#286 Packers Unscripted: Draft debrief

But we got through it, and we're here to do Packers Unscripted. Yeah. I mean it was funny because on Sunday I told my wife I had all these plans mapped out. I had some work I wanted to do in the backyard the basement. I was gonna go running. Accomplished none of that. I went to breakfast in the morning, Miss Church end up just basically sitting around all the afternoon.

That's what happens, though, And I think when you go through a run like that this particular year, the Packers drafting eleven players, Uh, there's just so much that's happening in a lot of new personalities to get to know. But for the Packers perspective, I think you look at a lot of the reviews of this draft class have been very favorable, considering that they really addressed their biggest need, which was cornerback. Yeah, and I want to get to

that as well. And just to give the fans of heads up, we're gonna be here all week talking about this draft. If we don't talk about your favorite draft pick on today's show, keep tuning in because we have a lot more shows to talk about this draft. But because we wrapped up last week talking about the first round and the selection of Louisville's Jaire Alexander, excuse me, I want to get to what happened in the second round. With the Packers sitting at forty five, right in the

middle of the round. There and a player that a lot of people had rated as a first round prospect and that many mock drafts had actually going to the Packers at number fourteen. They're original pick in the first round, Josh Jackson, the cornerback from Iowa, is there, even though the Packers had just chosen a cornerback in the first round the night before, simply too good a player to pass up who falls that far, and Brian Coudacus jumped

on it. Yeah, this is your quintessential best player available in the truest form. I mean, if you go back to the scouting combine, Mike, you and I were sitting there with Larry mccarren, we did some of the shows. I think the logical thinking at that point in time was there was Denzel Warden, then there was Josh Jackson.

Those were kind of the one to Jackson ends up running in the you know, the mid four or five range at the combine and on the heels of only having that one true season where he was a starter at Iowa. I think that's ultimately what had him falling into the mid second round. But you look at his size and how he matches up, Mike, this is a great pick for the packers. And I know a lot of people right away we're trying to draw, you know,

parallels to two thousand fifteen. I see, this is something that's entirely different because of where you picked your Alexander, how they had him raided on their board, and then being able to get Jackson Quentin Rollin's no disrespect to him wasn't viewed like a first round type prospect where Josh Jackson really was. And for the package to get him at forty five, I think that's something they felt really good about. Yeah, and eight interceptions for Jackson in seventeen,

he sat behind a couple of other NFL level players. Uh, you know, wasn't a starter at Iowa, was on the field, you know, on defense and sub packages things like that, was a starter for the first time in seventeen, and lo and behold, he ends up leading the nation with

eight interceptions. And I'll say this was the most impressive thing to me about those eight interceptions, because with college statistics, you can have say, these players from the Big Ten, they play some lesser schools, smaller schools early in the season,

guys can pad their stats and and make some things happen. Okay, but five of Josh Jackson's eight interceptions came in a two week span against Ohio State and Wisconsin, the two teams that were playing for the Big Ten championship when it was all said and done it in that conference last year. This is a guy who's a playmaker, and uh, you know, it's it's really going to be exciting to see just how he fits in and how Mike Petton wants to use them with another young corner in Alexander

being that first round right. And what's interesting too about Jackson is that you talked about that cupcake schedule. Well, his was against Josh Allen, the number seven overall pick. He got an interception off him as well when Iowa beat Wyoming early in the season, So he earned you know, the pelts that are on his wall, they came through attrition and really being able to step up to the moment. And Alonso Dots and the Packers college scout that that

handles that region in the Midwest. You know, he said it too. This is a guy so much was said in the pre draft process. He's a zone cornerback, but he has a lot of man in his background two playing single high safety looks being able to press it

the line of scrimmage. And I think if you didn't if you took away all that, Mike, if you don't pay attention to the zone kind of narrative that was out there, and you just looked at him as a six ft hundred and nine pound cornerback, he looks like a press may and corner and you know the second side of that is you look at those interceptions he had in Iowa. There are some amazing, highlight real catches that he had, and I think that that's kind of

what he's giving you here. He gives you a fully rounded out cornerback and a guy I think the Packers think, can they can mold into that prototypical type boundary? Yeah? Yeah, I think if there's one thing we heard most often in terms of the evaluation of Alexander and Jackson looking at them as a tandem here as the two picks at the top of this draft is ball skill. Mike McCarthy talked about it. You know, it's about takeaways in this game. It's about making big plays on defense, especially

making big plays at key times in ball games. These guys, these two corners at the top, were drafted to do exactly that they did, and they did it in different ways. It's not like they're both just the same cookie cutter type cornerback. Alexander is a smaller guy, but he's shifty. He plays big and great speed and athleticism. That jumps out to you, Josh Jackson, if this is a guy who in one year did what he did at Iowa.

