#529 Packers Unscripted: Draft dive, Q&A style

you know, we got a chance to go outside. We actually did a little bit of We got a swing set out there that has like one of those maybe you had one of these when when the kids were young, But it has like the slide and then the little shoot for like a pirate ship that you can like shoot out water. So like you, I hooked that up and then it was going down into this little mini pool and my son was having a good time with that. I got a chance to get on the grill a

little bit, did some yardwork. Uh, slowly but surely. I the house is gonna be it as good as a condition it's ever been at the time this thing is all said and done, so we were able to stay busy and fortunately for a couple of days after a busy weekend last week, step away from the office a little bit, which is again above my garage. Yeah. Absolutely, Well, for now, we are a full week removed from the two thousand twenty NFL Draft, and I wanted to do one more show here in a little bit of a

review of the draft class. But we're gonna do it in uh sort of Q and A style. And I haven't even given you this in advance because the show is truly unscripted. But I have a series of questions that I'm gonna throw at you West with regards to some of your thoughts about the draft class. You can give your answer, I'll give my answer. We'll go back

and forth a little bit and see how this goes. So, and some of these questions are some of the same ones we've been getting an insider inbox and whatnot, so the fans helped to generate some of these soap. Question Number one, which Packers draft pick do you feel will make the biggest impact as a rookie. I'm gonna go with A J. Dillon on this one, just because one running backs traditionally have been a position where a guy

can step in and make an impact right away. I mean, just look at what Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams did going back in two thousand seventeen. Uh certainly Eddie Lacey Offensive Rookie of the the Year in two thousand and thirteen. So there is that out the outside chance. So I don't think I'm going on on that far of a limb.

But what I really like about him is that even if he's not touching the ball two hundred three hundred times as a rookie situationally I think he's gonna be a really interesting weapon because, as we saw last year, Matt Lafloor likes this idea of using multiple running backs on the field at the same time, and the Packers did have a fair amount of success with it last year.

Now you put in a tune or in forty seven pound running back into that equation, you can motion out with Jamal Williams and Aaron Jones, you can do different things to create off of that. And for that reason, whether it's short yardage production or just overall finding a way to get this guy in the offense, I think a J. Dillon, assuming as Matt Lafleur said, he earns his spot, he earns his keeping, he earns the reps. The the offense is laid out for this guy to

make an impact in year one. I would agree with you. My answer to the question also would be a j. Dillon. But to pick a second response be real easy to say Josiah Deguara because of how excited we know Matt Lafleur is to get a versatile piece like that into his offense and all the different places he can line up. But I'm gonna pivot a little bit and actually go

with Kamal Martin, the fifth throne draft pick out of Minnesota. Now, I say that as far as rookie impact, not so much, because I think he's gonna be lining up for, you know, fifty snaps a game next to Christian Kersey. I do see him in that competition with Ty Summers or in Burke's Curtis Bolton for who's going to play the majority of those snaps next to Christian Kurtsey. So he's going to have that opportunity. But I see Martin as a guy who could step in and be playing on all

four of the special teams units. He could be a real impact guy on the return and the coverage. I think this is a guy that, even if he doesn't necessarily find um that role on defense right away as a rookie, that this guy you're going to see on the field because I think he's gonna be a potential core special teamer. Yeah. I made this point an insider in box last week. I thought it was a salient one.

Not necessarily was a great genius moment by me, but just in terms of where this defense is and what they want to accomplish in two thousand twenty. The last two years, and it's mostly been just because of injuries to or in Burks, but in that last week of training camp or in last year's case, after the final cuts, the Packers have had to go out and get veteran help at inside linebacker. Two years ago it was Antonio Morrison,

last year it was b J. Goodson. I think the hope is the Packers have enough in house candidates this year that, Okay, if something happens, whether it's Burkes or whether it's Martin ty Summers, Curtis Bolton, you have enough there that you can go with the guys that you've been prepping for the season instead of having to make an abrupt shift and then bringing Morrison and Goodson into

the offense late. That I think is a strength. The question is is how much the Packers want to play traditional nickel And that answer we're not gonna get for months, probably because Abrahem Campbell's gone now he went and signed to believe it was with Tennessee. Right, he's moved on to his next spot. You still have Raven Green there, who was the guy that was slated to be in the hybrid role last year before his injury. And then now there'll be a new incoming of safeties that could

