Roster Rumblings

Looking around the roster the Packers kept three quarterbacks and I have no problem with that because we don't know how healthy Brett Hundley is and Joe Callahan earned at least a few weeks on the 53 because he was the only one who provided the "WOW" moments during the preseason.

MOCKINGJAY DRAFT

Everyone and their brother had mock drafts leading up to the big event, so I decided to do something a little different and conduct what I will call my Mockingjay Draft if I was general manager instead of Ted Thompson.

 

One caveat is once I change a pick everything after that changes - but, of course, all you Trekkers know about the ripple effect in the time line of changing something in the past, so we'll just forget that aspect of it - and I will chose from the remaining undrafted guys in each round if I change the pick.

 

Round 1-30: Thursday night I said I would have drafted defensive tackle Malcom Brown from Texas instead of free safety Damarious Randall. But upon further reflection I would take Clemson ILB Stephone Anthony, who went to the Saints with the next pick. Either pick would have been better than Randall, but I will go with need at that point.

 

Stephone Anthony

Mike Mayock said: "Anthony is a big inside linebacker; a prototype. I think his best football is ahead of him. He'll be a starting inside linebacker immediately. He blew it up at the combine. For a guy that big, he's highly athletic."

UNDERWHELMING TO SAY THE LEAST

Day Three of the NFL draft General Manager Ted Thompson had his own four picks plus two compensatory picks in the sixth round. After being disappointed with the first three picks (S Damarious Randall, S Quentin Rollins and kick returner Ty Montgomery) I was anxiously awaiting some third day gems taken by the master of the third day gems.

 

However, when I finally got home from a thrilling doubleheader sweep by the local college softball team I clicked on the list and couldn't believe my eyes. After my first perusal I couldn't find a gem among the clinkers. Upon further reflection maybe there was one, maybe.

 

After avoiding like the plague the most needy of positions - inside linebacker - the first two days Thompson finally drafts Jake Ryan from Michigan. At least he isn't a project like the first two picks who are moving from safety to cornerback because he moved from outside linebacker to inside linebacker his senior year.

 

Jake Ryan

The scouting report has him listed as 6-2, 240. His strengths are being a downhill tackler with a burst to the ball and the ability to go sideline to sideline. He's also good in zone coverage. His weaknesses are being a block magnet and staying tied up for too long as well as needing improvement on diagnosing and reacting to the play. He is overly aggressive (considering the Packer defense that is not a weakness), but he does tend to miss tackles (that could be a problem).