Official 2015 NFL Draft Thread

I think TT drafts/signs only guys he sees as having the higher ceiling regardless of how ready they appear at the moment. That's why he has so much relative late round success. There are average players available on the street. The ascending stars are the ones who let you dominate. If you don't think a guy could become an all pro  you shouldn't sign him.

TT still has the HoF induction speech he wrote for Brett Swain tucked in a drawer.

Updated the list of confirmed Combine interviews. AcmePackingCompany.com put together a really solid list. 

http://www.acmepackingcompany....-meetings-and-visits

For what it's worth. Jordan Phillips scares the living **** out of me and I want no part of him in Rd 1. If you're 6'6" 330 and are viewed as a physical specimen. Film of a 2nd Team All Academic junior that goes 6'2" 295 out of TCU holding his own against you should never exist.

 

Unfortunately, it does. Keep in mind this isn't a Joey Hunt highlight video. This is a Jordan Phillips highlight video.

Packers new DL coach Jerry Montgomery knows plenty about him

 

TCU probably isn't the best game to use to form your opinion. There's no offense in the NFL like TCU, look at the splits their OL has. My guess is that Phillips was never asked to collapse the pocket, but rather to maintain gap integrity and prevent Boykin from burning them straight up the middle. There's a video of him vs. Tennesssee that's probably a better measuring stick...they had a poor OL, but they're the closest thing to a power running team he faced. He had a pretty solid game. I'm not saying he should be the r1 pick, but he's better than that TCU tape shows. He was probably out of breath in the second quarter from chasing those guys all over the field.

Very hard to measure a NT against a spread offense, especially one as good as TCU.  In the NFL, a NT has a big place in the game.  In college, not so much.  

 

That said, his pad level did look a little high at times.....

grayson in round 3 is a steal. I think he's gone in round 2.

I'm all in on Eric Kendricks in Rd 1. Football IQ. Speed. Tackling machine. High character. Perryman is a thumper and a higher motor but he has a tendency to burn up late in games going so hard early. McKinney is the athlete in the draft at ILB but he just looks like an OLB at the next level. 

 

I like Kendricks. A lot. If not Kendricks there will be a nice group of CBs to pick from. 

I was on the perryman bandwagon, but the more I read and hear about kendricks, the more I like.  I see some mocks have us taking anthony, not sure when I read and look at the draft profile on nfl.com, I don't like the review on him, sounds like the guy we just canned...59 not sure why kendricks fell out of the first in all these mocks, but I sure think he would be good in g&g

Round One - Eric Kendricks/ILB/UCLA

I think Ted would prefer Kendricks over the other ILBs.  The production and athletic ability are both there, but there are a couple intangibles as well.  Ted will probably like that Kendricks has experience in Jim Mora's 3-4 defense.  The Packers would obviously like an ILB that can play right away and Kendricks is a very similar player to his brother Mychal, who stepped in and started for the Philadelphia Eagles from day one.

 

Round Two - Ty Sambrailo/OT/Colorado State

Ted will likely take a tackle fairly early even if Bulaga returns.  Tretter has a bright future with the Packers but as an interior player.  Barclay is coming off a significant injury and Bulaga has durability concerns.  Sambrailo is the type of lineman that Thompson seems to prefer - a trench battler with a nasty streak to him.  His stock is falling after a mediocre combine, but Ted doesn't seem to place that much emphasis on athleticism for offensive linemen.  It's worth noting that even though Sambrailo didn't do great at the combine, he did post a 7.54 second time in the three-cone drill (5th best time among offensive lineman).

 

Round Three - Tyeler Davison/DT/Fresno State

Much like the Thornton pick last year, this would be the pick that Packer fans look at and wonder why Ted took him this high.  Two reasons.  One is that Ted drafts for need and the Packers need a nose guard.  Second is that Ted likes athletes on defense and Davison performed very well at Indianapolis.  There were 20 300+ pound defensive linemen that were there and 18 of those did most of the drills.  Davison ranked 12th in the 40-yard dash and 16th in the 10-yard split, but on the flip side he was 5th in reps at 225, 3rd in the vertical leap, 6th in the broad jump, 2nd in the 20-yard shuttle and 4th in the 3-cone drill.  He had 8.5 sacks last year at Fresno State, so the guy can play a little bit too.  We'll see if his stock rises, but as of today I think he's one of the most under-rated players on the board.

 

Round Four - Eric Rowe/CB/Utah

Most people see him as a safety/corner tweener, I think Ted will view him as a corner that he can put outside on big receivers.  Rowe played mostly free safety at Utah, but this past year he started 9 games at corner and 1 game at free safety.  Definitely more of an athlete than football player.  He measured in a 6-0 3/4 at Indianapolis, ran a 4.45 second 40-yard dash, posted a 39 inch vertical jump and his 6.70 second 3-cone drill was the second best among defensive backs.  Rowe had 1 interception and 13 pass breakups this past season.