potentially factor into that. But at the end of the day, there's a reason why the Packers drafted or In Berkes, is a reason why now they drafted Kamal Martin. They want to be able to get their inside linebackers on the field should they earn the reps. That's gonna be a really intriguing battle to watch whenever we're able to watch it. Yeah, alright, Well, question number two. A lot of talk in this Packers draft has been about what

the Packers did not get. So I am going to ask you because you and I were surprised at how this went. We did a lot of preview as two different directions we thought the Packers would go. So from your point of view, what's your biggest regret that the Packers did not accomplish with this draft? Okay, So this is where I think every Packer fan out there is gonna say, well, this is where he obviously says receiver, right. I mean, that's that's the regret it seems like all

Packer fans have had. But I mean, if you go off the track record this the Packers just haven't put first round capital into a receiver. And and if they weren't going to take one of the first, second, or third rounds, I really had no issue whatsoever with them not taking in drafting that position. We've been down that road, and Mike, honestly, even if you find a nice prospect there, it's gonna take time for them develop. It's very difficult for those players to come in and just knock the

doors down. Donald Driver needed three seasons before he became a factor in the Packers offense. So in that regard, I'm gonna shift the focus more towards defensive line. And the reason I say that is one for seven straight years. The Packers drafted at least one defensive linemen in all of these drafts. And and certainly they did get a prospect out of Miami that does have defensive end credentials,

but it's gonna play edge rusher. The Packers didn't get a defensive tackle, though, and I thought that was one area. It's the reason I had them picking Ross Blacklock. I thought that was one area where they could potentially help not only deepen the defensive line room, but maybe also find a three tech that could take some of the snaps off of Kenny Clark. Now, Kenny's only twenty four, He's at the peak of his powers right now, and he's only getting better. But the Packers have been playing

him about snaps here the past few seasons. So I said it you can flash back the old unscripted episodes. I kind of wondered whether or not they would find a defensive tackle that could help take some of the reps off of him, you know, also maybe take some reps off Dean Lowry. And while they did go out and signed Trevon Hester now who has been in the league for three years with three different teams, they haven't really found a guy that I thought could just slide

right in there with them. So all things considered, uh, that that was where I thought maybe this, you know, going off the track record of the defensive line position and also you know, potentially in need there, I thought they would have brought someone in. Yeah, I am totally with you. If I were to labeled my big to regret as far as what the Packers did not address in this draft, I would not say receiver. For me,

it's defensive line. I talked for several weeks leading up to it, even when we went to the combine, before we went to the combine, about how, boy, if the Packers could find the next Kenny Clark at the end of the first round, you extend Clark, then you have these two guys there in the middle of the defensive line that can be paired together, you know, for several years to come here. I really thought that was something that the Packers could set themselves up for the future

as far as the core of that defense. Just to to give a second response to the question, I'm gonna say this with a little bit of a qualifier. My regret would be that it doesn't look like the Packers drafted an offensive tackle of the future. When you have David Bactieri going into a contract year, his his extension, potential resigning is going to be very expensive. We know that. But he certainly has um a lot of a gas

left in the tank. So to speak. Rick Wagner, your new signing at right tackle, he's the same age as Ryan Bulaga. This is not a long term solution. I think everybody knows that now. The qualifier I say is that if John Runyan Jr. Whom the Packers selected in the sixth round, if he ends up becoming that offensive tackle of the future, then I'll retract what I say. But everything we're hearing so far is that the Packers are looking at Runyon as a guard, not as a tackle.

So I just think that's a that's a position for the future down the line that that you're gonna be you're gonna be looking at as a need. And with where the Packers are right now, with box tr and Wagner not having that guy necessarily in the pipeline right now, that's a little bit of a regret for me. Well yeah, and there's gonna be questions there when you get into the third day about what the upside is of some of these guys. Sometimes they come in, they don't make

an impact, and they leave. Sometimes they turn into Corey Linsley or a Rick Wagner who was a sixth round pick for the Baltimore Ravens, you know, six seven years ago. So that that there's always a coin flip situation there.

