Green Bay Packers: Equanimeous St. Brown can be steal of the draft
By Hunter Noll
The Green Bay Packers selected Equanimeous St. Brown in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL draft. The wide receiver could end up being the steal of the draft.
Getting a cornerback in each of the first two rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft was big for the Green Bay Packers. Their weak secondary now has potential to grow into an extremely dangerous unit within a few short years. Furthermore, Josh Jackson landing to them in the second round was a massive surprise.
All that being said, and it’s wide receiver Equanimeous St. Brown who could end up being their best value pick. Going even further, he could be the steal of the entire draft.
Whether you love them or hate them, or plain don’t care about them, it’s hard not to notice Notre Dame. It’s one of the most storied programs in college football history, and they’ve always got some intrigue, even when they aren’t at their best. Due to that, their players get plenty of exposure as well.
St. Brown is a 6-5, 203-pound super-athlete. He runs a sub-4.5-second 40-yard dash, and can jump out of the gym. Meanwhile, he’s got enough strength behind him to win battles with cornerbacks. St. Brown might still be improving on his release, but the operative word there is “improving”. He’s getting better. Then there’s his route-running which isn’t spectacular, but it’s much more a plus than minus. Finally, he’s got solid hands and can make a catch at the height of his jumps.
There might be one pretty obvious reason for why St. Brown was drafted so late. 2016 was a massive year for the receiver, while 2017 seemed like a major step in the wrong direction.
After putting up 961 yards and nine touchdowns on 58 receptions in 2016, last season saw just 31 receptions yielding 468 yards and four touchdowns. This wasn’t exactly St. Brown’s fault though, as Notre Dame’s quarterback situation was anything but pretty. There’s a much different man at the helm for the Packers though — Aaron Rodgers.
With Rodgers, St. Brown has a quarterback with enough arm strength to get him the ball deep, and enough accuracy to keep it within his range. The good news for Rodgers is that the young receiver has plenty of that. Meanwhile, names like Davante Adams and Randall Cobb, as well as Jimmy Graham, take pressure off as well. The 21-year old won’t be expected to come in and produce massive numbers immediately.
Next: NFL Power Rankings 2018: Post-draft edition
Given time, Equanimeous St. Brown can blossom into an absolute stud for the Green Bay Packers and a clear steal in this draft. Fans should be more-than-ecstatic to see what Aaron Rodger’s massive new target can do.