Ol' Bag of Donuts » Eric Norwood

If I was running the draft room in Green Bay…

admin — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 05:10:58 +0000

As I write this, we sit on the eve of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Holy crap.

That being the case, it’s time for me to put on my Ted Thompson cap and pretend I’m running the draft room in Green Bay. Yeah, this should be fun.

Before we tee this thing off, a few ground rules:

I am not going to predict any trades for the Packers. I’m going to assume, for the purposes of this post, that they will keep all eight of their picks. It’s impossible to predict which, if any, trades will happen.
I kept it original, meaning I don’t have Green Bay taking any of the players I assessed to the other NFC North teams on Monday.
I took need into account more than anything else. Of course, Thompson doesn’t do this very often. Still, it seemed like the best way to attack this thing.

With those rules out of the way, let’s begin.

Day One: At pick No. 23, the Packers will definitely have some options, which is a good thing. They could snag their left tackle of the future, as at least two of the top six offensive tackles should still be available. They could look for an impact outside linebacker or corner, as well. Ultimately, I had to ask myself the following: Which need is the greatest? Quickly, I crossed corner off the list. That left me with two positions, of course, and one more question: Who do I have more faith in – Brad Jones or Chad Clifton? While we don’t know if Jones is the guy to go opposite Clay Matthews, we do know that Clifton is money in the bank to miss at least three or four games next season. Depth is needed for the short term. And Clifton’s age makes finding a long-term solution crucial (job No. 1 for the organization, as a whole, over the next 10-15 years: Protect Aaron Rodgers). That made finding an answer easier. I’ve been saying USC’s Charles Brown should be the pick and I’m not backing off that now. He – hopefully – won’t make much impact right away. He needs a year to get stronger and fully learn the pro game. But, if called into duty in the event of a Clifton injury, I think he’s good enough to hold down the fort for a stretch or two. And come 2011, he’ll take the left tackle job and own it for the next 10 years.

Day two: Even though I just got done saying that outside linebacker is a bigger need than cornerback, there are more top-notch corners available in round two than there are OLBs. Charles Woodson and Al Harris aren’t getting any younger, and outside of Tramon Williams, the rest of the youngsters are unknowns (or Jarrett Bush). The character issues worry me a bit, but there’s just something about Oklahoma State’s Perrish Cox that I love. He’s got fantastic balls skills, knows how to play zone defense and would cure Green Bay’s return woes reeeaaal quick. Plus, I have faith that Woody and Al can keep him in line. If Pat Lee can finally stay healthy, the Packers will have great depth at that position this season and could have a nice trio for the long-term with Cox, Lee and Williams.

Now we’re in round three and it’s time to find an outside linebacker. I’ve waited longer than a lot of people would simply because I think Jones will make a nice leap next season. But the team still needs insurance in case Jones fails. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking to have him lasting this long, but South Carolina’s Eric Norwood would make for a great selection. He’s a bit undersized (just 6-feet, 1-inch), but he proved – in the top collegiate conference in the nation – that he knows how to rush the passer (and he’s a great tackler). Between Jones and Norwood, the Packers will find someone to pair opposite Matthews. I’m certain of that.

Day three: So far, I’ve covered what I feel are Green Bay’s three biggest needs. There’s one more spot that must be addressed, though: Strong safety. Atari Bigby shows flashes, but is often inconsistent or injured. As a fourth rounder, Kansas’ Darrell Stuckey brings a lot to the table, particularly for a 3-4 strong safety. He’s a great tackler and zone cover man, with excellent toughness and sub 4.5 speed. He needs to be more consistent playing the ball, but he can easily improve there (especially being around guys like Woodson, Harris, Williams and Nick Collins).

The Packers have two picks in round five – one being a compensatory selection – and with the first of those, I think Green Bay should address the running back position. The idea of bringing in Brian Westbrook doesn’t do a whole lot for me, frankly, simply because he’s one hit to the head away from having to call it a career. I know he played in Division II – and ran a 4.68 40 – but Wayne State’s Joique Bell is very intriguing to me. He can hit the extra gear in a hurry, which makes him faster than his 40 time would suggest. He’s got great vision, good hands and he’s tough. He completely dominated DII last season, rushing for over 2,000 yards. He’d make for a nice No. 3 back.