What's he gonna do when you have Joe Wick coaching you, when you can take all of those um you know, instincts and just what he brings the table, the rawness that he was able to really produce off of when you start to hone that with more technique and skill he set it to in his conference call. He feels like he's far from being a finished product and he brings that potential now to Green Bay. All right, with that, we're going to go to a breakback with more on

Packers Unscripted right after this. Welcome back to Packers Unscripted. Mike Spofford in this chair, West Hodkowits, and that one, Okay West. Continuing our review of Friday night, the second and third rounds of the draft, the Packers actually went into the third round without a pick, having traded that third round pick to Seattle on Thursday night to move back up into the teens in the first round in

order to take Alexander from Louisville. But as that third round was winding down, there was a player on the board that Brian Goodacunts really liked, wanted to have and traded a very valuable asset that being the number one pick in the fourth round, which was going to be the opening pick on Saturday, traded that to move back into the third round and selected or In Burke's out of Vanderbilt. And I will say this, I don't really

know much about Burke's. I didn't know much about him before the draft, but knowing what Goodacunts traded for him to get him tells me how highly he thought of him. And the fact, Mike, that they didn't want to wait thirteen more picks to take him. They felt like this is a guy that it was time to go. Um. And And it's funny too, because you say you don't know much about him. I think he was kind of, you know, a mystery a little bit to people throughout

the draft process too. Some people had him as a fourth and fifth round pick, some had him in the third round just because of his skill set. It's so interesting, I said, um on Saturday night, Mike, I think the Packers made history in a number of ways. Here is the first time they've taken a natural long snapper a number one, that's his position in the draft. I think you probably could go back, and I'm sure there's some

example you can show me. But I can't remember the last time the Packers took basically drafted a purposeful hybrid linebacker, which is what or In Burkes gives you. He did convert his last year. He was an inside backer, but he started at Vanderbilt as a defensive back his junior year. He ends up playing that hybrid safety role. Last year they just said, you know what, you're an inside backer.

He plays in that two thirty five range, so he he looks the part, but he gives you some coverage skills, speed and physicality that I think is really gonna fit well in this defense. For what Mike Petton wants to do. Yeah, to be two d and thirty plus pounds and to be able to uh to run you know a four five I believe it was was in the four fives with the forty yard dash at the combine. That's ah, that's the type of sideline to sideline type of speed

from a linebacker that let's be honest. And this is no knock against Blake Martinez, who had a tremendous second season, and or against Jake Ryan, who's a really solid run defender in this Packers defense, but they can't run like

that they don't have that kind of speed. So this brings a new element to an inside linebacker group that I think Mike Petton is going to try to find, you know, some different combinations here, and they're been depending on matchups and game plans and whatnot to use all these guys, and three dominoes had already fallen going into this draft. The first two are that Morgan Burnett and Joe Thomas are both gone. Joe Thomas had kind of been their coverage dime linebacker at times throughout the past

two three years. Morgan Burnett was that hybrid linebacker who probably spent a majority of two thousand seventeen lining up near the line of scrimmage, whether it was in the slot or whether it was at ninebacker. And then the other one is Josh Jones, who teased that position a little bit, but Mike McCarthy's already said they want him to focus on safety. Now, going in two thousand eighteen, you only had Martinez and Ryan, you needed to add

somebody to that room. They did it in the third round, and I think that gives them kind of that staple that they're looking for three guys that have different types of skill sets that can all be utilized in this defense. Yeah, an interesting background here with Burke's two goes to comes from Vanderbilt, I should say, has a younger sister who's also an athlete, a an accomplished softball player out at

Stanford UM. So you're talking about, you know, a family that sends its its children to some some highly regarded academic institutions, but they carry a heck of a lot of athletic ability. And uh and for Or and Burke's to be drafted in the third round coming to the Packers, Uh, you know it says says something about the work that he put in, but but sounds also like an incredibly

well rounded kid. And that's important because you can have all those tools and inside back or you can be physical, you can be able to run with guys in the slot, be able to cover you know, running backs coming out of the backfield. But if you can't mentally process all that quickly, it's not gonna work out. And I think you're getting a really intelligent kid who's obviously very driven and sold the Packers on all of this. I believe he was one of the pre draft Is it's correct

me if I'm wrong on that. I think they there's so many that come through here. I'm trying to make sure I get them all right. But they've been able to take a look at him, they've been able to study him, and they felt good enough about him, as you said, to take that very precious first pick on the fourth day, getting hours just to process who they want to pick. They moved up. They knew they didn't

