Rashan Gary
It’s not fair to judge the players selected in a draft for a few years, but it is perfectly fair to judge the process that went into it right away. Brian Gutekunst’s second draft as general manager continued some themes from the 2018 draft as the team emphasized athletic testing over all else. This is probably the most athletically gifted class the team has ever drafted, but their choice to ignore soft factors, also makes this one of the riskiest classes. Gutekunst provided defensive coordinator Mike Pettine with a full cupboard of talent, and if the team struggles on that side of the ball in 2019, Pettine’s leash should be a short one.
Round 1, Pick 12—Rashan Gary, OLB, Michigan
Rashan Gary is one of the most athletic people ever to play professional football. Since we began rigorously recording combine metrics, no player weighing 275 pounds or more has ever run a 40-yard dash in under 4.6 seconds. Gary ran a 4.58 at 277 pounds, and that straight-line speed comes with outstanding power and agility as well. The problem with Gary is that none of that elite talent turned into production at Michigan, where he recorded only 9.5 sacks and only 23 tackles for loss in a three-year career.
College production isn’t everything, and some may point to Clay Matthews’ substandard college performance as an example, but Matthews started his college career too small for a linebacker, and his selection was based on the idea that some extra bulk would make him special. Gary has been bigger and faster than his opponents for almost his entire career, and his tape is riddled with examples of inconsistent effort. He has a nice highlight reel, and can perform when he wants to, but getting the most out of him will be Mike Pettine’s biggest challenge.
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Round 1, Pick 21—Darnell Savage, Safety, Maryland
Savage is almost as athletically gifted as Gary and ran a sub 4.4 40 at the combine. The problem with Savage isn’t so much the player himself, as he does figure to solidify a previously weak safety position with former Bear Adrian Amos, but the way in which he was acquired. The Packers made a trade with Seattle to move up nine spots to grab Savage, and Seattle used the return from that trade to take a safety, two receivers, a corner, a linebacker, and a running back. The odds of at least two of those players turning out to be better than Savage is high, and another example of why trading up is usually a fool’s game.
Savage is a nice prospect, but he’s also a bit undersized, and can let players get behind him occasionally. Fortunately, he brings versatility with some ability to step in and play nickel corner, and enough raw speed to compensate for his mistakes.
Round 2, Pick 44—Elgton Jennings, Guard, Mississippi State
Jennings is my favorite pick of the draft for Green Bay. In keeping with the theme of the draft, he is one of the most athletic players at his position, and he is already technically sound enough to play guard or center. With Bryan Bulaga likely to move on after next season, he will add important depth immediately, and will likely compete for a starting spot. Jennings could have been a first rounder without question, and he is a welcome, high floor player in a draft of big risks.
Round 3, Pick 75—Jace Sternberger, Tight End, Texas A&M
Sternberger is the lone exception in this draft. By the composite athletic metric Relative Athletic Score (RAS) developed by Kent Lee Platte, Sternberger is the only Packer selection to score under an 8, sitting at a mediocre 5.25. He’s also a poor fit for Matt LaFleur’s offense as a pass-catching specialist who isn’t much of a bumper. LaFleur excels as setting up big passing plays by feigning running plays, and well-rounded tight ends are the prototypical fits. The Packers don’t have that player as Jimmy Graham and Robert Tonyan are cast in the same mold as Sternberger, and Marcedes Lewis is really a pure blocker at this point. Using the tight ends at hand will push LaFleur’s creativity.
The End of the Draft
Fifth round selection Kingsley Keke is a bit undersized for a defensive tackle, but a pass-rushing specialist and project, he may surprise people with how quickly he cracks the rotation.
Corner K’Dar Hollman should make the team for his special teams contributions, and there’s an outside chance he can be the next Sam Shields given his raw speed.
Running Back Dexter Williams of Notre Dame is eerily similar to current Packer Aaron Jones in terms of measurables and college production.
Finally, linebacker Ty Summer posted the highest RAS of the entire Packer draft class. You usually don’t find that kind of player still sitting there in the seventh round.
