Gutey’s Got A Type

If the first four girls someone goes out with have blonde hair, there’s no guarantee the next girl will also have blonde hair, but the chances are pretty good. Everybody has a type – be it a high school senior looking for a prom date or a general manager looking for a college football player.

Brian Gutekunst has conducted only five drafts for the Green Bay Packers, but looking back on past Aprils, he does seem to have a specific type on each of the three days. Based on that recent history, we can at least make an educated guess as to which players might tempt him on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

🏈ROUND 1

CB Jaire Alexander (2018)
LB Rashan Gary (2019)
FS Darnell Savage (2019)
QB Jordan Love (2020)
CB Eric Stokes (2021)
LB Quay Walker (2022)
DL Devonte Wyatt (2022)

All six of the non-quarterbacks Mike Mamula’d the NFL Combine (click on the link if you’re too young to remember). They ran faster 40s and/or jumped higher than at least 90%of the players at their respective positions. Based on that criteria, here are some of the workout warriors who could be of interest to the Packers if they keep their selection at No. 13:

RB Bijan Robinson (Texas) – Running backs are devalued in today’s NFL, but he’s among the five best players in the draft.

WR Quentin Johnston (TCU) – Similar in many ways to Christian Watson, whom the Packers traded up to get a year ago.

TE Dalton Kinkaid (Utah) – Will be a matchup nightmare for linebackers and safeties, but he won’t be much of a blocker.

OT Paris Johnson Jr. (Ohio St.) – Needs to improve strength, but elite size and athleticism could make him a top-10 pick.

OT Broderick Jones (Georgia) – Very talented, but he might need a year before he’s ready to mix it up with NFL edge rushers.

OT Darnell Wright (Tennessee) – Fast-rising right tackle who has a chance to be the best offensive lineman in this draft.

ED Myles Murphy (Clemson) – Not quite as talented as Rashan Gary, but he also projects to be more productive in the NFL.

ED Nolan Smith (Georgia) – Incredible speed will intrigue Gutekunst, but size would make him a tricky fit in Green Bay.

ED Lukas Van Ness (Iowa) – Middle of the first round seems a bit high for a player who didn’t start in college, but he’s talented.

DL Calijah Kancey (Pittsburgh) – Should be a terrific interior pass rusher in the NFL, but will he be able to stop the run?

CB Deonte Banks (Maryland) – Better prospect than Darnell Savage, whom the Packers traded up to take at No. 21 in 2019.

CB Joey Porter Jr. (Penn St.) – Ideal size and temperament for the position, but he lacks the twitchiness to help out in the slot.

CB Devon Witherspoon (Illinois) – A bigger and more physical Jaire Alexander, and that’s why he’ll probably be gone by 13.

🏈ROUNDS 2 & 3

LB Oren Burks (2018)
CB Josh Jackson (2018)
OL Elgton Jenkins (2019)
TE Jace Sternberger (2019)
RB A.J. Dillon (2020)
TE Josiah Deguara (2020)
OL Josh Myers (2021)
WR Amari Rodgers (2021)
*WR Christian Watson (2022)
OL Sean Rhyan (2022)

If Gutekunst had a tendency to go for the head cheerleader in round 1 of his first five drafts, he had eyes for the debate team captain in rounds 2 and 3. While Jackson, Jenkins, Sternberger, Dillon, Deguara, Myers, Rodgers, and Rhyan didn’t wow anybody at their respective NFL Combines or pro days, all eight enjoyed highly productive final seasons in college. Based on that criteria, here are some of the prospects who could find themselves on Gutekunst’s radar come Friday night:

QB Hendon Hooker (Tennessee) –  Highly productive winner in college, but is he creative enough to be a star in the NFL?

RB Zach Charbonnet (UCLA) – Almost 30 pounds lighter than AJ Dillon, but he runs even harder and breaks a lot more tackles.

RB Kendre Miller (TCU) – Often overshadowed by Johnston and QB Max Duggan in college, but he has a chance to be a better pro.

TE Sam LaPorta (Iowa) – Isn’t the biggest or the fastest tight end, but like most Hawkeyes, he does all the little things right.

TE Luke Schoonmaker (Michigan) – Probably won’t go to many Pro Bowls, but he’ll be an above-average starter for years.

WR Cedric Tillman (Tennessee) – Raw and didn’t run a blazing 40, but he plays fast and catches the ball effortlessly in a crowd.

WR A.T. Perry (Wake Forest) – Not much of a wow factor, but he’ll find a way to contribute as a No. 2 or 3 at the next level.

WR Xavier Hutchinson (Iowa St.) – Not as big as another ex-Cyclone, Allen Lazard, but he blocks for the run almost as passionately.

OT Matthew Bergeron (Syracuse) – Wouldn’t be a surprise if he winds up being better than at least one of the top four tackles.

OT Braeden Daniels (Utah) – Really stood out on tape as I watched Kinkaid. Would be a steal if he slips to the fourth round.

