Official 2015 NFL Draft Thread

Way to knock em dead, kid!  

I love the Buccaneers saying "If we can't find a suitable trade partner, we're taking Mariota." Translation: "Winston's agent is being unreasonable".

Haven't heard anything. Not much to be unreasonable about. These salaries are all slotted for the rookies. "Crab Man" isn't getting $50 million guaranteed.

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When you pick at the end of the first round, sometimes, there isn't any first round talent left

Sorry to interrupt the Shaq discussion, but I just wanted to throw another name in the ring.

With DuJuan Harris gone, I'm wondering if they may take a running back in the draft.  If so, I really like Jay Ajayi.  Okay, I'm a homer because I live in Boise, but this kid is really tough and dependable.  He was a Heisman candidate early in 2014.  He can really plow through people.  He's used to playing in a system that throws a lot of curves at defenses, including shifting players before the snap, HB options, etc.  

Morgan Burnett.

Good call H5, Burnett always plays a lot of snaps

Here's the snap percentages for 2014

What constitutes a full time player on the Packers defense  ? How about 65 % of the snaps ?

 14 / 21 defenders played less than 65 % of the defensive snaps

DL

Daniels 63%
Guion 50%
Boyd 35%
Jones 29%
Pennel 16%
Robinson 6%

LB

Matthews 82 %

Peppers 74 %

Neal 58%

Perry 33%

Barrington 33 %

Hawk 77%

Jones 19 %

DB

House 37 %

Shields  75 %

Williams 93 %

Hayward 39 %

Hyde 64 %

Burnett 86 %

Ha Ha 86 %

Richardson 13 %

I expect a lot of change as the Packers added Raji and lost Williams and House

Its highly likely that GB will draft an RB to replace Starks and... Johnathan Franklin

Can the Boise kid block in pass protection ?

I highly doubt TT goes for a RB in the second round, especially if he'd have to trade up for one. Someone will take Ajayi as the projected starter and he's probably the third or fourth-best RB in a really strong class. 

quote:

With DuJuan Harris gone, I'm wondering if they may take a running back in the draft.  If so, I really like Jay Ajayi.

There was that play in week 1 in Seattle when GB only had 10 guys on the field for Marshawn Lynch's 9 yard scamper for 6 just before halftime. So the numbers are going to be a little skewed. 

Now that I'm thinking about Seattle, please excuse me while I go repeatedly strike my testicles with a tack hammer. 

Yes, he can.   But let's go back to your comment about replacing Starks.  I thought he was really solid last year.  I know that historically he's had problems staying on the field, but I think he and Lacy are one heck of a 1-2 punch.

Corey Linsley

Higher than I thought.

HaHa, another outstanding LapFaller© for Thompson.

Rajion Neal was making a very good case for a roster spot prior to his injury. TT may draft one but it's not really a position of need.

They are a great 1-2 punch. But its also game of replacement...especially at RB

By this time next year, James Starks will be a 30 year old oft-injured back- up RB seeking a multi-year deal. I doubt he gets it in GB.

Packers would prefer to draft his replacement this year and give the rookie time to get up to speed in pass pro. Its a tough offense to learn quickly and MM won't put the RBs out there until they can handle pass pro

Nothing wrong with the 2014 or 2015 Starks, but the 2016 version is the one that needs replacing and the time to do that is in the RB-rich 2015 draft ( imo).

I'm guessing they'll try to find another RB who can play on all 3 downs

Rajion Neal?

Raijon is just a guy, Packers need better.

By 2016, Packers need to replace Starks and have a potential replacement for Lacy on deck. Eddie may or may not be affordable on contract number 2, and while TT loves to re-sign his own guys, in the case of a bruising RB -  it might be a different story.

Draft is about the future and TT is always 9 steps ahead of us fans. He's drafting for 2016/17 while the mockers are drafting for next Tuesday 

Yeah well you know who else are "just guys"?  Both our ILB starters, our left CB, all d-linemen not named Daniels, all OLBs not named Peppers or Matthews, and our TEs.  All these are far more important than #3 RB.  

Every team has holes.  If the Packers biggest hole is #3 RB, someone call Jostens and get this team fitted for rings.  

Sheesh dude, did kworst hack your account ? 

Many of those players are much better than you've given credit for

Calling Hyde or Hayward " just guys" is not your typical sound insight around here.

What did MM talk about with regards to Lacy in 2015 ?

http://www.jsonline.com/sports...282z1-297900871.html

"McCarthy said he's not concerned with changing Lacy's willingness to run over people instead of around them, and that the best way to preserve him is to limit his touches."

The Packers aren't drafting a 3rd RB - they are trying to find a number 2 RB and maybe even a number 1 RB. They aren't trying to replace DuJuan Harris, they are looking for a guy who can handle meaningful snaps in either 2015 or certainly in 2016.

The Packers built their running game into a real weapon, they aren't going to enter the season without more talent at the spot. Given Starks' injury history, and Lacy's bruising style it would be a lousy bet. And given how long it takes to learn pass pro, there's a value in doing it sooner rather than later.

