Thompson Goes 3 for 3

Jason Spriggs Could Take David Bakhtiari's Left Tackle Job

I have to give General Manager Ted Thompson credit for being the only person on the planet that is reading this blog and for taking my advice that getting a left offensive tackle is a priority and on the second day he took Jason Spriggs from Indiana.

Spriggs was the fifth ranked offensive tackle before the draft and was the sixth taken overall and first in the second round.  The top four were Laremy Tunsil, Ronnie Stanley, Jack Conklin and Taylor Decker with No. 6 being Germain Ifedi.

Spriggs was slated late first-early second round and Ifedi second round, but the Seahawks jumped Spriggs to take Ifedi, who is more suited to play right tackle after failing at left tackle at Texas A&M.

The second round was going quickly with three defensive ends, five linebackers, two defensive tackles, a nose tackle (not Andrew Billings), two wide receivers, a cornerback, the top tight end and the top running back coming off the board.

I'm guessing Thompson felt that offensive tackle had to come up sooner than later, so he struck a deal with Indianapolis to jump up from 57 to 48 by giving them a fourth rounder (125) and a seventh rounder (248) and grabbed Spriggs, who was ranked as the 34th best prospect overall.

Here's Spriggs scouting report:
A former tight end, Spriggs was a four-year starter at left tackle for the Hoosiers and showed steady development each season, filling out his frame and holding his own against the Big Ten's top rushers like Joey Bosa and Shilique Calhoun.

He was named second team All-Big Ten in 2015 by the coaches and media and one of six semifinalists for the Outland Trophy. Spriggs was charged with only two sacks allowed in 431 called pass attempts and had 72 knockdowns in 972 snaps.
In 10 starts in 2014, he allowed just two sacks and was a consistent force in the run game, helping Tevin Coleman rush for over 2,000 yards. Spriggs did not redshirt and missed only one game for the Hoosiers because of injury.

Strengths Weaknesses

STRENGTHS: At 6-foot-6, 305 pounds, Spriggs has the size and well-distributed musculature NFL scouts are looking for, as well as impressive initial quickness, lateral agility and balance. The length and athleticism combination makes Spriggs well-suited to pass protecting in Indiana's up-tempo spread offense and in run blocking at the second level.

Steady run and pass blocker. Has enough set-up quickness and lateral mobility to beat rushers around the corner, showing smooth body control and natural athleticism in space. Has the temperament needed to match up vs. fierce pass rushers. Rather than maul defenders at the point of attack, Spriggs relies on his quickness and agility.

He showed the quickness and balance at Senior Bowl practices that scouts have appreciated about his game in the past, while also flashing some nastiness, looking to pancake opponents when he could.

WEAKNESSES: Tackles from collegiate spread offenses have struggled acclimating to the physicality of the NFL and this remains a concern for Spriggs, who struggles at times to sustain blocks due to average upper body strength and pad level. He needs to improve the timing and force of his punch in order to better control defenders.

COMPARES TO: Nate Solder, New England Patriots: Balanced in pass protection and quick to the second level as a run blocker, Spriggs should be able to remain at left tackle in the NFL and perhaps emerge as a standout there just as Solder -- also a former tight end -- has for the Patriots.

IN OUR VIEW: Scouts looking for tackles to play in a zone blocking scheme will certainly want to check out Spriggs, a former tight end who has maintained his athleticism while getting bigger and stronger to start the past four years at left tackle for the Hoosiers.

Quick and agile, Spriggs is very effective blocking on the move and has the length and balance to mirror in pass protection. He's not particularly stout, however, and may struggle acclimating to the power he'll face in the NFL.

The only thing about Spriggs is he is the second tallest offensive tackle at 6-6, but he is also the lightest at 301. NFL Analyst Mike Mayock says: "I think that pick was necessary. They have four offensive linemen with one year left on their contracts. They need to protect Aaron Rodgers and get more athletic." Is it just me or did Mayock not say anything about Spriggs  I wonder why?

The next pick was by the Seattle and they took the highest rated defensive tackle left on the board Jarron Reed from Alabama. The other high rated defensive tackle from Alabama A'Shawn Robinson was taken by the Lions two picks before the Packers took Spriggs.

As it turned out the next offensive lineman was guard Cody Whitehair taken at pick 56 by the Bears and none other for the rest of the second round. The Colts took safety T.J. Green with the Packers original pick at 57. While you never know if Spriggs was still on the table he might have been picked it looks like he would have still be available at 57 saving the fourth and seventh round picks.

As the third round progressed the next offensive lineman taken was tackle Shon Coleman at 76 by the Browns following by guard Joe Thuney at 78 by the Patriots, guard Issac Seumalo at 79 by the Eagles and tackle Le'Raven Clark at 82 by the Colts.

Once again I feel inside linebacker was and still is the biggest need on the Packers, so inside linebacker had to be the next pick.

I knew being Thompson's new best bud couldn't last too long because Thompson doesn't agree with me. He feels Jake Ryan, Joe Thomas, Carl Bradford and the injured Sam Barrington are a really good unit, while I think they are the worst unit on the team.

