2011 NFL Predictions: How Will Cobb and Other Green Bay Packers Rookies Fare?

The NFL lockout that tormented fans all spring and summer has finally ended (Let me just say YES!!!), and this is the perfect time to begin speculations for the upcoming season.

How quickly and how well the each teams' rookies are able to adapt to life in the NFL and contribute to their teams will greatly impact the upcoming season.

Although the Packers are coming off a Super Bowl win they have plenty of veterans coming back from injury and need for their rookies to produce well for them to succeed again.

Here are my predictions on how the Packers' rookies will perform this fall.

Derek Sherrod (OT) [First Round]

Sherrod was Green Bay's first round pick this year. Ted Thompson and Co. drafted him in hopes that he will help continue the youth overhaul on the O-Line and and pair well with 2010 first round pick, Bryan Bulaga, potentially giving the Packers bookend tackles for the next decade. 

However, Sherrod will have a tough time actually starting this year due to injuries.

The Packers still have Chad Clifton starting at the left tackle position, with Bulaga will manning the right tackle spot.

Mark Tauscher will be the first man off the bench if either of the starters are injured, at least during the first part of the season. Tauscher would take the RT spot if either Bulaga or Clifton got hurt, with Bulaga sliding to LT if it were Clifton who got hurt.

As for my prediction for Sherrod, I believe he will be a bench player for this season, only seeing time at either tackle spot if two of the three players above him—Clifton, Bulaga, and Tauscher—get injured.

Randall Cobb (WR) [Second Round]

When the Packers picked Cobb, it was their way of strengthening one of their weaker positions. Although Green Bay had one of the best receiving corps in the league last year, that could quickly be deteriorating.

Greg Jennings is playing as great as ever and Jordy Nelson showed in the Super Bowl that he has the ability to be a great number two—If he can cut out some of those drops. Unfortunately, the other receiving options are not looking as solid.

Donald Driver has shown some signs of slowing down at age 36, suffering an injury in last season's Super Bowl. 

James Jones is someone that any Packers fan would love to see back—Even despite his drops. It looks like he wants to go somewhere that will play him—and pay him—as a number one WR, which won't happen in Green Bay.

Jermichael Finley will be coming back from an ACL injury at TE, but these are tough to come back from. It may take two years for Finley to fully recover, making him far from the athlete the Packs' need him to be.

Not only will Cobb help ease the receiving burden on the current pass catchers, but he will contribute in kick and punt returns, something that the Packers' special teams has been lacking.

With Cobb taking the returner spots, Tramon Williams will be able to put all of his time and energy into playing CB, a much more effective option for the team.

I expect Cobb to come away with about 45 catches, 750 yards, and five TDs as a receiver this year. He should have multiple good returns off both kickoffs and punts, while garnering a touchdown for the Pack off of at least one of those punts.

Alex Green (RB) [Third Round]

Alex Green was a bit of an odd choice for the Packers with how many backs they already have, but he will prove to be an asset to his team.

Ryan Grant is coming off last year's injury, James Starks showed some good ability but had limited action, and John Kuhn and Brandon Jackson are up for free agency. This position doesn't have a sure thing settled in for any spot of the depth chart. Green will stick around and give versatility wherever he is on the depth chart.

From his certain style of play, and the type of offense he played in back at Hawaii, he makes it seem all the more likely that

Brandon Jackson is likely done in GB. He has the same third-down, pass catching back kind of play as Green. Jackson will go somewhere he can start over and get paid more than he would in Packerland, giving Green the opportunity to take over his former duties.

Davon House (CB) [Fourth Round]

The Packers have themselves a great secondary already, and adding House to it makes it even better. Unfortunately, I can't see House making it off the bench too often in 2011.

Tramon Williams will man one of the starting cornerback slots for the Packers, and Charles Woodson will still be the other surefire choice to play CB. Since Green Bay plays a ton of nickel packages, that nickel slot is really important as well, but Sam Shields is already set to hold that slot down.

Barring injury, the only times House will be seeing the field are in dime—six DBs—higher coverage packages, or if Woodson shifts up to one of the safety spots.

House might get a few passes defensed and an interception or two, but not much else.

D.J. Williams (TE) [Fifth Round]

Williams is coming into a position that will be overcrowded this year. I know the Packers wanted the best player available, but there should probably be limits to how many players you acquire at each position.  

Williams has talent that should not have been passed up on at that point in the draft, and it is an even better choice with Finley coming off an injury. If Finley doesn't come back at his expected playing level then Williams can step in.

Williams could possibly replace Finley if Jermichael—who is a free agent next year—comes back strong and his price is too high for Green Bay. Doubtful, but possible.

However, Williams will most likely be stuck behind Jermichael Finley and either Tom Crabtree or Andrew Quarless during the first half of the season. I think he will make it to the number two TE spot by the end of the year. I can see 20 catches, 225 yards, and two TDs out of him.

Caleb Schlauderaff (OG) [Sixth Round]

Schlauderaff could take care of at least two of Green Bay's problems. He  adds to the depth of the team's OL, which could make him a direct replacement for Daryn Colledge—a free agent who might not be resigned.

With Colledge gone, his spot on the roster is Schlauderaff's for the taking.

I see him doing exactly that and becoming the back-up at the G position, but barring injury I don't expect him to actually get any playing time this year. He needs to work on improving his strength and technique so he can contend with players on the D-Line at an NFL level.

D.J. Smith (OLB) [Sixth Round]

Smith is a player who could end up going in a variety of directions.

He has the leadership abilities and self-motivation that will keep him driven and focused on improving himself and his teammates, but some question if he has the size and athletic abilities to play in the NFL. 

The Packers have many different players at the LB spot already, so players are going to be fighting hard just to keep a roster spot. But since nobody jumps off the page at OLB besides Clay Matthews, there is a fighting chance for Smith to come in and earn himself a starting spot.

Smith could start opposite of Matthews or not even be on the team. But there have been a number of late-pick players recently that have spent time starting opposite of Clay—seventh rounders Brad Jones and Frank Zombo, for instance—so things could work out well for Smith.

Ricky Elmore (LB) [Sixth Round]

Elmore is more of a pass-rusher type, which is what Green Bay needs opposite of Clay Matthews, but because of his size he is limited on how good of a player he can become.

He will never be great against the run, but he is a pass rusher through and through. Once he learns the playbook he will be able to garner playing time at the OLB position, but he will most likely end up exclusively in on passing downs.

I expect him to grab about 10-15 tackles and two or three sacks in limited time at OLB, as well as a good amount of special teams tackles.

Ryan Taylor (TE) [Seventh Round]

Taylor will be a versatile weapon if he can make the roster. He has the size and ability to play FB, HB, and TE for the Packers, versatility that could help him grab one of those special spots on the team. If not, then he will be a quick cut early into training camp.

As exciting as that potential versatility could be, I just can't see him making the roster. I think Taylor will be released before training camp comes to an end.

Lawrence Guy (DT) [Seventh Round]

Guy can become a good player for the Packers rotation on the defensive line, but that is about the extent of his abilities.

He is a tweener so he won't be able to play any position well enough to be a starter. He can however become a decent rotation player for years to come if things work out well with his development in the league. 

Guy will likely end up as a decent rotation player in the future for Green Bay, but for now he won't do much in the stat department—Maybe five tackles in limited time. If the Packers don't retain Cullen Jenkins, however, he could get more playing time with as many as 10-15 tackles.