After the draft, the initial reports and draft recaps indicated that the Packers class is extremely athletic. That is not much of surprise given the fact that Gutekunst loves to acquire athletic players. However, there is a difference between speed in the NFL and speed in college football. After OTAs and this week’s minicamp, the radar guns confirmed these reports. The Packers rookies can flat out fly.
RB MarShawn Lloyd, one of two Packer third round selections, appears to be the lightning of the Packers RB group. Lloyd has popped off the charts with his speed and quickness. According to a few reports from practice, Lloyd is not going to be easy to bring down in the open field. He has runaway type speed and the ability to cut and jump in a flash. Adding Lloyd to an offense with a speedsters like Jayden Reed and Christian Watson will make it awfully tough for defenses to catch up.
Edgerrin Cooper, the rookie LB from Texas A&M, threw his hat in the ring for Quickest Packers Rookie. In the final week of OTAs, Cooper hit the hole so quick to stop Josh Jacobs for a loss that it caused Andy Herman of CheeseheadTv to curse! Cooper scored a 9.13 on the RAS test. His burst and speed is noticeable on his college tape, especially in this past year’s game against Alabama. So far, it is encouraging to see that his quickness can be a difference maker at the NFL level.
Do Not Forget About the Big Boys
Even the big fella, the Packers first round pick, Tackle Jordan Morgan, has entered the conversation. Morgan has displayed a unique burst off the line. He looks quick when the ball is snapped. His footwork is considered, by many, to be one of his strengths. His versatile skill set has allowed the Packers to play him at four of the five offensive line spots so far this offseason.
LaFleur does like the screen play, whether it is an outside WR screen or a RB screen. Morgan offers the Packers a unique quickness that is effective in the open field. That skill is a requirement for linemen in the screen passing game. It was evident in Morgan’s college tape that he excelled in the screen blocking game. LaFleur has expressed interested in utilizing Josh Jacobs and MarShawn Lloyd in the passing game. The Packers explosive offense will benefit from a dynamic lineman who can get off the line quickly and block in the open field.
Gutekunst loves to build a team with athletes. The catch with that is sometimes athletes are not football players. Through rookie mini camp, OTAs, and team mini camp, Gutekunst’s seems have to landed some athletes who are football players. Matt LaFleur mentioned Morgan, Cooper, Lloyd, and a most of the other Packers rookies seem to be adapting well to the NFL lifestyle. The Packers rookies have yet to put on the pads. However, as of right now, it is clear these guys can move and move with speed.