Kyler Fackrell Will Replace Mike Neal And Then Maybe Julius Peppers

However, Thompson feels that outside linebacker is worst than the four All-Pros (kidding) on the inside. The unit consists of Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers, the recently re-signed Nick Perry, Jayrone Elliot and the recently signed free agent Lerentee McCray. It seemed to me after spending almost $10 million on Perry and McCray the position wouldn't be a high priority, but when the 88th pick in the third round came around Thompson jumped at Kyler Fackrell from Utah State, who was ranked as the 70th best prospect.

NFL Media analyst Daniel Jeremiah says this: "He is very loose and bendy to wrap around blocks and pursue from the back side. He's versatile in the passing game. He can run and mirror tight ends and he's an explosive blitzer. Overall, this is a very athletic edge defender with the ability to make plays on all three downs."

Sounds like a good pick to me, so my only beef is why re-sign Perry and sign McCray? If you look back I am and was against the re-signing of failed No. 1 pick Perry and wondered why sign an outside linebacker as your only free agent acquisition. I would take Fackrell over both of those chumps.

Here is Fackrell's scouting report:

Overview
A stand-up rush linebacker with length and agility, Fackrell came out the box strong for the Aggies, garnering all-conference honors in each of his first two seasons on campus (21 tackles for loss, eight sacks in 2012-2013). Fackrell suffered a torn ACL in the season opener as a junior but returned with in his final year, consistently making plays on the edge against the run (82 tackles) and attacking the backfield (15 tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles, five recovered). Scouts appreciate the maturity of a player who has gone through injury adversity, as well as taken on responsibilities via marriage and fatherhood. Fackrell and his wife, Elizabeth, welcomed a baby girl (Delaney) into the world early in 2015.

STRENGTHS: Premium length and athleticism. Played quarterback and wide receiver in high school and lettered in basketball and volleyball. Rangy tackler who is able to shadow the ball all over the field. Has length and arm extension to punch and control the point of attack. Functional strength is good enough against the run. Has length and motor for tremendous tackle radius. Had 80 tackles or more in each of his last three full seasons. Had just five sacks, but often dropped into space. Potential is there to become plus pass rusher. Combines forward lean, hip explosion and long arms to crank up speed-­to­-power pocket push. Upfield burst covers substantial ground in first three steps. Has upper body turn and shoulder dip to slip under tackle’s shoulder and around the corner. Don’t sleep on his cover ability in space.

WEAKNESSES: Missed the entire 2014 season with an ACL tear. Can improve his hand play as pass rusher at the high side of his rush. When edge rush stalls out, has average counter attack. Long-strider who struggles to make sudden inside moves once he gets going upfield. High center of gravity combined with lean lower half make it difficult to play through redirect blocks with contact balance.

Draft Projection: Round 3
NFL Comparison: Connor Barwin

BOTTOM LINE: When it comes to the length and athleticism teams will look for off the edge, Fackrell will be one of the poster boys. His field versatility, coverage talent and potential as a pass rusher could make him one of the fastest rising prospects in this draft and a future contender for a Pro Bowl nod.

Here how the rest of the North did in the second and third rounds.

Chicago: The Bears got Whitehair from Kansas State at 56 in round two ("He played left tackle at Kansas State, but he's not long enough to live outside. If you look at what Chicago has on the offensive line, Whitehair is a good fit. This guy will step in on Day 1 and compete at guard. Jay Cutler will have protection and that run game will have to get better." -- Mike Mayock) and defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard from Florida at 72 in round three ("Bullard is quick and explosive, and will be an interior sub-package defensive lineman. He'll make a heck of a living in those sub-packages." -- Mike Mayock). My analysis: (A-).

Minnesota: The Vikings got cornerback Mackensie Alexander from Clemson at 54 in the third round ("A lot of people thought he was a first-rounder around bowl season. He is quick and fast, but there's a lack of ball production. He was a two-year starter, but with zero interceptions. He'll compete for a nickel cornerback spot." -- Mike Mayock). My analysis: (C).

Detroit: The Lions got defensive tackle A'Shawn Robinson from Alabama at 46 in the second round ("The Lions are really short at defensive tackle right now. New Lions general manager Bob Quinn wants to get bigger and more powerful on both lines of scrimmage." -- Mike Mayock) and center Graham Glasgow from Michigan at 95 in the third round (He can play both the zone and man schemes. He's also big enough to block those nose tackles." -- Mike Mayock). My analysis: (A).

The top player remaining on the board in my estimation is nose tackle Andrew Billings (I still like him and remember he was ranked as the 27th best prospect regardless of position on one list). There are also some good inside linebackers Joshua Perry from Ohio State (68th at OLB), Nick Kwiatkowski from West Virginia (151th at OLB) and Blake Martinez from Stanford (146th) remaining.

With the ongoing struggles of punter Tim Masthay maybe it would be a good idea to draft the No. 1 punter in the draft Tom Hackett from Utah. He is a quirky Australian with a powerful leg.

The Packers have two picks remaining in the fourth round (131, 137), one in the fifth (163) and one in the sixth (200).