You never know what you're gonna get, so you I'm trying to keep the expectations modest, but I do think on Runyan Jr. Was a good pick up for the Packers and in in a spoil little spoiler alert for a spretory that's coming, I had a chance to talk with both John Junior and John Senior last week, and it was really interesting listen to John Senior talk about his son, because he thinks he does have the flexibility still to play at tackle. If they want to make guard,

he'll play at guard. But there are so many parallels between the way that John Senior entered the league as a fourth round pick in you know what's happening now with his son as a sixth round pick. These guys aren't just like bona fide blue Chippers that everyone's just expecting to start to a step starting lineup. But there is a lot of athleticism there with John Jr. That he could potentially give you that flexibility if the Packers

are patient and they're able to develop him. From that perspective, this is a guy that did think he was going to be playing center. Originally when he went to Michigan, he thought he was gonna be an interior offensive lineman, but opportunity dictated him getting a spot at right tackle at the end of his sophomore year and then starting at left tackle his final two years. That's where this whole dominos took him. So coming into the league, he's very open minded of where he's gonna play and where

he could potentially fit. He just wants to get a spot on a fifty three and he wants to have

an opportunity to play in the National Football League. Yeah, and I'll just say this, and it's sort of we're sort of covering my next question, which was going to be who's the most intriguing of the sixth round offensive lineman to you just on the surface as we're barely getting to know these guys, and when you talk about, you know, running in the whole tackle and guard thing, It's interesting to me with Jake Hansen from Oregon, you know, with his possibilities at center and at guard, and what

intrigues me about him potentially moving forward is this is the guy who started forty nine college games at Oregon in the Pack twelve. This is a this is a four year starter from start to finish in his career. You know, when you when you have that kind of experience playing at that high level of college football for that long, it's just hard for me to to see him not somehow finding his way um into a into a prominent role in this Packers offensive line at some

point in the future wherever that maybe. So um to answer the third question as far as the sixth round offensive lineman, your answers running and my answer is Hanson. So with that, we're gonna move on to my next question,

and I think we'll wrap up with this one. Okay, in the Aaron Rodgers era, and obviously we don't exactly know the length of that era at this point, and we don't need to get into that discussion right now, But in the Aaron Rodgers era, which of these draft picks has to make the biggest contribution for the Packers to win another Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Oh, that's a good question, Michael, That's a really good question.

I would probably lean towards saying a J. Dillon just because there are the questions there with Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams. They're both free agents after this season, So you need a J. Dillon regardless of happens with those contracts and how long Jones and Williams will be in Green Bay. You you're getting Dylan to set up the future here with him under contract for the next four years.

But I will say, and I'm not de meaning to take probably the two most obvious answers off the board for you, But Josiah Deguire is an interesting one because this is a shift with the offense. Uh, this is a move tight end. This is a guy that's gonna

play multiple positions. So if Josiah Deguara is successful, if he turns out to be a real gem there in the third round, there is a possibility that that also is indicative of the success that they're gonna have underneath Matt Lafleur in the transition that they're making with the offensive scheme. As I've said, numerous times now between Insider inbox and on this space here on on the scripted. This isn't your spread them out four receiver, five receiver

offense anymore. It's a lot more internal. It's it's more multiple, it's it's more tight end and running back base. That's where they've devoted their resources and that's where the packers are looking to get production. So if Josiah Deguara is successful, I know everyone mentions Kyle use Check. I think that's somewhat unfair to Daguara because use Check is is a traditional fullback that gets used in different ways. I think Deguire is going to be more of a Swiss Army

knife in that regard. And if he turns out to be a guy that can play move, tight end neclay h back that can split out wide, he becomes a real problem for secondaries and how they want to defend not only him, but the packages that he's incorporated into. Yeah. Well, my initial reaction, my first response to this question off the top of my head was definitely A j. Dillon. And I say that because just because after this year, I don't see both Aaron Jones and Jamal Williams both

coming back to the Packers on second contracts. It just doesn't seem, you know, financially, salary cap wise, that that's going to be realistic. And so I see a J. Dillon not only this year, but then certainly starting in one, having potentially and even more prominent role in the offense. But I'm gonna throw another one at you, just just to paint a particular scenario for you to answer this question in a in a way to get people thinking

just a little bit. I think the Packers best chance to get to another super Bowl in the Aaron Rodgers era is to get the number one seed in the NFC and to have the entire path to the Super

