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| 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.
