New Green Bay Packers special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton has his work cut out for him. The first time NFL coordinator is taking over one of the worst special teams in the NFL. Former Packers special teams coordinator Shawn Mennenga left quite a mess for Drayton to clean up, which is why the latter was let go this off-season. There are many facets that Drayton will need to turn around this season. But there is one piece, a player, that Drayton will need to play at a higher level. Drayton will need to get third-year punter JK Scott to play at a more consistent level.
JK Scott and Hunter Bradley Need to Step up for Packers in 2021
In our first installment on players facing a make-or-break training camp, we highlighted two defensive players. Those players were linebacker Oren Burks and cornerback Josh Jackson. In this piece, we take a look at two special teams players facing the same predicament.
Similar to Burks and Jackson, both punter JK Scott and long snapper Hunter Bradley are former draft picks of general manager Brian Gutekunst in 2018. Scott, a fifth-round draft choice, and Bradley, a seventh-round selection, came from the same draft that produced Burks and Jackson. Now, like with Burks and Jackson, they find themselves battling to keep their spots on the Packers roster.
There is a reason that Drayton in his introductory press conference put JK Scott and Hunter Bradley on notice. Scott and Bradley have both been inconsistent in their first three years in the NFL. If the Packers special teams are going to improve, Scott and Bradley will need to be more consistent.
Waiting on Scott’s Development
Selecting a special teams specialist in the NFL draft is always a long shot. But for Gutekunst, he doubled down in the 2018 NFL draft.
The Packers had several holes to fill leading up to the 2018 NFL draft. Punter didn’t seem like one of them. Still, it didn’t stop Gutekunst from spending a fifth-round pick on Scott. While it seemed like a curious decision, Scott did bring with him an impressive resume.
Scott had a very impressive career punting for the University of Alabama. During his time playing under Nick Saban, Scott earned All American honors in 2014. He also was named All-SEC in 2014 and 2016. His results in college made him the top punter heading into the 2018 NFL draft.
The Packers envisioned that Scott would be a weapon on special teams, similar to what he was at Alabama. While Scott has had his good moments, those moments have been overshadowed by stretches of inconsistency. In each of his three seasons with the Packers, Scott has dealt with in-season slumps.
Last season, the Packers special teams gave up two punt returns for touchdowns. While coverage was a part of those touchdowns, another part was Scott’s punts. Blessed with a big leg, that blessing has also been a curse at times. Scott has shown a penchant for outkicking his coverage.
Punting isn’t the only part of Scott’s game that needs improvement. Scott is the Packers holder for kicker Mason Crosby, a job that Scott has struggled at. It will be up to Drayton to not only get Scott to punt better on a consistent basis, but also improve his place holding.
Hunter Bradley has Struggled
If selecting Scott in the fifth round came as a surprise, then the selection of Hunter Bradley came as a shock. It is quite rare to see a long snapper selected in the NFL draft, so when Bradley’s name was called, it caught many off guard. But what was even more surprising was that Bradley wasn’t even rated as the top long snapper heading into the draft. In fact, he was ranked third.
Along with not being the top-ranked long snapper, Bradley brought with him an injury history. During his time at Mississippi State, Bradley suffered two knee injuries. While Bradley has been able to stay healthy for the Packers, similar to Scott, his play has been uneven. For a long snapper, the best way to know you are doing your job is to not have your name called. Unfortunately for Bradley, he has heard his name called several times.
The process of field goal and point extra attempts haven’t been the smoothest operation for the Packers in recent seasons. Part of it has to do with Scott’s holding, but another big part has been Bradley’s snapping. Long snapping is never an exact science. However, when you spend a seventh-round draft choice on a long snapper, you expect better.
Both Scott and Bradley need a better showing. If not, the Packers have other options to fill their spots.
Scott and Bradley will have Competition
It appears that Maurice Drayton means business when it comes to getting better play from JK Scott and Hunter Bradley in 2021.
Gutekunst and Drayton have brought in competition for both Scott and Bradley. Punter Ryan Winslow and long snapper Joe Fortunato will be competing against Scott and Bradley for the starting punter and long snapping positions.
Winslow and Fortunato are long shots to overtake Scott and Bradley, but their presence puts both Scott and Bradley on alert. The time for Scott and Bradley to live up to their draft statuses is starting to run out. If they don’t start to be more consistent, they will be shown the door.
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