They drafted Lacy and still spent a 4th on Franklin, I wouldn't be surprised to see them spend another mid-rounder at RB this time around.

Need to mention that Lacy has had 2 concussions in two years. A few more hard hits to the noggin and he could be done sooner than we all want. RB's get injured a lot, need to always keep the pipeline flowing.

It's not just the concussions I worry about with Lacy. Dude takes as much or more punishment than any successful running back of recent vintage that I can remember. Even Earl Campbell broke down at some point. I love the kid to death, rumble young man rumble, but man oh man I worry about his health going forward.

Ha didn't mean to come off like Kworst.  I just think RB is very very low on the totem pole and am very surprised it's being discussed in such detail.  I mean Lacy is 2 years and into his career and we're already looking to draft his replacement?  I know you gotta look to the future but let's focus on drafting Hawk/Jones, Peppers/Neal/Perry, and Williams/House replacements this year, or drafting a competent d-linemen.  

And disagree on Hayward and Hyde...sort of.  They're studs on the inside but everything I've read says they are big time question marks on the outside.  

I think the earliest Thompson would go with a running back would be round three.  If someone like Northern Iowa's David Johnson makes it down that far he would be a great pick.

When Harris left the Packers lost running back depth but they also lost their kickoff returner.  They could look at filling the kickoff return role with a player that was on the roster last year.  But Harris claimed that job, was pretty mediocre in that role and yet no other player seemed to challenge him for that spot.  Ted also knew the special teams sucked, yet again, and will probably not be content with just throwing a bunch of players inexperienced at returning kicks into the mix and letting the best guy win.  Johnson wasn't primary kick returner last year, but he did return 12 and averaged 36.5 per return.  Florida State's Karlos Williams didn't do that job much for the last couple of years, but was a solid kick returner in his first couple years at Florida State.  Later round receivers and defensive backs play into the kickoff return mix as well, but there are at least a couple middle round running backs that could fill both the #3 running back role and be a solid kickoff return candidates.

I don't understand why Kendricks would be off the board and Ben Henney would be a third rounder, especially if the criteria consisted of getting more physical and tackling better.  There is no question that size is by far the biggest negative when projecting Kendricks into Green Bay's defense.  But Henney is little, when looking at his frame he is probably the smallest player and has the least growth potential of all of the inside linebackers projected to go within the first five rounds.  He is also a terrible tackler, led the nation in missed tackles last year.

I think the criticisms of Benardrick McKinney being a bit stiff are justified.  But if the primary goals are to be more physical and tackle better then I don't know how Ben Heeney is #4 on the board and McKinney is not in the top 5.  McKinney is a big physical guy who shows excellent playing strength on the field.   

You're one of the smarter guys in here, that's why those comments took me by surprise

Our draft totem poles look different than the Packers draft totem poles - and I certainly don't know what the Packers are thinking at RB. I just like look a little further down the line and try to guess what's up.

They spent a 4th on Franklin so they apparently thought they needed more at that spot. They need to replace Starks and they have to have viable options for Eddie when his agent begins squeezing Teds toes. Tramon's agent squeezed too, and if it weren't for Hayward and Hyde and Goodson, those toes may have caved and overpaid an aging player. Packers aren't ready to replace Eddie, but they don't want to be bent over by his agent either.

As far as  Hayward, they moved up in the 2nd round to grab him - that says something. That's a very high pick

He's one of the best slot corners around, but is a question mark outside until he proves it. But Ted didn't just figure out that Tramon would be gone, he's been prepping for it for years.

Coach Whitt has a heck of a track record and so does Thompson, I'm confident they'll do the same thing they always do - bring in a high pick, a low pick and an UDFA and sort it all out on the field. Goodson may be the low pick and already has a year in the system

Draft ballers.  **** yer stats and underwear contests

No worries, Ted's a baller drafter

As a kick returner, I'd give Duan Harris good marks for ball security.

Good points.

and good point, Durango Doug, about concussions.

Heeney is rated as the 4-5th most athletic ILBer, based on all the combine measures, behind Anthony, Hicks, & Kendricks, & tied with Alexander. He was tied for 6th in productivity, this is from Packer Report .  

Brugler - sportsline.com

Undersized with a maxed-out build and short arms.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/d...s/1824277/ben-heeney

Zierlein - nfl.com

Does not look the part of an NFL linebacker.  Lacks the size and NFL "take-on" qualities against offensive linemen.

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2015/...en-heeney?id=2552306

Nawrocki (ex-Pro Football Weekly) - NFL Draft 2015 Preview

Smallish frame with very short arms and small hands.  Tight-skinned with a nearly maxed-out frame and does not have much room to get bigger.

http://www.amazon.com/Draft-20...429144022&sr=8-1

Ourlads has a formula where they plug the combine numbers in and kick out a ranking.  They use different categories for different positions.  They rated 17 inside backers and Heeney was third in their ranking.

https://secure.ourlads.com/sec...print/subscribe.aspx

I have Heeney as a fifth rounder.

Ut-oh: Tight skin.