#520 Packers Unscripted: Burning questions at the combine

going to do at wide receiver this offseason? Heading into Davante Adams at the top of the heap, and then no one really knows how it's going to sort itself out after that. The wide receiver prospects talked to the media a couple of days ago. We got a chance

to be involved in some of those interviews. Any guys that that stand out to you or have you've gotten any sense maybe of what direction the Packs might go here in the off season In terms of sense, not really, We're gonna find out exactly what they think of what they have and what they could potentially add to that group. More often than not, over the last fifteen years, there has been a receiver prospect that has been added during one of those three days. But what I really find

intriguing about this receiver draft class. Everybody talks about how deep it is, and it really reminds me of last year with the tight ends, where there were so many of them. There were so many that we're gonna go the first two days that you just figured the Packers filling a need there could potentially go down that road, and they ultimately did with Jay Sternberger getting drafted seventy fifth, the highest the Packers had taken that tight end in

eighteen years or whatever it was. I think this receiver class is very similar in terms of they could go for one at thirty. There's probably gonna be a good one there in the second round too. Do you want to wait to the third round? Maybe find the next James Jones there as well. So when I look at this class, Larry had so many good astute observations the past few days and some of these smaller type receivers

that could fit a slot. If the Packers choose to keep going with these bigger guys though, and if they want to go in the first round, maybe a guy like Tee Higgins ultimately ends up being there in the later rounds or the later first round, or or maybe a trade up to get him. I just I've been really intrigued by his size, his playmaking abilities. Six ft four, he's lean, and I just, you know, listening to him

talk at the podium, how confident he is. He feels like his height and the way he utilizes that is what separates him from the pack and makes him the best receiver in this class. And for that reason, he's kind of the guy I've had my eye on all week. One thing about wide receivers, Packer history says that you don't have to take one in the first round. We're talking about Jordy, We're talking about Jennings, We're talking about

Randall Cobb, We're talking about Davante Adams. You do not have to go up and get one in round one. So should the Packers not address the wide receiver position in the first day of the draft. Don't worry about it, and all could still be on the way. Yeah. Absolutely. And the mix that you mentioned, how deep everyone is talking about this wide receiver classes. The mix of guys is interesting. You mentioned obviously te Higgins, his size. There are these other guys kJ Hamler from Penn State, Jalen

Reagor from TCU. They're the smaller guys, the sub six footers that Larry talked about earlier. They could be the slot guys, although they don't like to be pegged as slot guys. They're like, hey, you can line me up anywhere, but then you also have I don't like to call them tweeners because that becomes, you know, kind of a negative connotation. But a guy like Levisca Channault from Colorado, I hope I'm saying that correctly, and uh and Brandon

Au from Arizona State. These guys are right around six feet, but they're two hundred and ten two hundred and twenty maybe two twenty plus pounds. So those guys maybe can line up anywhere. They they become the versatile pieces like a Davante Adams is. So I think they're gonna be a lot of options out there for the Packers, as you said, maybe in the first round, maybe in the second round or the third round where they got a guy like Jay Sternberger that they're developing for down the road.

And I'm glad you pointed that out because we're seeing this more and more. If you're a slot guy, a lot of times they're asking to do things outside. Another guy that comes to mind immediately is Bama's Henry Ruggs, the third. He's five ft eleven. I mean, he's a guy that I think kind of projects more like that Greg Jennings type that, Yeah, you can move him around, but he can live and actually produce outside if you

want him to be there. I just there's so many prospects in this draft that gives so many intriguing skill sets that I feel like the Packers and in Brian Goodicos wherever they want to address this, if they addressed it, they're gonna find somebody that could potentially fit in here and contribute. He go back to two years ago. I didn't anticipate them drafting three receivers. They went that route last year. They felt content that they didn't need to.

But the thing I keep going back to, and Larry's right, you don't need to do this in the first round, but it has been six years now since the last time they took Davante Adams in the second There's sometimes is a caliber of prospect that you find some traits that you find in those early rounds that aren't always there in the middle. That's why I'm intrigued to see if that potentially could be the if this could be the year where they finally dip back into the second

or maybe even the third to find a guy. You know, it's gonna be interesting, guys. Is how the draft falls. And you're talking about the first round. There's been projections where as many as a half a dozen wide receivers get selected in the first round, and you're wondering how teams, how the other teams are gonna play it. Are they thinking we're gonna jump in and get our guy or are we gonna hold back because it is so deep

and talent at that position. Are we going to hold back or is that going to be a situation when one goes off the board, Zaff, then you're gonna get another five off the board real quick, because hey, now we gotta go get our guy. It'll be interesting because every draft has its own personality. Yeah, I think so.

