Lots of Five-Techniques Still Available for Packers
Kendall Reyes, Devon Still, Jerel Worthy, Brandon Thompson and Derek Wolfe are all still on the board as the Packers consider their options in the second round.
With relatively few defensive linemen being drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, the Packers still have lots of options available to them in the second round at a position of need.
When the Packers decided to take USC's Nick Perry to fill a need outside linebacker on Thursday night, the hole on the defensive line for a starting-caliber player went unfulfilled. And that's not to say the Packers erred by selecting Perry.
Perhaps Tony Hargrove will become a starter and the producer the Packers need from a defensive lineman this season. But with his status still up in the air with a possible suspension being handed down due to "Bountygate" and Mike Neal serving a four-game suspension of his own, the Packers could still use some help on the defensive line.
The only true defensive lineman being selected in round one were Dontari Poe, Quinton Coples and Michael Brockers, and even Coples' fit as a 3-4 defensive lineman is dubious at best.
That leaves a fair number of five-technique defensive ends who line up over the offensive tackle available to the Packers in round two.
Among the names still on the board are Kendall Reyes of Connecticut, Devon Still of Penn State, Jerel Worthy of Michigan State, Brandon Thompson of Clemson and Derek Wolfe of Cincinnati.
General manager Ted Thompson is armed with 11 picks with six rounds to go, so he still has the ammunition to move up in the Draft if there's a player he really covets.
But with so many ends available, the Packers may choose to wait and see who slides to them at the end of the second round. There's no doubt some of them will be taken by the 59th overall selection, but there's a good chance one or two can be had for the taking.
The loss of Nick Collins still leaves a gaping hole in the secondary as well, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Packers select the best defensive back whether it's Vanderbilt's Casey Hayward, Oklahoma's Jamell Fleming or Montana's Trumaine Johnson.
It's difficult to envision the Packers selecting a true safety in the second round despite the need. South Carolina's Antonio Allen, LSU's Brandon Taylor and Oklahoma State's Markelle Martin will probably all be available, but none of them stand out.
And it's hard to envision the Packers taking a player on the offensive side of the football unless Wisconsin center Peter Konz slips all the way to the bottom of the second round, which is unlikely.
For as poorly as the Packers defense played last season when they gave up the most passing yards in the history of the NFL, the Draft is shaping up nicely as good defensive players could be falling to them.
Comments (24)
April 27, 2012 at 11:19 am
TT has plenty of ammunition to move up in the 2nd and/or 3rd to obtain 'exactly' who he wants. Waiting for a player to fall to 59 to save a couple of late round picks would be folly. GB needs a few more starter-type players on the "D". Enough with the project players that come from the later rounds. It's part of the reason the "D" is a mess.
April 27, 2012 at 11:28 am
Yeah IM thinking get Worthy and move back into the 2nd to get Trumaine Johnson
April 27, 2012 at 11:34 am
Personally, I would go with a Wolfe or Reyes in the 2nd. Then with one of our 4th rounders, I'd take a gamble on a guy like Akiem Hicks.
April 27, 2012 at 11:53 am
I'd love to see him get either of those, but unless either slides or Ted gives up a lot, it's tough to see Reyes falling so far. Maybe Wolfe drops to them - or close enough that Ted is willing to give up his 3rd or 4th to go get him.
This is Ted, however, so I won't hold my breath. :-)
April 27, 2012 at 01:33 pm
I like what I've seen from Derek WOlfe.
April 27, 2012 at 11:43 am
I don't think any of the 5 technique D-ends you mentioned will be there at 59. So if Ted wants one he's going to have to trade-up. And without looking at a value chart, I'm guessing he'd have to give up this years third plus additional lower picks to move up from where they are. So the question is are we willing to give up a lot of the middle round guys(and possibly our center and back-up QB of the future) to get one of these guys? Tough call
April 27, 2012 at 11:51 am
Hopefully Wolfe slips enough to where we only have to trade up a few spots to get him and maybe give up a 5th, 6th. Broncos traded down twice in te first and only got a fourth and a pick swap in one of the rounds.
April 27, 2012 at 12:50 pm
I know it's not TT's style, but he did trade a 4th for Grant, but he should trade maybe our 3rd for a safety. There's not one in the draft that's worth it and he gets a player of need.
April 27, 2012 at 01:22 pm
Who? And what team is going to part with a good safety in today's game?
