Did the Packers Match Their Draft Tendencies?
We made a pretty big deal prior to the draft about the Packers’ athletic tendencies and what they prefer at specific positions, so it makes sense now that the draft is over to take a look at what the Packers actually did in the draft. Did they find players who fit what they like to do?
Running backs
The Packers went against type with two of their three picks. Both Jamaal Williams and Devante Mays are more or less in line with the general physical profile of past Packers draft picks, but they don’t match the previous agility benchmarks.
Aaron Jones, however, is almost exactly what the Packers envision at running back. He exceeds their benchmarks for agility and is extremely explosive.
Wide receivers
Several people on Twitter noted after the draft that DeAngelo Yancey is basically a non-hoodie version of James Jones. Since we identified Jones as a great embodiment of what the Packers look for athletically in a wide receiver, it makes sense that he’d match up well with the physical profile of the wide receivers the Packers look for.
Malachi Dupre, however, does not. He’s not a great fit for what the Packers look for in terms of ability, although his numbers in the vertical leap and broad jump point to an explosive athlete nonetheless.
Offensive line
The Packers like to take athletic tackles and make the into guards, and that appears to be exactly what they plan to do here. Amichia runs very well and performed very well in the broad jump for his size. Whether he can block at the NFL level remains to be seen, but he makes sense from an athletic standpoint.
Defensive line
Montravius Adams has been described both pre- and post-draft as an athletic underachiever. The numbers show us exactly why. He runs very well for a man of his size, but his agility numbers leave much to be desired.
He does meet the baseline physical profile for a Packers defensive lineman though, and he’s a little bit larger than some of the linemen the Packers have drafted in the past.
Outside linebacker
We specifically identified Biegel prior to the draft as someone who meets the Packers’ physical requirements for outside linebackers very well.
Lo and behold, the Packers seemed to agree, picking Biegel with the first pick of the fourth round. He’s a little bit on the light side and he doesn’t show up in some measures of explosivity, but he’s overall a good match.
Defensive back
Here’s where the Packers seem to have really struck gold. Kevin King blows almost every measurable off the chart. He’s huge, fast, and incredible in the agility drills.
While Josh Jones is a little bit below what the Packers have historically wanted from their defensive backs in terms of agility, his overall athleticism at his size is amazing.