The Green Bay Packers' Round 1 Big Board Before Combine
The 2015 NFL Scouting Combine is about to get underway, with the first players arriving Feb. 17 in Indianapolis, and that means in just a few days, the current position rankings and mock drafts will be challenged by post-combine narratives.
Some players will have performances so impressive that they may climb from a second-round projection to a first-round option. Some players' results may drop them from the middle of the first round to the bottom.
The combine will also provide an opportunity for vague comments made by scouts so far throughout the scouting process to be clarified.
For instance, a position the Green Bay Packers will be very interested in, inside linebacker, could be shaken up after teams get a chance to meet with TCU's Paul Dawson. Dawson has consistently been graded one of the best talents at the position in this class by analysts, but an AFC West regional scout said (via NFL.com) that his "personal character is going to be a major issue for some teams."
If teams conduct their own interviews with Dawson and alleviate those rumored character concerns, he could shoot up draft boards into the first round, possibly changing which players are available for Green Bay at the 30th pick.
Two such players, inside linebacker Denzel Perryman and Benardrick McKinney, could be pushed later in the first as a result and be on the board for the Packers. Let's take a look at Perryman and McKinney, as well as three other players at three other positions the Packers will have on their Round 1 big board.
All projections are likely to change after the combine, so we'll revisit this big board after the combine as well and check in on Green Bay's potential targets.
5. P.J. Williams, CB, Florida State
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Florida State's P.J. Williams is an ideally sized cover corner suited for the outside, something the Packers could be short on when free agency opens.
Both Tramon Williams and Davon House are set to become free agents on March 10 unless the Packers re-sign them before that date. Williams had a cap hit of $9.5 million in 2014, according to Over The Cap, but he brings veteran leadership to the table. House is coming off his rookie contract and will be cheaper to re-sign, but he hasn't yet proven himself a starting outside corner.
Whatever Green Bay decides on these two free agents, they will be in need of depth at the position in 2015. Perhaps the solution is to re-sign House and also draft a top corner in case House doesn't cut in on the outside.
Either way, Green Bay will have Florida State's P.J. Williams on its big board. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein mocked Williams to the Packers at No. 30 overall in his first mock draft of the season. "Williams can come up and support the run and has the man-to-man cover ability to be left on an island down the road," Zierlein wrote.
If Williams and House prove too pricey after hitting the open market, Williams' name may climb even higher on Green Bay's big board.
4. Jordan Phillips, NT, Oklahoma
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There's no doubt that Ted Thompson looks to draft the best player available rather than reach for a position of need, and in that case, Oklahoma's Jordan Phillips could be a perfect fit with the Packers' No. 30 pick.
With Letroy Guion's arrest on multiple felony drug and weapons charges earlier this month, there's no doubt that the defensive tackle position rose on the Packers' big board. Phillips is incredibly gifted athletically; he's 6'6" and 334 pounds, making him a perfect fit for the two-gapper nose tackle position.
Green Bay's shoddy run defense was its biggest issue last season, all the way through the NFC Championship Game. While drafting an inside linebacker high would serve to help in that area, so would a player like Phillips.
He's "a player who can control blocks with his strength-size combination and can pursue like a much lighter, faster player when he finds a lane," writes ESPN's Mel Kiper, who actually mocked Phillips to Green Bay at No. 30 in his second mock draft.
NFL.com's Bucky Brooks also sees the Packers selecting Phillips in Round 1, as does CBSSports.com's Rob Rang. Rang notes, however, that if Phillips, who missed part of the 2013 season with a back injury, looks healthy at the combine he will "shoot up draft boards." We'll see if Phillips is still a realistic option for Green Bay's big board post-combine.
3. Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
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Though it would be somewhat surprising if Ted Thompson addressed the tight end position in the first round, there's no reason to assume that the Packers don't have Maxx Williams near the top of their big board right now.
The Minnesota product combines acceleration off the line with great hands. "Speed to chew up cushion and open a throwing window over the top," NFL.com's Lance Zierlein notes in his draft profile. "Will threaten seam and dominated defenders on wheel routes."
The Packers were pleased with 2014 rookie Richard Rodgers' spike in development toward the end of the season, but after releasing Brandon Bostick on Monday, as ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky reports, it's safe to assume they'll bring a player in to compete with Rodgers and Andrew Quarless for snaps.
The tight end, who is a legitimate pass-catching weapon and an excellent blocker is a rare find coming out of college, and Williams' blocking could improve. "Won't generate push as an in-line blocker and has limited feel and instincts as a move blocker," Zierlein notes.
However, his film shows a player able to consistently beat defenders and make an impact in the red zone, something the Packers have been missing since the loss of Jermichael Finley. As Zierlein noted, 82 percent of his catches were for either a first down or touchdown. It's tempting to imagine what he could do with Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball, and you can bet that thought has crossed Thompson's mind.
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2. Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami
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Inside linebacker Denzel Perryman is sure to be among the top names on Green Bay's big board. And at least one analyst—NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah—sees him still on the board for the Packers at No. 30.
At 6'0", Perryman lacks ideal length for the position, and he doesn't excel when asked to drop into coverage. However, he is explosive; he played on the outside during his junior season.
CBSSports.com's Derek Stephens and Rob Rang like his burst, as well as his agile hands: "He's difficult to latch onto at the second level due to strong, active hands, agile feet and good use of leverage when taking on bigger blockers, and he exhibits good burst and solid angles to either sideline when asked to pursue plays on the edges."
Perryman also has fantastic instincts. He's quick to react, and he is a proven playmaker; in his 2014 season with Miami, he had the most tackles for loss in his career.
Size and coverage concerns aside, Perryman is still a hard-hitting, run-stopping force, which is exactly what Green Bay needs in the middle.
1. Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
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Imagine Bernardrick McKinney's name circled in red on the Packers' draft board. If the Mississippi State product is available to them at the 30th overall pick, there is no way Ted Thompson can pass on him.
Prior to the combine, four NFL.com analysts have McKinney coming off the board between picks No.14 and No. 24. However, ESPN's Mel Kiper doesn't even have McKinney being drafted in the first round in his latest mock draft. No one can say for sure where teams will value McKinney, and the Packers could be in the running until the late first round on draft day.
At 6'5" and 249 pounds, McKinney's rare physical gifts do not impact his speed. As CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler and Rob Rang note, "He is a well-built and fluid athlete for his size, showing good lateral agility and very impressive acceleration to track down ball-carriers from behind."
Most importantly, McKinney can be a three-down player for Green Bay, something neither A.J. Hawk nor Brad Jones were able to do by the end of the 2014 season. It would help to have a starting-caliber playmaker like McKinney on the inside to free Clay Matthews up to rush the passer off the edge and spend less time inside next season.
McKinney is stout against the run, a huge need for Green Bay. His above-average size allows him to gain leverage and prevent runners from escaping into the secondary.
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