Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has completed his second draft as the man in charge of the Packers roster. Once again, the Packers concentrated on making their defense a better unit. Out of their eight picks, the Packers spent five of them on the defensive side of the ball. Here are the following players who filled out the Green Bay Packers 2019 NFL draft:
- First round, 12th overall: Rashan Gary, linebacker, Michigan
- First round, 21st overall: Darnell Savage, safety, Maryland
- Second round, 44th overall: Elgton Jenkins, center/guard, Mississippi State
- Third round, 75th overall: Jace Sternberger, tight end, Texas A&M
- Fifth round, 150th overall: Kingsley Keke, defensive line, Texas A&M
- Sixth round, 185th overall: Ka’Dar Hollman, cornerback, Toledo
- Sixth round, 194th overall: Dexter Williams, running back, Notre Dame
- Seventh round, 226th overall: Ty Summers, linebacker, TCU
Green Bay Packers 2019 NFL Draft Grade: 7.5/10
Green Bay Packers 2019 NFL Draft Review
The Best Player: Darnell Savage
It cost Gutekunst two fourth-round picks to move up to select Savage. From our perspective, it was worth it.
Since Gutekunst took over as general manager it appears that he has put an emphasis on speed. If speed is what he wants, that is certainly what he is getting from Savage. At this year’s NFL combine, Savage ran an impressive 4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash. His 4.36 ranked second among safeties who performed at this year’s combine.
But Packers fans shouldn’t get the impression that Savage is just a workout warrior. In his four seasons at Maryland, Savage played in 40 games. During that time, he accumulated 139 solo tackles, nine of them for loss, and had a sack. He also had a total of eight interceptions, running two of them back for touchdowns.
Some experts consider his 5’11” 198 lbs stature on the small size for a safety. But Savage isn’t afraid to be physical and showed that while at Maryland. That will be a plus, but the Packers didn’t draft him to be physical.
The Packers secondary needs speed, more than physicality. It wouldn’t be shocking to see him starting next to newly signed free agent Adrian Amos this season. Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine has been looking for center fielder at the safety position. If Gutekunst and his scouting staff are right, he might have found it in Savage.
The Head Scratcher: No Wide Receivers Selected
The Packers finally have a young tight end with pass catching potential. With the selection of Jace Sternberger in the third, they have a young tight end who has upside. While Sternberger has the chance to contribute in the passing game, the Packers still could have added more to help Aaron Rodgers.
Gutekunst selected three wide receivers, J’Mon Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Equanimeous St. Brown, in last year’s draft. The expectation is that they will make a big jump in their second season. But expecting second-year players, who were selected in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds, to carry the load might be asking too much.
Davante Adams will be Rodgers go-to wide receiver. But if he goes down to injury for a long period of time, the Packers passing attack will be in trouble. It appears that Gutekunst is depending on the hiring of new head coach/new offensive play-caller Matt LaFleur, and once again, Rodgers to make the Packers offense go. No matter who is playing at wide receiver.
Hall of Fame and former Packers general manager Ron Wolf once said “he regretted not putting enough weapons around Brett Favre“. By shunning the wide receiver position in this year’s draft, Gutekunst might say the same as Wolf did, but this time about not surrounding Rodgers with enough weapons.
The Surprise: Rashan Gary
Even though the Packers signed edge pass rushers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, many expected that the Packers would still look in the draft for help at that position. The Packers did address the position, but selecting Rashan Gary was a little shocking.
When the Packers were on the clock with the 12th pick, edge pass rushing prospects Brian Burns and Montez Sweat were still available. Both players had more production during their college careers than Gary did. But it appears that Gutekunst and his front office staff put more emphasis on intangibles than production, with selecting Gary over Burns and Sweat.
There is no doubt about it, Gary is a big man that has a lot of athletic ability. The former top-ranked high school recruit is 6’4″ 277 lbs and ran 4.58 seconds in the forty-yard dash. Those types of measurables no doubt drew the Packers scouting staff to him. He seems to be the prototype that Gutekunst and his staff are now valuing in an edge pass rusher.
For Gutekunst, and especially the Packers defense, they are betting on getting the most out of Gary’s ability. But his lack of production, only 9.5 sacks in his three years at Michigan, and possible injury concerns do cause some concerns. Gary has drawn comparisons to former Packers edge pass rusher Nick Perry. A comparison that that should concern Packers fans.
The Steal: Elgton Jenkins
Not sure if Jenkins is a true “steal”, or that any of Gutekunst’s selections are “steals” for that matter. But he got a very solid player in Jenkins when he chose him in the second round.
Most thought that the Packers might look at offensive tackle with their second round pick. But before they went on the clock there was a run of offensive tackles selected. Still, Packers fans shouldn’t look at Jenkins as a consolation prize. He has the skill and ability to have earned that second round selection.
Starting left guard Lane Taylor had a down season in 2018. If his play doesn’t improve this season, there is a very good chance that Jenkins could take over for him. Along with his ability to play guard, he can also backup starting center Corey Linsley.
Most Likely to Turn Heads During Training Camp: Savage
Not only does Savage have the speed that will turn heads, but he also allows his emotions to show. Last season’s first-round pick Jaire Alexander showcased the same type of speed and emotions in last season’s training camp. Packers fans should expect the same from Savage in this year’s training camp.
The Rest
Without having a fourth-round pick (they traded both of theirs to Seattle in the move to move up and get Savage), some might have thought Gutekunst could go offense in the fifth. But shockingly, he didn’t, instead, he selected Texas A&M defensive lineman Kingsley Keke. The Keke pick was good value (some projected him to be a third or fourth round pick) but the Packers had other areas to fill. Keke will have a hard time earning playing time this coming season. The defensive line is one area that the Packers are deep at.
The first of two sixth-round picks was cornerback Ka’Dar Hollman out of Toledo. Hollman is a former walk-on and has had to work for everything he has gotten. He has good height, 6’0″, for a cornerback and seems to fit what Pettine does on defense.
Running backs Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams will have a third running mate when the Packers open training camp. The Packers selected Dexter Williams out of Notre Dame with their other sixth-round pick. Williams has good size, 5’11” 215 lbs, and has a running style that should be a good fit in LaFleur’s zone blocking running scheme.
Gutekunst and the Packers finished out their 2019 NFL draft by selecting TCU inside linebacker Ty Summers. Summers is a great example of what it seems that Gutekunst and his staff are now looking for. He has great speed, he ran a 4.51 40 yard dash, but currently doesn’t have the instincts to be a starting linebacker in the NFL. His speed should help the Packers on special teams.
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