need that time, and Berks was that guy. All right with that, We're gonna go to another break back with moren Packers unscripted right after this, Welcome back to Packers unscripted. Mike Spofford here, West, Hodkuwit's over there, okay, West. So on Day three of the draft, the Packers go into it with eight picks. They end up sitting pat at

all of those spots and taking eight players. And I think if there's one thing that Day three of the draft would be remembered for in Green Bay, much like Day three and seventeen was remembered for taking three running backs. This one was three wide receivers. Jmon Moore from Missouri in the fourth round, Marquez Valdez Scantling from South Florida in the fifth round and then Equinimius St. Brown from Notre Dame in the sixth round. I got all those

names out west. I survived it. But um packers of restocked reloaded in some ways here at wide receiver, not with a top prospect, not with a first round, second round guy, but um as I said, much like they did at running back. Their stockpiling here and they're gonna see what happens. Yeah, and all three of them I think checked two very big boxes, athletic and tall. When you look at St. Brown six ft five, he says, right now, he's around to eighteen. He was listed at

two oh three. He's the son of a former world champion bodybuilder. UM and obviously his story has been documented by HBO A a bunch of different outlets. Remarkable, remarkable athleticism, and also had a really good report with to Shaun Kaiser two years ago at Notre Dame. UM Jimon Moore is terrific. I mean a guy that was incredibly productive two thousand yards seasons in the sec um that doesn't happen by accident. Now there's some questions about his drops.

Uh he him and both also John Rick Salvin said a lot of that they think is a concentration thing. Him just trying to work two steps ahead, trying to slow down his game. As he said, humbling his eyes a little bit is going to be the key, and Velda is scantling is honestly to me, out of these eleven, I think is the most intriguing of all these prospects because he runs so fast. He sub four four, he

is six ft four. I think there was some questions about the vertical was a little a little shorter than you would expect for a guy that's his size and with that kind of speed, But had a career year, had a you know, a school record in terms of a single season production last year at USF and all

three of them bring something else to the table. And with trying to find a you know, another guy to step in for Jordy Nelson, it gives Luke actually said, look, David Rye in the Packers offense, a lot of different options to work with. Yeah, and you said it at the beginning. You look at the size of these guys, all three of them in that six three to six

ft five range. We've talked over the last couple of years about when Geronimo Allison has been on the field last year when um, Michael Clark Clark, I was gonna say Brown, and I knew that wasn't right. Michael Clark when he's been on the field, a different type of target out there. Now you're bringing in these three guys that you know that all provide that different type of target. It really changes the dynamic a little bit here in terms of this group of young pass catchers that Aaron

Rodgers will be working with. And uh And if one thing stood out to me about the third of the three, st Brown from Notre Dame, it's that he was the one guy in all the conference calls that we did with the players after they were picked. They for those who don't know, they put them on a conference call with all the media in the auditorium at Lambeau Field that you can ask them questions over the phone. He was the one who I felt anyway, it was kind of ticked off that he had to wait until the

end of the sixth round to get picked. A lot of projections had him as more of a third or fourth round guy. He seemed kind of annoyed by it. And I'm very curious to see if he's able to to to channel that disappointment, you know, in the proper way to in terms of motivation, and went not to get his NFL career started, because we've seen guys like that before. You know, the the old chip on the

shoulder cliche. Sometimes it can work to your advantage, but also sometimes that can become too much of the story. It can be and there's there's two different elements. Is that I really like though for st Brown, he is getting reunited now at de Shaun Kaiser. There's gonna be nobody happier to see their name come up with the Green Bay Packers than st. Brown because he knows now in training camp throughout the preseason he's gonna work with the guy that he had the most success with different

different change of quarterback. Last year. His numbers went down, but he's going to be able to have that. The other side of it is, though he did say the draft committee going into this thing projected him as a fourth round pick. There were some top one hundreds I saw that had him within that. I think Pro Football Focus had him up as high as sixties six on their list of overall prospects. So he did leave a year early. He could have went back for one more year.

