Friday, May 18, 2012

Green Bay Packers: Top Four Draft Picks


Coach Lambeau

By Coach Lambeau

It appears the first effects of the new collective bargaining agreement have been felt, the Packers signed all eight of the NFL Draft picks prior to the start of rookie camp.

In this segment, some information on their top four picks.



1st round Nick Perry DE 6'3 - 250 lbs – hi exploded as a senior at King High in Detroit – named USA Today All-USA first team, Parade All-American, EA Sports All-American first team, Scout.com All-American second team - as a defensive lineman, linebacker and tight end. He had 147 tackles and a state record 36 sacks, plus caught 14 passes for 310 yards with 8 TDs.
At USC, he played defensive end, starting nine games in his sophomore season (2010), and appeared in the other three games, amassing 25 tackles with 7.5 of them for a loss, 4 sacks, forced 2 fumbles, and recovered 1. In 2011, Perry recorded 54 tackles over 12 games, with 13 for a loss along with 8.5 sacks.

Given his small size Ted Thompson and Mike McCarthy will likely move him to outside linebacker in their 3-4 defense to provide a counter force to Clay Matthews.
2nd -round Jerel Worthy DL 6'3 - 310 lbs – during his sophomore year at Michigan State University, Worthy started all 13 games at defensive tackle and lead the linemen with 40 tackles, 8 of which went for a loss and 4 four sacks, results leading to his selection as All-Sophomore second team selection by collegefootballnews.com, honorable mention Big-Ten selection by the coaches and media, and was presented Michigan State's Outstanding Underclassman Award.
During his junior, and final season, Worthy had 30 tackles (10.5 for loss), 3.5 sacks, 10 Quarterback Hurries, and 14 hits during the regular season. His numbers don’t tell the story of his value to Michigan - as the team's most dominant defensive lineman, his primarily role was to occupy double teams, seal off running and passing lanes, take up space and hold ground on rushing downs. The Associated Press named him a consensus first-team All-American, was an All-Big ten selection from the coaches and media.

The Packers will probably have him slim down a bit and fit him in as a DE, rather than have him bulk up to play NT.


2nd round Casey Hayward, CB 5'11 - 188 lbs.
The cornerback saw immediate playing time with Vanderbilt as a freshman (2008); becoming a full-time starter in his sophomore year and he never lost that status. As a sophomore he led the team with 8.5 tackles for loss and had 2 interceptions. His junior year added 6 interceptions, 70 tackles, 59 solo to his stat total. His senior saw 7 interceptions with a total 107 return yards including a 50-yard touchdown and 62 total tackles (7.5 for loss).

He has been clocked as fast as 4.42 in the 40 yard dash, but generally runs in the 4.5s. He does not possess elite size or elite speed, but superior athleticism has him playing “bigger than he” and he is an absolute ball-hawk. Hayward will be Hayward, and I personally hate calling anyone the next [fill in the blank] but he does remind me at the player Charles Woodson has become.


4th round Mike Daniels DT 6' - 291 lbs
The Iowa defensive tackle is another undersized prospect the Packers have selected. In his senior year he accumulated 62 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks and was selected All-Big Ten Second Team by the conference coaches and All-Big Ten Honorable Mention by the conference media.

The Packers seem committed to improving their pass rush and Daniels’ motor, toughness and quickness off the snap can be real addition on passing downs. Look for the Packers to have him bulk up, while retaining his quickness.



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