OT Tyler Steen (Alabama) – Up and down in college, but there were times when he played like a potential first-round pick.

OG Steve Avila (TCU) – Extremely consistent player who wouldn’t get out of the first round if he were just a little more athletic.

OG Cody Mauch (North Dakota St.) – Plays better than he looks. Projects to guard, but he could probably hold up at tackle.

OC John Michael Schmitz (Minnesota) – Similar to ex-Packer Corey Linsley, but he should go higher than the fifth round.

ED Felix Anudike-Uzomah (Kansas St.) – Reminds me of Yannick Ngakoue, one of my favorite prospects in the 2016 draft.

ED Dylan Horton (TCU) – Needs to be more productive as a pass rusher, but he can help a team right away on early downs.

DL Keeanu Benton (Wisconsin) – Plenty to like skill-wise, but his play was too up and down in college, especially vs. the run.

DL Mazi Smith (Michigan) – Could sneak into the top 40 because GMs put a premium on D-linemen who can stuff the run.

DL Cameron Young (Mississippi St.) – Plays too tall sometimes, but when his pads are low, he can be very tough to block.

LB Jack Campbell (Iowa) – Ex-Packer Blake Martinez started for a long time in the NFL, and this guy is a much better player.

LB Henry To’oto’o (Alabama) – Overshadowed at Alabama, but he was always one of the defense’s most dependable players.

CB Julius Brents (Kansas St.) – Great size, but can he stay with quick WRs in the NFL? That was a problem at times in college.

CB Clark Phillips (Utah) – Instinctive and competitive player who won’t ever back down, but his size is a legitimate concern.

S Jordan Battle (Alabama) – Similar in many ways to Adrian Amos, whom the Packers will be looking to replace in the secondary.

S Antonio Johnson (Texas A&M) – Second-best safety after Alabama’s Brian Branch. Tough SOB who excels near the LOS.

🏈ROUNDS 4-7

LB Kendall Donnerson (2018)
DE Kingsley Keke (2019)
CB Ka’dar Hollman (2019)
DE James Looney (2018)
WR J’Mon Moore (2018)
WR Equanimeous St. Brown (2018)
LB Ty Summers (2019)
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (2018)
RB Dexter Williams (2019)
DB Vernon Scott (2020)
LB Jonathan Garvin (2020)
DT T.J. Slaton (2021)
CB Shemar Jean-Charles (2021)
LB Isaiah McDuffie (2021)
RB Kylin Hill (2021)
WR Romeo Doubs (2022)
ED Kingsley Enagbare (2022)
DB Tariq Carpenter (2022)
DL Jonathan Ford (2022)
WR Samori Toure (2022)

Of the 20 non-offensive linemen selected by Gutekunst on day 3, 13 ran 40s that were faster than the average at their positions (linebacker Kamal Martin was recovering from knee surgery and couldn’t run at the Combine or his pro day). In fact, most ran times that were much faster. Moore, Williams, Garvin, Jean-Charles, Hill, Doubs, and Enagbare were the exceptions. Based on that criteria, here are some speedy prospects who could find themselves Packers by the end of Saturday:

QB Sean Clifford (Penn St./4.59)
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (UCLA/4.56)
QB Clayton Tune (Houston/4.64)
RB Israel Abanikanda (Pittsburgh/4.44)
RB Chase Brown (Illinois/4.43)
RB Evan Hull (Northwestern/4.47)
RB Deneric Prince (Tulsa/4.41)
TE Zack Kuntz (Old Dominion/4.55)
TE Will Mallory (Miami/4.54)
TE Josh Whyle (Cincinnati/4.69)
WR Jacob Copeland (Maryland/4.42)
WR David Durden (West Florida/4.45)
WR Rakim Jarrett (Maryland/4.44)
ED Robert Beal Jr. (Georgia/4.44)
ED DJ Johnson (Oregon/4.49)
ED Yaya Diaby (Louisville/4.51)
ED Tavius Robinson (Ole Miss/4.66)
DL Karl Brooks (Bowling Green/5.08)
DL Moro Ojomo (Texas/5.04)
DL Jalen Redmond (Oklahoma/4.81)
DL Dante Stills (West Virginia/4.85)
DL Colby Wooden (Auburn/4.79)
LB Yasir Abdullah (Louisville/4.47)
LB Amari Burney (Florida/4.50)
LB Shaka Heyward (Duke/4.53)
LB Owen Pappoe (Auburn/4.39)
CB Jakorian Bennett (Maryland/4.30)
CB Kei’Trel Clark (Louisville/4.42)
CB Riley Moss (Iowa/4.45)
CB Starling Thomas V (UAB/4.38)
DB Daniel Scott (California/4.45)
DB Brandon Hill (Pittsburgh/4.43)
DB Jordan Howden (Minnesota/4.49)

*NOTE – Watson was picked early in the second round, but the Packers traded up to get him, making his value that of a No. 1 pick.