With the second fifth-rounder, the Packers must look at their d-line. Cullen Jenkins will be a free agent after next season and Johnny Jolly could be in jail. Kentucky’s Corey Peters tends to take plays off from time-to-time, but he’s also very strong and great at using his hands to either control blockers or move them out of the way. If the consistency issues get cleaned up, he could be a starter in a year or two.

In the sixth round, Green Bay needs to simply look a couple of hours south to find its selection. Wisconsin’s O’Brien Schofield was pegged as a mid-round pick after a 12-sack 2009 campaign and strong showings in the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl practices. Then, however, he tore his ACL later on in the Senior Bowl practices, wrecking his draft status. He’ll likely have to spend the entire season on injured reserve, but once his knee fully heals, he’ll be an impact player. He brings great value this late.

With their final selection, I think it’d be fair for the Packers to snag a quarterback. It’s becoming very clear that the team is grooming Matt Flynn in the hopes of trading him after the 2010 season, something Ron Wolf loved to do in his day. That being the case, they should probably select their next Matt Flynn. Green Bay brought in Tennessee’s Jonathan Crompton for a visit recently and he’s got enough upside to warrant a seventh-round selection. I can’t find much fault with that pick.

So there you have it, gang. That’s what I would do if I was Ted Thompson. As always, feel free to comment.

Finally, this is our second-to-last post before draft night. Our last post will be a three-man cage match mock draft, featuring Adam, Gene and myself. That will be up Thursday morning, so make sure to look for it.

-Chris Lempesis

2010 NFL Draft scouting profiles: Outside linebacker (part three)

admin — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:04:31 +0000

Two posts on outside linebackers are in the books. We’ve still got a couple of second-round guys to get to, but the majority of this post – our last on the position - will focus on some possible mid-to-late round gems who could strike the Green Bay Packers’ fancy in the draft.

How’s that for a succinct introduction? Not bad, right?

Daryl Washington, TCU

The numbers: 6-feet, 2-inches, 225 pounds…turns 22 years old in October…4.58 40-yard dash time and 17 bench press reps at the combine…first team All Mountain West Conference in 2009…109 tackles, three interceptions (one returned for a score) and two sacks in 2009…five sacks over his final two seasons at TCU.

With all the talk surrounding Washington’s teammate, Jerry Hughes, Washington has become a forgotten man of sorts. Don’t let that fool you, though – Washington can play. He’s a supreme athlete with pure sideline-to-sideline range and excellent tackling skills (have I mentioned Green Bay struggled in that area last season?). His coverage skills are also very good, which would put him right at home in the 3-4 OLB spot. He’s versatile and can play multiple ‘backer spots (something the Packers always love). He’s not overly big and needs to put on bulk in order to shed blockers at the next level. His sack totals aren’t overly high, either, which gives some pause. Still, he’s got solid upside and would be a nice second round pick for the Pack.

Eric Norwood, South Carolina

The numbers: 6-feet, 1-inch, 252 pounds…turns 22 years old in May…4.71 40-yard dash time at the combine and 21 bench press reps at his pro day in March…unanimous first team All SEC in 2009…81 tackles, seven sacks and two interceptions (one returned for a score) in 2009…29 sacks for his career.

The first thing that jumps out at you about Norwood is his production in the best conference in the country, particularly in terms of rushing the passer. It is indeed his strongest asset as he enters the NFL. While not overly fast, he’s great at using his hands to clear free from blocks. From there, he relies on his good closing speed to get to the quarterback. He’s also strong, relentless and a good tackler. He’s not quite as bulky as Brandon Graham and his arms are longer (33 3/8 inches to Graham’s 32 1/4 inches). On the downside, he’s raw in coverage, overly aggressive in pursuit and, again, that 40 time is hard to ignore. He’d be a decent second round pick and an absolute steal as a third round pick for Green Bay.

