The Green Bay Packers drafted 10 new players over the weekend, including top pick Kevin King at number 33 overall. Check out the grades for each player, and how they will fit into the Packers’ current roster.
Round 2, Pick 33: Kevin King, CB, Washington
Green Bay clearly needed help in the secondary. Last season, the two young corners, Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins, struggled with injuries and performance, and with the departures of Micah Hyde and Sam Shields in the offseason, the Packers needed more talent to help cover the back end of their defense.
King brings fantastic size (6’3) and speed (4.43 40-yard dash) to the cornerback position, but his missed tackles are definitely a concern. Still, the Packers need talented bodies in their secondary, and King’s physical traits give them a high-upside player early in round two.
Grade: B+
Round 2, Pick 61: Josh Jones, S, NC State
The Packers will look to slide Jones into the Micah Hyde-role as someone who can play all over the field. Jones has a reputation as a big hitter, and he posted a blazing 4.41 40-yard time. He can get a little overzealous sometimes and lose his assignment, but his versatility will be huge for the Packers young secondary.
If King and Jones harness some of their top-end potential, and youngsters Randall, Rollins, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, and LaDarius Gunter continue to develop, Green Bay could have one of the best young secondaries in the entire league. Much of the team’s ceiling rides on the development of this group.
Grade: B
Round 3, Pick 93: Montravius Adams, DT, Auburn
Adams was one of the top defensive line recruits coming into Auburn, but he battled consistency issues while in college, and scouts were reportedly disappointed with his lack of activity at times. Adams did put together a nice senior season (4.5 sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss) and was named to second-team All-SEC, but he does not figure to be much more than ‘just another guy’ on the defensive line.
Grade: C
Round 4, Pick 108: Vince Biegel, LB, Wisconsin
After passing on Badgers star T.J. Watt in the first round, Ted Thompson and Co. snatched up Watt’s college teammate Biegel with the first pick in the fourth round. Biegel is undersized as an NFL outside linebacker, but he has all the intangibles to make up for it. Biegel is a clean tackler, plays with high intelligence, and was named team captain while in Madison.
Biegel may have been a better value pick a round or two later in the draft, but you can’t fault the coaching staff for wanting to bring this guy into their system. While he doesn’t have the raw athleticism to dominate the pros, his top-notch work ethic and discipline should make him a special teams ace at the very least.
Grade: C+
Round 4, Pick 134: Jamaal Williams, RB, BYU
Round 5, Pick 182: Aaron Jones, RB, UTEP
The Packers have a clear hole in the backfield, and while they could have filled it with former Florida State star Dalvin Cook in the second round, they chose to wait until rounds four and five with Williams and Jones.
Williams rushed for 1,375 yards and 12 touchdowns in 10 games as a senior with the Cougars last season. He figures to be more of a physical back, which could be a nice complement to Ty Montgomery’s outside runs and screen patterns.
Jones is a more versatile player than Williams. He totaled over 2,000 yards in 2016 en route to 20 combined touchdowns, and showed steady hands throughout his career at UTEP.
Green Bay has had plenty of tailback turnover this offseason (Eddie Lacy signed with Seattle, James Starks and Christine Michael were released), so Montgomery will get the first crack at the starting spot this summer. But of these two rookies, Jones’ pass-catching abilities should give him the best chance to make some noise in 2017.
Williams Grade: C-
Jones Grade: B-
Round 5, Pick 175: DeAngelo Yancey, WR, Purdue
Yancey was on some truly terrible Boilermaker squads, but he still found a way to make his presence felt. Yancey racked up 951 yards and 10 touchdowns on 49 receptions as a senior, and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors.
Yancey has a big body at 6’2, and is able to go up and get jump balls, which is a must for any receiver in an Aaron Rodgers offense. However, he does not have great speed, and drops were an issue for him at Purdue.
Grade: C
Round 6, Pick 212: Kofi Amichia, OT, South Florida
The guess from scouts is that Amichia will shift to the interior once he gets to Green Bay; the Packers have lost two top guards in the past two seasons. Amichia’s history as a college tackle brings versatility and depth to the offensive line.
Grade: C
Round 7, Pick 238: Devante Mays, RB, Utah State
Thompson took a flyer on Mays late in the draft. Mays has big-play ability on the ground, but he has not been healthy often enough to show it (just 18 career games at Utah State). Mays also only caught two balls in college, so he going to have improve in that area to have any shot at making the team.
The Packers running back depth chart is as wide open as any position in the NFL, meaning Mays will have his chance this summer. There is always at least one standout in training camp; Mays’ highlight plays could be the difference for him.
Grade: C+
Round 7, Pick 247: Malachi Dupre, WR, LSU
This seems like a big-time steal for the Packers. Dupre has good size and athleticism, and could have gone several rounds earlier if not for the abysmal quarterback play at LSU which hid his talent (and remember, the Packers have had success before with receivers in the seventh round -- Donald Driver was the 213th pick in 1999).
Dupre has only decent speed, but beyond Green Bay’s top three receiving options (Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb), there is room on the depth chart. A solid summer for Dupre could see him supplant Trevor Davis, Jeff Janis, or Geronimo Allison on the roster.
Grade: B
Overall: B-
Be sure and watch TODAY'S TMJ4 on Roku! We are the only station in Milwaukee to provide the latest news, weather and sports on the device. Search for us on Roku today!