 

Round Five - MyCole Pruitt/TE/Southern Illinois

There will probably be much displeasure among fans if Ted takes a 6-2 1/4 TE because he doesn't fit the prototype of a red zone tight end.  That being said, there is too much production and athleticism here for Ted to pass on Pruitt and take a lesser player just because he is a couple inches taller.  Pruitt is short for a tight end, but has 33 1/2 inch arms, 10 1/4 inch hands and a 38 inch vertical jump.  The 4.58 40-time he posted at Indianapolis was best among tight ends.  As one would expect, Pruitt was a dominant player at Southern Illinois in 2014 : 81 catches, 861 yards, 13 touchdowns.

 

Round Six - Damien Wilson/ILB/Minnesota

Former JC player that started the last two seasons at Minnesota.  Had a breakthrough season last year with 119 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 1 interception, 3 pass breakups.  Considered to be a smart player that lines up the defense but gets himself out of position too often.  Measured in at 6 foot even and 245 pounds at the combine.

 

Round Six (compensatory selection) - Deontay Greenberry/WR/Houston

Junior entry.  Not invited to the combine.  Was a highly regarded high school player that bypassed a chance to play at Notre Dame and went to Houston instead.  Wirey receiver that is listed at 6-3, 200 pounds on Houston's website.  Was plagued by dropped balls as a junior and finished the season with 72 catches for 841 yards and 6 touchdowns.  Was spectacular as a sophomore when he posted 82 catches for 1202 yards and 11 touchdowns.  Had the potential to be picked in the first three rounds of 2016 had he returned to school and played like he did as a sophomore.

 

Round Six (compensatory selection) - Angelo Blackson/DT/Auburn

Unique player that has the size and ability to play either DE or NG for the Packers.  A Thompson "athlete" pick on defense.  Blackson hasn't been much of a player up to this point.  Had 17 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3 sacks for the Tigers last year.  Big bodied guy that just occupies space.  So why would Thompson take him?  Blackson measured in a 6-4 3/8 and 318 pounds at the combine.  Of the 18 300+ defensive linemen that worked out, Blackson was tied for 3rd in the 40-yard dash (5.02), 6th in the 10-yard split (1.78), tied for 5th in the vertical leap (31), 7th in the 20-yard shuttle (4.57) and 3rd in the three cone drill (7.50).  It's worth noting that his numbers of reps at 225 (20) was dead last among the 300+ pound defensive linemen.

 

Round Seven - John Crockett/RB/North Dakota State

There have been exceptions (Franklin's size), but most of the time when Ted takes running backs it's been guys with size that have shown the ability to catch the ball.  Crockett is 5-11 3/4 and 217 pounds.  Crockett wasn't used much as a pass-catcher before 2014 but totaled 30 catches this past season.  Finished his North Dakota State career with 4309 rushing yards and 41 rushing TDs.  Ran a 4.62 second 40-yard dash and posted a 40 inch vertical leap at the combine.

 

Round Seven (compensatory selection) - Dean Marlowe/S/James Madison

Good sized (6-1 1/2, 203 pounds) developmental safety that can run (4.58 second 40-yard dash at the combine).  Three year starter at safety.  Posted 96 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 4 interceptions and 5 pass breakups in 2014. 

I have a suspicion that Ty Sambrailo is going to go a lot later than suspected. I don't think he's better at this point than Bahktiari was coming out. He had his struggles at the Senior Bowl and his Combine wasn't overwhelming. I think he's a guy GB probably is very interested in, but I don't think he will go until r4 at the earliest.

Maybe, but he's more polished than Clemmings and it seems there's a renewed emphasis on having a strong offensive line around the league. I think both guys will come off the board in Round 2, Round 3 at the latest. 

http://m.jsonline.com/sports/p...406z1-294307241.html

 Like the wide receiver from Ohio State in the second round.

I am not sold on Sambrailo either....I think we could do much better in early rounds than him.

He's not much more polished than Clemmings. He's very similar to TJ Lang coming out except he has more prototypical size. Sambrailo is not much different than Bahktiari IMO, he's a solid mid-round OT.

I compiled a bunch of draft expert's boards this weekend and Sambrailo came out at #74.  So the media draft guys have him as a mid-third rounder already.  Not unreasonable for the #74 player to be picked at #61 (I think that would be the Packers 2nd round pick?), and obviously if Thompson wanted him he couldn't wait until his third round pick (which would be in the mid 90's).