April 27, 2012 at 01:34 pm
Ryan Grant? Ted gave up a 6th for him.
April 27, 2012 at 01:21 pm
Bucky Brooks has Reyes falling to us, Soooo... There's that!
http://m.nfl.com/news/09000d5d828a8579/secondround-mock-draft-fleener-os...
GBP 4 LIFE
April 27, 2012 at 02:15 pm
Hate to agree with that hack, but I've really liked what I've seen from Reyes. Worthy is the most talented but he doesn't play with any type of restrain whatsoever.
Not sure he falls to us, though, but if he does, it'll be great.
April 27, 2012 at 01:29 pm
The only DE whose name sometimes gets mentioned that really drives me nuts is Crick. Way too light to play the position in a 3-4. We already have that guy. His name is Jarius Wynn, and he spent the last couple of years bulking up to be closer to 300 lbs. to try to look servicable. If TT really thinks one of these guys is a standout then he should trade up and go get him - I think Reyes and Cox are worth jumping for. If they start running out, I hope that he goes and gets one.
April 27, 2012 at 01:36 pm
..The fact that Perry put on 20 lbs. of lean muscle in the short time between his last game and the combine tells me that if push comes to shove, the Packers could reasonably expect Perry to bulk up and play DE in the 3-4 if they really wanted a tweener type skill set to play out on end.
I don't think that will happen, but I guess I'm just saying I agree with you on Crick- the Packers already have guys who fit that mold.
April 27, 2012 at 03:55 pm
I suggested the same thing to packers blogger Tyler dunne and he doesn't see that as a possibility because of Perry's speed and edge rush
April 27, 2012 at 04:30 pm
It's a good thing I kinda think Tyler Dunne doesn't know his wahoo from his whatchamacallit.
Okay, that's a little harsh, but he's new to the Packers and it clearly shows.
April 27, 2012 at 04:19 pm
That was an eye-popper. My impression is that some guys have trouble hanging onto that kind of muscle growth once the season gets underway. It'd be interesting to see him on the scale in November.
April 27, 2012 at 04:32 pm
It's completely normal for players at just about all positions to weigh significantly less by the end of the season than what they weighed to start..
It's a brutal grind through sixteen games (and then some, hopefully), and emphasis is put on rest and recovery more so than strength and conditioning as the season plows forth.
What could me more of an eye popper? Probably some steroids being used. It's not normal to put on 20 pounds of lean muscle mass in that time frame... But, hey, until he tests positive, he's completely natural :/
April 27, 2012 at 01:38 pm
Worthy isn't worthy, I hope Still isn't still on the board at 59, and Reyes is projected as a 4-3 DE.
Of Derek Wolfe, Mailk Jackson, Trevor Guyton, Josh Chapman, Tyrone Crawford, Hebron Fangupo et al in rounds 2-5 TT will find help.
I know it's easy to say use later picks to move up but those late picks (5-7) have netted Matt Flynn, Aaron Kampman, Desmond Bishop, Marshall Newhouse, Scott Wells, Donald Driver, Mark Tauscher, James Starks et al.
April 27, 2012 at 01:49 pm
I obviously have little first hand knowledge, but I've read a bit that puts Reyes as a 3-4 five-technique.
April 27, 2012 at 01:55 pm
Several sources including the esteemed Jersey Al are saying Reyes is a 4-3 DE.
Brian Carriveau
April 27, 2012 at 01:59 pm
Reyes can be a 3-4 defensive lineman just like Cullen Jenkins and Tony Hargrove are 3-4 defensive linemen. They're not B.J. Raji or Ryan Pickett. But if they work at their craft, they're probably the best pass-rushing defensive linemen on your team and you hope they can hold their own in the base defense.
April 27, 2012 at 02:39 pm
Well, Bob McGinn says 3-4 5-technique!
Take that!
EDIT: Funny enough, someone just tweeted at Jersey Al asking why he's a Reyes hater.
Response:
"where is this coming from? The only negatives I've said on Reyes is that I wouldn't take him in the first round and that a scout I talk to thinks he's not a 3-4 DE"
April 27, 2012 at 03:39 pm
The term "better suited" is more precise. I think Al and I may be referencing the same scout. But someone else also said he was better in a 4-3.
That said, I think there are better choices for DL. BTW, here's some 7th round/FA's: Myles Wade, Matt Conrath, Nick Jean-Baptiste, Marcus Kuhn, Drew Nowak, and Damon Harrison.