Bowl go through lambeau Field. Yeah that being said, Okay, I think Jordan's Love is going to hit a moment somewhere here in the Aaron Rodgers era where maybe Rogers tweaks a hamstring, pulls a calf muscle again, like he did something like that that keeps him out for a week or two, and Jordan's Love winning a game or two could be the difference between the Packers being a two or three seed in the NFC and being the one seed and having that NFC Championship game potentially go

through lambeau Field to get the Packers to a super Bowl. I just I throw that out there as a scenario to say that Jordan's love could definitely play a significant role in the Packers winning a Super Bowl getting to another super Bowl in the Aaron Rodgers era. So just I'll toss I'll toss that one out there. Yeah, I like that. I think that is a very thoughtful and you know, really diplomatic way to think about it. Because here's thing. You go back to the Patriots over the

last five years. You know, whether it was Jacoby Brissette or Jimmy Garoppolo, both of those quarterbacks who were second, i believe third round picks, they won meaningful games for the Patriots that did have implications for them later on in the season, and then obviously both ended up turning into capital, whether it be a draft pick or a trade like Brissette was to the to the Colts. So

it definitely makes sense. The thing I want to point out because I know I've been one of the guys that was saying you don't you don't need to draft a quarterback yet that was my narrative going into the draft. It's been my narrative the last few years, but now that it's done. One thing that I think the Packers have done really really well during the Aaron Rodgers era. If you wanted to bring in a veteran backup at the beginning of his time, I would have had no

issue with it. You want to have somebody that can be there with them, no problem. Far've had Jim McMahon and Steve Bono and all these other guys that were with him. But now that you're at this latter half, you know this this back nine, as he calls it, of his career. It is good to have young talent there to develop instead of going and just paying seven million dollars for a backup quarterback that a probably isn't gonna play and b there's been mixed results when those

guys have actually had to go in there. You have a first round credential player now in Jordan's Love, and certainly he's gonna need time to develop, but there's also a different caliber of athlete, a different caliber of quarterback if he is summoned into a game at some point, and I think that is something that really could benefit here. The Green Bay Packers in the next four or five seasons. Yeah, and I'll just I'll just close on this when you

look at that scenario that I just laid out. Now, obviously the Packers are going the young, developing quarterback as you said, for the backup route, but just look at last year when the Kansas City Chiefs lost Patrick Mahomes for a couple of games. Now, the Packers went to Arrowhead and knocked them off on Sunday Night Football, but the Chiefs the following week with Matt Moore at quarterback, the veteran backup was the route they decided to go.

But them beating the Minnesota Vikings in that game that propelled Kansas City to the number two seed in the a f C, which then when Baltimore is the one seed, got knocked out. The a f C Championship was played at Arrowhead Stadium, and that win, that one win by Matt Moore was very instrumental in the Kansas Chiefs ending

up winning the whole thing. I think someone an insider in box last week pointed out how one of the common thoughts are on a fifty three man roster, your backup quarterback is one of the top thirty most important positions, and there is something to be said for that and being able to win a game here there if you know, all the chips are down and you have to be

able to find a way into the playoffs. That's that's one benefit to this move, and it's one benefit to where the Packers sit unequivocally, Mike, you know, going back to basically when Rogers was a rookie and in his second year, this is the most depth now, the most talent the Packers have because I know they're still very confident in in Tim Boyle in the development process he's been on the last two years. And Boyle is going to push Jordan's love for that number two job this

later this summer. So these are the types of considerations you have to make. And I and I, as I've said all along, I think Rogers is gonna be a model mentor for that, having the experiences that he's worked through and based on his track record with Boyle and all these other developmental backups that have come through Green Bay over the past fifteen years. All Right, Well, with that, we will call it a rap on this edition of Packers Unscripted. Be sure to follow all of our coverage

of the team. Lots of stories coming up. Follow up stories on the draft picks going to be appearing on Packers dot com in the coming days and weeks. For Wes, I am Mike. Thank you for tuning in. Everybody. We will see you next time.