 

So I agree with basically everything above.  I'd classify picking Sambrailo in the top 45 as a reach based on the info that's out there.  But picking him at the end of round two is pretty reasonable.  If he gets shuffled out of round three, it would probably have more to do with how many teams are looking to draft tackles and how many tackles are likely to be picked ahead of Sambrailo.  I'd say the following 9 are near locks to be picked ahead of him : Scherff, Peat, Flowers, Collins, Erving, Clemmings, Ogbuehi, Fisher, Humphries.  After that maybe somebody like Donovan Smith could be picked ahead of him but I'd guess Sambrailo's a good bet to be anywhere from the 8th to 11th OT to be drafted.  In 2014 there were 13 tackles taken in the first three rounds, so if this year is like last year Sambrailo is an good bet to be picked in the first three rounds.  But in 2013 only 9 OTs were taken in the first three rounds, so if this is a year like that then Sambrailo could easily slip to round four (just as Bakhtiari did).  Third rounders become fourth rounders and vice-versa based largely on team needs.  I'd guess that there will be a decent run on offensive tackles in this draft just because the free agent offensive tackle class isn't that great.  But who knows?  Time will tell. 

wait for it...

 

wait for it...

 

CONSENSUS BOARD!

 

That's right!  All caps with the exclamation point!  Just like it should be.  Nicely done.

40 times or GTFO

I love this time of year.  All the stats are in full bloom.

Full bloom stat. 

 

In Pretty Woman Vivian agreed to stay with Edward Lewis for 6 days/$3,000.00 thereby reducing her effective hourly rate from $100 to $21. Making Vivian a potential GM for the Vikings. And a whore. 

Larry Miller had the best part in that movie.

 

 

Uncalled for.

FTFY.

My Latest Mock, using FanSpeak:

 

(1) CB   MARCUS PETERS     WASHINGTON  (If he can pass the character test, he's worth it)
(2) ILB  STEPHONE ANTHONY  CLEMSON    (One of our consensus ILB's)
(3) RB   AMEER ABDULLAH   NEBRASKA      (Some competition at running back)
(4) WR   PHILLIP DORSETT   MIAMI         (A vertical threat, who could possibly man the slot position) This assumes we're losing Cobb to free agency
(5) DT   XAVIER WILLIAMS   N. IOWA         (A big body for run support)
(6) G    MITCH MORSE           MISSOURI        (Added depth at guard)
(7) TE   WES SAXTON          S. ALABAMA    (Athletic tight end had a great combine)

 

         

I think Dorsett goes fairly high. He's a faster version of Cobb coming out, in many ways, though not quite as thick.

@PFF_Steve

Chris Borland's run stop percentage of 21.3% is best of PFF era. TCU LB Paul Dawson at 23.2% this year, by far the top mark in college #CFF

My latest Fan Speak masterpiece:

 

 

I suppose TT should have asked CM3 and Bulaga if they planned on getting hurt.  Thompson is paid to find talent and add it to the roster.  These players are big talent.  I cannot blame TT for finding talent that has happened to get hurt some.  I put the injury derailed players in the category of sad waste, but bust should be for guys who ended up not actually being talented. 

While it's easy to take a shot at TT for missing on 1st rounders, usually at the end of the round, the guy has pretty much used every other slot and UDFAs to build a championship caliber team.  

 

That's what it boils down to for me.  Hell, TT hits on one 1st or 2nd rounder this year, may be the proverbial push over the hump.  Some years are bountiful, others are road apples.  Let us pray.

Amen.

Here is my latest betting that we lose Cobb & resign Bulaga, Funchess' combine performance is reason for concern but I still think he is the kind of matchup problem the Packers covet:

 

@ZachHeilprin: #Packers GM Ted Thompson in attendance at #Badgers Pro Day. As is Alonzo Highsmith.

 

@ZachHeilprin: Some very unofficial 40 times: Kenzel Doe 4.5, Warren Herring 5.01, Jake Kumerow [UW-W] 4.36.

 

@ZachHeilprin: As I said, very unofficial times. Had Kumerow at 4.43 the second time but officially he was around 4.5.

 

@ZachHeilprin: Melvin Gordon did not run the 40. Apparently OK with the 4.52 he ran at the combine.

This draft should set up perfectly for TT to draft best player available. Other than ILB and DT, there is no glaring need at any other position. At those two positions, once you get past the elite level talents, I'm not sure there is much difference whether you take a guy in round 2 or round 5.

 

It'd be nice to have another TE. They'll need depth at CB, but Shields and Hayward are both at least decent and they are set at starter across every position on offense for the next two years.

 

TT should have Chip Kelly, Rex Ryan, and a few others on speed dial. The way Chip Kelly is operating he may end up wanting a guy at the end of Round 1 and pay a ridiculous package in draft picks to move up and get his guy. Try to stockpile draft picks and hope that you hit a Linsley-like jackpot on at least a couple of guys in the middle rounds.

If there is an issue in the first round (and I'm not sure TT is worse than any other GM in the first round), it may be because there is more pressure to draft for need or for the player to make an impact right away. Once you get past the first round, maybe TT feels more comfortable just drafting BPA.

Kumerow is a big kid. 6'5" 230. Nice time. His dad was a first round bust with the Dolphins. He was a LB at 6'7".