And and as we get into draft night in late April, in that first round, teams don't necessarily they have their guy, but they don't know how many other teams have that same guy, And how much do you believe in that guy over somebody else? What what's the courage of your conviction, so to speak, to make the move. But you mentioned Jordy Nelson that what is that twelve years ago two thousand and eight, the Packers actually traded back out of the first round, went down six spots, and then took

Nelson at the top of the second round. He becomes one of the Packers all time greats. Yeah, it is funny though. I'm glad Larry mentioned that. Watching how those trends play out. I mean, it isn't quite like fantasy football where it's okay, everybody starts taking a defense, so you gotta grab one. But you do see these things happen. And I go back to last year now TJ. Hockinson. Everybody thought he was probably gonna be a top ten talent.

But you and I when we were going through the interview process with these guys, I think a lot of people thought, no, a fan was maybe borderline first round, maybe the end of the first round, and then look where he ended up going, because well, are you gonna be able to get that guy at number three? Those are the things that we don't know today and even maybe up until three hours before the draft, you know, in April or whatever it is, GMS aren't even gonna

know it. Then Yeah, Well, if there is another question that is out there on the fans minds that hasn't gone away, it's what are the packer is going to do about the run defense? That was obviously a big letdown in the NFC Championship game against San Francisco. So earlier today, before we turned on the cameras here, we heard from defensive linemen and linebackers. They were the ones who were meeting the media. So I'll just throw this

out there. Any guys that you heard from Wes that that pique your interest a little bit for any reason. I don't think you can sit there and listen to Kenneth Murray talk for four minutes and not be impressed with him and how he carries himself. He recounted a fantastic story in terms of where he comes from, Uh, some of the things that his family has gone through, and even you know as recently, I mean he recounted a story about, you know, saving this woman's life on

the side of the road. I mean, like, but more than that, this is a guy that is a fantastic football player. He actually played with Curtis Bolton, had a chance to play with him a little bit a year ago, and not a bad player in his own right. Absolutely, and and and Kenneth actually uh said some really nice things about Bowl and what potentially he could be once he gets past this knee injury with the pack. Yeah.

And there's just something about Oklahoma linebackers that I've always just kind of taken a liking to, a grittiness, a toughness, and athleticism that they just seemed to find in that conference and really brings the best out of him. In Murray, I think when you look at this year's draft class, guys that could be potential difference makers from day one.

I'm no scout. No one's asking me to join the personnel department, but I just I've been I think his intangibles and what is required from that inside linebacker position in he checks a lot of boxes. I've watched both Murray and Patrick Queen from l s U on tape because at the very least it is a position of interest for the Green Bay Packers. And I didn't grind miles of it as yet, but I ground enough to see, Queen seemed to have a lot of ability athletically and

he could do some nice things. However, he wasn't a constant presence, at least not in the video I saw. Certainly, by what I saw, he has a potential to be that presence. What I'm telling Murray, that kid has got some snap, crackle and pop in his game. I mean when he runs into folks, things happen. He is an impact player. He's not a contact guy. He's a collision guy, and he can get all over the field. Very impressed with that young man. Yeah. Well, and Kenneth Murray too.

Just to give people a quick recap and though there's a story on packers dot com that I'm working on as far as as far as Murray's background, his parents adopted three special needs children and they've obviously had a huge impact on his life. And as West said, he happened to be kind of a witness to a car accident and end up giving a bleeding woman's CPR and and got her revived before the paramedics arrived. This was driving home from church with his girlfriend, you know, he said.

Which it was on a Sunday, like right after one of Oklahoma's games. So just a lot of really really interesting pieces to his story. But you mentioned Patrick Queen from l s U and what you saw on tape, and what I liked about what I heard from Queen at the podium is that he said, Hey, there are people out there who are questioning my ability to stop the run, and he wants to He wants to prove that. He wants to prove that he can be that guy in the NFL. And you know how this is Larry.

Sometimes self awareness is at least half the battle. If he knows what he's got to work and you can't walk around with you and I'm wonderful, I'm perfect, I'm the greatest thing since slice bread. When you're not, I mean, you have to address your shortcomings and trust me, almost every football players, yeah, absolutely, and and he's he's aware

of that. Now up in the defensive front here, I think the Packers also going to be going to be looking at defensive It's it's a position you want to add in just about every draft at point right now where the Packers address it again, like these other positions we're talking about, first round, second round, third round, But there are a lot of there are a lot of these guys West that are, you know, six ft two, six ft three and they're three ten three twenty And

we'll see what they're testing numbers are later in the week, but all indications are there's a lot of athleticism. But these guys who can line up between the tackles, you know, and stop the run and rush the passer with that kind of size, well, and that was kind of my biggest takeaway from the morning session with the defensive lineman. No, I don't have exactly all these names for you in terms of that position, but the wide variety of body

types that are infiltrating the NFL at this point. I look at Rob Winsor, who's actually from Fondilac played at Penn State. He's up there at six four pounds. I don't know how much body fat that kid has on him, maybe eight percent. I mean, he just looks like a complete physical specimen and then you see something. But I mean just it's those type of players that are becoming