A.J. Edds, Iowa

The numbers: 6-feet, 4-inches, 244 pounds…turns 23 years old in September…4.62 40-yard dash time and 16 bench press reps at the combine (those numbers changed to 4.67 and 18 for his pro day in March)…72 tackles, five interceptions and no sacks in 2009…two sacks for his career at Iowa.

While Norwood’s biggest strength is his ability to rush the passer, Edds’ biggest plus is his ability to cover. He’s intelligent, fundamentally sound and has excellent ball skills. He’s been compared to Minnesota’s Ben Leber and, at this point, I’d say that’s fair. In that sense, Edds would be a nice compliment to Clay Matthews (a very underrated cover man). And he’s a better athlete than his 40 time would suggest. Of course, Edds also seems to bring almost nothing to the table as a pass rusher. Like a lot of cover linebackers, he’s not very aggressive. He’ll be on the board in round four and if Green Bay thinks Brad Jones is the guy – particularly as a pass rusher – Edds could be a nice guy to have for nickel situations.

Roddrick Muckelroy, Texas

The numbers: 6-feet, 2-inches, 235 pounds…turns 23 years old in November…4.68 40-yard dash time and 19 bench press reps at the combine (40 time fell to 4.73 for his pro day in March)…second team All Big 12 in 2009…80 tackles, two sacks and one interception in 2009…five sacks for his career at Texas.

Think of a smaller, slightly slower version of Edds. Well, that’s basically Muckelroy. While he does not cover quite as well as Edds, he’s still very solid in that department. He’s also a slightly better tackler than Edds with equally strong fundamentals. He’s got good instincts and played both inside and outside for the Longhorns (again, something Green Bay loves). He needs to get much stronger and, like Edds, he doesn’t bring much of anything to the table as a pass rusher. Muckelroy will still be available in the fourth round, but if I had to choose, I’d pick Edds instead based purely on his cover skills.

Cameron Sheffield, Troy

The numbers: 6-feet, 3-inches, 257 pounds…turned 22 years old in February…4.92 40-yard dash time at the combine (improved it to 4.85 at his pro day in March) and he did not lift at either event…second team All Sun Belt Conference in 2009…50 tackles and six sacks in 2009…11 sacks over his final two years at Troy.

Sheffield’s is a name you probably don’t know, but odds are you know of a couple of guys his school has produced (that Ware guy in Dallas and that Osi guy in New York). Like those two, Sheffield’s biggest strength is rushing the passer. He’s got an explosive first step (that 40 time is a bit misleading) and can easily navigate his way around opposing tackles. He also improved steadily in coverage and playing the run as his time at Troy went on. He needs to get much stronger to avoid being swallowed up by tackles at the next level, though, and he’d do well to play with more aggression from time-to-time. That said, if the Packers are looking for this year’s Brad Jones, Sheffield very well could be that guy. He’d be a great sixth-or-seventh round selection and could make an immediate impact as a pass-rushing specialist.

O’Brien Schofield, Wisconsin

The numbers: 6-feet, 3-inches, 244 pounds…turned 23 years old earlier this month…No combine or pro day numbers as Schofield tore his ACL during Senior Bowl practices…first team All Big Ten in 2009…62 tackles and 12 sacks in 2009…17 sacks over his final two years at Wisconsin…cousins with both Vonnie Holiday and Bobby Engram.

Talk about heartbreak. After a very good showing in the East-West Shrine Game, Schofield was having a nice week of Senior Bowl practices until he tore his ACL. That, obviously, dropped his mid-round status considerably. His knee injury will likely cause him to miss the entire 2010 season, but if the Packers are willing to redshirt him for a year, they could end up with a very good player come 2011 (you know, if there is a 2011 season). Schofield is a pass-rushing monster with decent enough size and strength. Some worried about his coverage skills, but he showed marked improvement in that area in the postseason games/practices. I’ve said before that Green Bay needs to find immediate impact players in this draft, but in Schofield’s case, I’ll make an exception. As a seventh-round pick, he’d bring fantastic value.

That wraps up our look at outside linebackers. We’ll be back later today with a look at some mid-to-late round defensive lineman.

-Chris Lempesis