Reggie Begelton.  Meet the size profile, probably borderline on the speed. 

-Trey Palmer Neb 6'1 190.  I'll go ahead and make the lazy comparison.  This is 2023 Samori Toure.  Same school, same size, same style.  

-Elijah Higgins Stan 6'3 235.  He plays like a small TE.  He is bulky.  If the Packers got him it would probably be to replace Lazard.  One of his highlights shows his breakaway speed, but he really takes a while to get going.  

-Charlie Jones Pur 6'0 188.  Bill Bellichick is already working on contract details.  

-Puka Nacua BYU 6'2 210.  I will have to dig deeper here, but the highlights remind me of Jordy Nelson, a lot.  And that may be the cautionary tale of highlight videos.  But I am definitely impressed.

 

[vegas492]

On 2/24/2023 at 5:28 PM, MaximusGluteus said:

I know you don't like him, and I'm not fighting you on that.

But stop looking at his feet and his technique at tackle.  Look at him at RG.  

I think he's a 10 year starter there, from day one, and he'll be one of the top 1/3 guards in the league, easily.

Now, is that worth a first round pick in the top 20 or so?  Maybe.  I'd rather swing for a premium position with more potential upside and risk the downside.  But Skrow is a very, very safe guard prospect.

[ReadyToThump]

 

[Brat&Beer]

Combine schedule.