more prevalent, especially in those three tech positions. Even if he isn't your traditional three pounder, um, you know, some of these guys go at six to three pounds but they find the leverage that they can, you know, be able to really make an impact inside, and you still have you're tried in true three pounders that are just gonna be able to take on your double teams, phil gaps and be productive against the run. The Packers, I you know, you go back. I think it's twenty three

consecutive years they've drafted a defensive lineman. Now it's almost you have ten picks right now. You can almost bet on the fact that you're probably gonna get another one. So seeing what they're looking for, because there's been a lot of outside sentiment right now that you know, they need a Howard Green, they need a Ryan pick it back, they need a guy that can sit down there and anchor the way they did ten years ago. When teams

are running as much as they were. Do you go that route or do you try to find another another Kenny Clark type body that can do at all. Yeah, that's what I was going to say, is the Packers found Kenny Clark at six in the draft a few years ago. And for all the needs that the Packers have and everything that we're talking about, if there's another Kenny Clark, who's there at thirty and you don't have to make a trade or give up any other picks

to get that guy. I think that's the kind of guy that's going to be difficult to pass on for this defense. Oh absolutely. And something as far as what the Packers have coming back up front, a couple of thoughts Dean Lowry who are signed to an extension and so forth, and tighter Lancaster the Northwestern tandem. How many teams have two defensive linement from Northwestern. It's gotta be

gott to be a new intercollegiate record. But anyway, I think those guys are both coming off seasons where they had their moments, but they weren't as consistent as they have been previously. Now there is tape, it's out there that they can play to a certain standard, which they've done in the past. And I think both guys that they were perfectly honest, wou'd hey, I can play a little better on a consistent basis. Both of them had

their moments. I could dig up the tape and show you and say, hey, this is great stuff, as good as it gets, but they weren't as consistent as you would hope for, or they would hope for so that's a possible area of improvement for the Green Bay Packers. Yeah, and let's be honest to Mike. I mean, how often is it that a rookie defensive lineman comes in and just lights the world on fire. Kenny Clark, it took all of his rookie year to start finding his groove.

It's improvement that's going to have to come from within. It's Lowry after getting the extension. It's Lancaster after becoming a player montrevious. Adams is still in this conversation. Two years ago, looked like he was on the come up. Last year it was a little bit more tougher footing for him to get going. And then I thought, really Kingsley Kiki came on late last season as well. The guy played nine defensive snaps and had thirteen tackles. I mean,

getting him more opportunities in that rotation pretty big. The thing about Ki Ki, he has got something that is really difficult to coach up and teach. He has an for getting on the edge and being slippery. It's hard as much holding and stuff that goes on, it's hard to get ahold of guys like Kames Lee kick he's just got that knack and it's hard to describe, but he slips people. And the thing about it is, ideally you're just not taking up space and filling your gap.

You're doing a little more like you're doing your responsibility and then having the wherewithal and the athletic ability to go make a play. That's when you start playing real good defensive lying and those are the type of things the packers are looking for. Kiki and the other guys. Yeah, when you talk about guys whose arrows are pointing up, so to speak, I'll just throw a couple of names

out there, excuse me. Ross Blacklock from TCU. This is a guy who actually lost the two thousand eighteen season two a torn achilles. He worked out and got himself back through rehab in seven months from a torn achilles, which is an injury that can take guys up to a year to come back from. He's got a really good story too as far as the backs or another one, I'll mention Marlon Davidson from Auburn, another big defensive lineman.

This is a guy he calls himself country Strong. He uhum made a promise to his mother, his late mother, to stay in school, finished school before he becomes an NFL player, wants to take care of his family financially, and all of that. He said he didn't really work out his first three years at Auburn. His final year at Auburn, his bench press went from two hundred and sixty five pounds to three hundred and ninety five pounds in one year. Because you know, some of these guys

have that ability to just keep getting better. Those are the kinds of guys that that that are definitely going to catch attention of of scouts and personnel people. And I love Marlon. Listen to him talk a little bit at the podium. There are certain guys that go up there and you can see the hunger in their belly, the fire in their belly that they want not only to be a good football player, but there's people back home that are counting on them, that want them to

succeed and need them to succeed. And I really got that flavor from him, in addition to having a really neat personality that seems like, you know, in based on everything I've read, you know, a good fit for a lot of locker rooms. One other thing to keep in mind as we're discussing the Packers getting better up front. This is a very good year for interior defensive players as far as free agency goers, and that class, that group of soon to be free agents is led by

Chris Jones from Kransas City. There's no way they're letting that dude go, not a chance. But it is outside of him, it's still a pretty good group. So who knows how things will fall as this offseason transpire. Yeah, there's going to be a lot of transactions taking place in the NFL between the middle of March and then late April when the Draft rolls around. But with that, we're going to call it a wrap on this edition of Packers Unscripted and a wrap for now from the

NFL Scouting Combine. Thanks for watching, everybody, for Larry and Wes, I am Mike. We will see you next time.