He only had really two years at Notre Dame. He played as a true freshman, but not very much so there wasn't a whole lot to go off from that perspective. But the one thing I do really like about these three picks. You remember in two thousand and thirteen, Mike, the Packers they kind of overloaded a little bit in the late rounds. They went with Charles Johnson, they drafted

Kevin Dorsey. Johnson was coming from Division two. Dorsey was coming from Maryland but had no production really whatsoever, and the quarterback was an issue. All three of these guys come from bigger programs. And even though Valdez Scantling came from USF, he started at North Carolina State. These are Power five type prospects, power five type recruits, and now they're gonna be playing, they hope, with the best quarterback

in football. It does not set you up any better to really show what you can do than the platform the Packers are giving them. Yeah, and the and the comment you made initially about Jamon Moore out of Missouri back to back one thousand yards seasons, I believe it was eighteen touchdown catches and when you're talking about doing that in the sect, you know, against these schools like Alabama and l s U who have defensive backs drafted high every single year, and and other schools in in

that conference as well. That says something. You know, Florida has defensive backs drafted all the time as well. And the other thing I like about more his drops were easy drops. That's what a lot of scouts had said throughout this process. It was just stuff underneath stuff where he just was looking too far ahead. He can make contested catches, he can make them along the boundary. That's the type of prospect you're looking at. All. Right with that, we're going to go to a breakback with more on

Packer's Unscripted. Excuse me right after this welcome back to Packers Unscripted. I have Mike Spofford. He is West Hodko. It's okay, West, final segment of the show, and I'll try to get through it. My voice has cracked a couple of times already today. That streaming over the weekend tells you how long the weekend was to get through. But anyway, a lot of guys here to talk about on day three. But I do want to hit on a couple of I guess you'd have to call him

surprise picks. The Packers take not one but two specialists in the final rounds of the draft, punter j K. Scott from Alabama and then long snapper Hunter Bradley from Mississippi State, both from the SEC and UH, I guess we're already headed for quite the competition at punter and training camp with Justin Vogel, we are. I just want to say something quick. I never toot my own horn here. I totally called them drafting a long snapper. Though I called it. I called it. We'll talk about Hunter brad

a little bit more in the second. The one thing I did not call did not anticipate them taking a punter, just because I thought Justin Vogel for the most part, had a good enough year and he didn't have any competition for that job last year at all once Jake Schum was placed on injured reserve. So but I mean, you look at j K Scott, Mike, this is a guy that I can see why it would be hard for the Packers to pass up, especially if you're depending

on what that fifth round board looked like. You pointed it out if a punter is your top value there in the fifth round? You feel comfortable there. You could go a lot worse than J. K. Scott six ft six, little over two hundred pounds is he said in his his conference call with US. He doesn't even have to leave the ground when he punts, just because of the leg in what he's at, how high he's able to

get up on these punts. And it sounded like that last year at Alabama they really honed his technique, a sideline to sideline punter. He feels comfortable doing that. I believe there was only five punts returned against him last year, thanks in part too increased hang time and also the gunners getting down in the field quick enough. For Obama, this guy's a really good prospect. I can see why

the Packers took a liking to him. Yeah, you have to look when you look at the numbers, you have to look at them very carefully with Scott, because his senior year at Alabama, his gross average was forty three yards, which was actually less than his career average of forty five point six, which is a school record at Alabama. But then you look at the net average, the net average his senior year was almost identical to the gross average because nobody returned any punts. Half the punts were

fair caught. He pinned a bunch of them inside the twenty yard line. There were hardly any return yards at all. And that's something that where I I think he elevated his game to where he became a punter that somebody was going to draft, because, um, yeah, when that net average and that gross averages are so close together, that says something about the all around abilities that guy had.

As he said, he was getting really long punts his first couple of years there, especially after he got you know, some of the knee issues behind him, but guys were being able to return it. There was no hang time there, so they added some more technique to that, and that's what enabled him to be in a position that he was. Really Mike when it comes down to a net hang times, net punting yards is really the only thing me personally

that I care about. Yeah, And when you talk about Hunter Bradley, the long snapper from Mississippi State, talk about a kid who has overcome a heck of a lot. Was at three a c L injuries over the course of his career, ended up spending six years six years at Mississippi State because he had a red shirt ear and then also kind of a medical hardship year that got him an extra year of eligibility, and in the seventh round he ends up getting drafted in the NFL.

Hard not to root for a guy like that, the only long snapper that was drafted this year, and then also from the standpoint of Packers needing a guy at that position. Hunter Bradley is such an interesting story because he was the son of a long snapper. He went to Mississippi State playing tight end, had three A c L injuries. He even recounted a story of one of the team leaders going up to him asked him in the training room one day, why are you still here?

He ends up getting a chance to become the long snapper after the starting guy tore his A c L and then played the position perfectly his last two seasons. A really good story that will probably end up talking a little bit more about later this week. Yeah, I think he should put why are you still here? On a T shirt that he wears under his jersey and every NFL game that he ends up playing. If I were him, that's what I would do. But With that,

we have to sign off on Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage of the team and the draft on Packers dot com. On Twitter, He's at hod I'm at Mike Spofford at Packers for the team account. Thanks for tuning in, everybody. We'll see you next time. H