Green Bay Packers 2018 Quick Draft Takes
Upgrading the Corner Back Position:
The NFL Draft saw the Green Bay Packers make a lot of interesting draft picks that could, and hopefully will provide tremendous dividends during the 2018 season. Early on, the Packers arguably selected two of the best cornerbacks available in the draft with their first and second-round picks. They expect both Jaire Alexander and Joshua Jackson to contribute immediately and fill the slot and outside corner positions respectively. Picking Jones and Alexander in all likelihood will spell the end of Quinten Rollins, Demetri Goodson, and Donatello Brown’s tenures in Green Bay.
The Athletically Gifted Oren Burks:
The third round saw the Packers draft an extremely gifted linebacker in Oren Burks, who scored off the charts in his athletic metric ratings. Burks has a tremendous raw physical ability, a high motor, and is a big-time hitter. Burks’s athleticism will allow him to receive reps both inside and outside depending on the opponents’ strengths and weaknesses. Burks also has a knack for sniffing out the screen game, which was an area that the Packers defense struggled with last season.
Trying to Find Jordy’s Replacement:
The draft also saw the Packers take three different wide receivers who they hope will replace Jordy Nelson’s production on the outside. All three of the Packers newly drafted wide receivers graded very favorable in their athletic metrics and had productive college careers playing against competitive competition and were deemed high valued picks for where they were drafted.
Breaking Down The Competition at Wide Receiver:
Out of the three newly drafted wide receivers, J’Mon Moore and Equanimous St. Brown has the best chance at having a breakout season in 2018 and playing a consistent role on offense.
St. Brown looks to be a steal at receiver in the 6th round after being graded by many as a third-round talent. If St. Brown can clean up some technical areas of his route running and work on ball security and strengthening his hands to catch the ball in traffic, then he can become an instant impact receiver by seasons end.
J’Mon Moore is another incredibly gifted athletic receiver, he is in the 96th percentile of wide receivers in the three-cone drill at 6.56 seconds which paints a picture of just the amount of speed that this guy possesses at 6’2 207. With these three receivers, the Packers have a cautious optimism that their wide receiving core will be one of the leagues best by the 2019 season.
Right now it looks as if there are four receivers that will be competing for Jordy Nelson’s reps at outside receiver:
1. Geronimo Allison
2. Michael Clark
3. Equanimeous St. Brown
4. J’Mon Moore
With the influx in talent at the wide receiver position through the draft and through the practice squad, it will be interesting to see if the Packers will choose to keep five, or six receivers going into the 2018 season. It will also be an interesting decision whether they stick with their 3, 4, and 5 receiver spots being held by inexperienced players or whether they could opt to acquire an experienced receiver on a one year deal.
Early Wide Receiving Core Depth Chart for 2018: Top 5-6 will make the team
1. Davante Adams
2. Randall Cobb
3. Geronimo Allison
4. Equanimeous St. Brown
5. J’Mon Moore
6. Michael Clark
7. Marques Valdez-Scandling
8. DeAngelo Yancey
*Trevor Davis will be cut
David Michalski is a recent college graduate from Princeton New Jersey who has been a life long Green Bay Packers fan. Like the great Vince Lombardi, he values God, family, and the Green Bay Packers in that order. You can follow him on twitter at @kilbas27dave
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