Green Bay Packers 2014 NFL Draft Wrap-up

Nov 29, 2013; San Jose, CA, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs wide receiver Davante Adams (15) runs past San Jose State Spartans cornerback Bene Benwikere (21) after making a catch in the second quarter at Spartan Stadium. The Spartans defeated the Bulldogs 62-52. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Offensive Additions

WR Davante Adams, California State University, Fresno
As stated in my draft predictions, the Packers most definitely needed a WR going into the draft considering that they did lose red-zone target WR James Jones (14 touchdowns not a mere two years ago). Now with burner Davante Adams in the Packers’ arsenal, Rodgers should go absolutely bananas next season for the Packers. At Fresno State, the 6’2″ bulldog receiver ended up averaging 1,515.5 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 116.5 receptions per season. As a sure-handed receiver who has great leaping ability, Adams will be best served on the outside, either running routes deep down the field or catching screen passes (something he mastered at FSU). With Adams, the Packers have a great receiver who can make plays and fill the void left by James Jones. Considering that QB Aaron Rodgers played at Cal, Adams should bring in his own west-coast style of offense and help the Packers passing game next season.

TE Richard Rodgers, University of California, Berkley
Another receiving prospect from the Sunshine State; Rodgers gives the Packers some needed help at the TE position. With some confusion about the statuses of Jermichael Finley and Andrew Quarless, Rodgers gives the Packers some depth at tight end and can help Aaron Rodgers in those goal-line or short situations. At Cal, Richard Rogers caught 39 passes for 608 yards and a touchdown. While his stats may not be those of TE Eric Ebron, they are pretty solid considering that he is a tight end. He has soft hands and underrated athleticism which will aid him at the NFL level. Don’t expect Rodgers to play a huge role in this Packers offense, but expect him to make some fantastic catches in some clutch situations.

C Corey Linsley, Ohio State University
Unfortunately because I was working on my first mock draft until 4 AM in the morning, I somehow wrote down that the Packers would select a center in the first round (I know). At the time my rationale was that because the Packers lost their starting center Dietrich-Smith to free agency, they would need a center in the first round. Regardless of my poor choice in pick placement, the Packers did end up selecting a center out of the Ohio State University in Corey Linsley. At 6’2 and 3/4 and 301 pounds, Linsley is a bit on the hefty side for the offensive line, but he can still get the job done. In the unfortunate case that sophomore JC Tretter gets injured or plays poorly, Linsley can swoop in and play the position adequately for the Packers. Normally I would give the position to the rookie, however Tretter is a slight bit bigger and taller than Linsley and does have more experience under his belt. Linsley can watch from the sidelines, but once he has developed, he can turn into something good for Green Bay.

WR Jared Abbrederis, University of Wisconsin and WR Jeff Janis, Saginaw Valley State University
After selecting Davante Adams out of Fresno State and TE Richard Rodgers out of Cal, I thought the Packers would primarily select defense. However, with WRs from Wisconsin and SVSU, the Packers showed their commitment to making their passing game one of the best in the NFL. At Wisconsin, Abbrederis maintained great numbers. In his last 3 seasons, Abbrederis has averaged 950.3 yards and 6.6 touchdowns on 60.6 receptions, including 1,081 yards and 7 touchdowns in his senior season. At Saginaw Valley State in Michigan, Jeff Janis was even more productive, catching 81 passes for 1,635 yards and 17 touchdowns in 11 games (roughly 150 yards per game). His best game of the 2013 season took place against Hillsdale where Janis went for 331 yards and 4 touchdowns on 15 receptions in a 47-34 win. With these two receivers, the Pack of course gets depth at the WR position, but they also get speedy-quick receivers who know how to catch and run. Perhaps this next upcoming season Mike McCarthy will put into place a 5-WR type of offense to utilize all of his WR talent. The rest has yet to be seen.