WEBVTT - #882 Packers Unscripted: Digging into the draft 0:00:06.680 --> 0:00:09.920 Hi, everybody. Welcome to another edition of Packers Unscripted from 0:00:10.000 --> 0:00:13.360 Packers dot Com. I am Mike Spoffer, joint as always 0:00:13.400 --> 0:00:15.600 by my partner at Crime, Wes Hodcoats. We're coming to 0:00:15.640 --> 0:00:19.560 you here from our brand new studio within the walls 0:00:19.680 --> 0:00:23.200 of lambeau Field to review the twenty twenty six NFL 0:00:23.280 --> 0:00:26.439 Draft and Wes when it comes to this draft for 0:00:26.480 --> 0:00:30.720 the Packers, we have to start with this last week 0:00:30.720 --> 0:00:31.560 in these chairs. 0:00:32.320 --> 0:00:33.680 But the fact we got nothing right. 0:00:33.840 --> 0:00:37.199 Yeah, you said you said the Packers were gonna turn 0:00:37.360 --> 0:00:41.199 eight picks into ten. I said it would be nine. 0:00:41.479 --> 0:00:45.720 Neither one of us even said seven, let alone six, 0:00:46.360 --> 0:00:49.960 which is what Brian Gudokunz ended up with when he 0:00:50.040 --> 0:00:53.199 traded up two different times in the draft, once on Friday, 0:00:53.240 --> 0:00:56.960 once on Saturday, came away with U with six picks. 0:00:58.200 --> 0:01:01.520 So that definitely caught us off, I think from an 0:01:01.560 --> 0:01:05.800 overview standpoint. But aside from that, or including that, what 0:01:05.800 --> 0:01:07.639 were your general impressions of this draft? 0:01:07.720 --> 0:01:11.600 The most surprising draft I've covered out of the seventeen 0:01:11.800 --> 0:01:14.280 that I've been a part of over the last well 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:18.640 seventeen drafts. Listen first and foremost, the only thing predictable 0:01:18.680 --> 0:01:23.200 about this thing was just how quiet Thursday night was. Right. 0:01:23.440 --> 0:01:26.000 It was you and me, our colleagues sitting up in 0:01:26.000 --> 0:01:28.600 the President's boardroom and most of the time just kind 0:01:28.600 --> 0:01:32.000 of staring at each other, occasionally eating some food, drinking 0:01:32.040 --> 0:01:34.560 some coffee, and kind of just waiting for the end. 0:01:34.560 --> 0:01:37.400 Because we sort of knew Packers were not going to 0:01:37.480 --> 0:01:39.520 move in any of their future assets. We're pretty confident 0:01:39.520 --> 0:01:41.440 about that, so there was really no chance they were 0:01:41.440 --> 0:01:44.039 going to get back in the first round. But once 0:01:44.319 --> 0:01:48.280 Friday hit Man, everything shifted. Yeah, yes, they stayed put 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:51.040 at fifty two. But the one thing I sort of 0:01:51.080 --> 0:01:54.000 was right about. They did make a trade, but it 0:01:54.080 --> 0:01:56.800 was to move up to get Chris McClellan out of Missoo. 0:01:56.840 --> 0:01:59.000 It wasn't to move back. When I made the prediction 0:01:59.720 --> 0:02:02.160 that they would end up with ten picks, I was thinking, hey, 0:02:01.880 --> 0:02:04.320 if they if they do pick at fifty two, maybe 0:02:04.320 --> 0:02:05.960 they trade that third and try to get some more 0:02:06.040 --> 0:02:09.120 Day three picks. But one thing that I said it 0:02:09.200 --> 0:02:11.280 four times now, but I'm gonna say one more time 0:02:11.600 --> 0:02:13.960 for people that might not have caught it was Brian 0:02:14.000 --> 0:02:17.600 Gudokunz was extremely transparent about this draft and what the 0:02:17.639 --> 0:02:20.880 Packers wanted what they thought of the later rounds and 0:02:20.960 --> 0:02:24.880 ultimately what they did to end up with six picks. Yes, 0:02:24.960 --> 0:02:28.000 I think that was partially a product of Micaeh Parsons 0:02:28.000 --> 0:02:30.440 in that trade, but it also was the Packers very 0:02:30.520 --> 0:02:32.560 much knew what they wanted and where they wanted to 0:02:32.600 --> 0:02:34.560 get it, and they weren't just gonna sit around and 0:02:34.639 --> 0:02:36.880 draft players for the sake of drafting players. This draft 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:40.239 wasn't deep enough for that. They found what they prioritized 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:41.400 and they captured it. 0:02:41.680 --> 0:02:44.839 Yeah, Brian Gudokuntz told us he was going to add 0:02:44.919 --> 0:02:48.000 numbers at cornerback, and he did that both at pick 0:02:48.040 --> 0:02:51.359 fifty two and then added the Alabama corner Demanti Jackson 0:02:51.400 --> 0:02:53.920 in the sixth round. He said he was very interested 0:02:53.919 --> 0:02:56.720 in a nose tackle. He found one in Chris mccollin, 0:02:56.800 --> 0:02:59.320 traded up for him in the third round and got 0:02:59.320 --> 0:03:02.480 a guy who play the nose but also an interior 0:03:02.600 --> 0:03:05.520 d lineman who has a track record of rushing the passer, 0:03:05.600 --> 0:03:10.280 getting six sacks last season for Missouri. He said if 0:03:10.320 --> 0:03:12.120 he was gonna make trades, if he was going to 0:03:12.120 --> 0:03:14.919 move up, he was more inclined to use this year's 0:03:14.960 --> 0:03:16.880 picks and not next year's picks when he has a 0:03:16.880 --> 0:03:19.959 whole boatload of him, right, And that's exactly what he did. 0:03:19.960 --> 0:03:22.040 Both of the trades up. He used this year's picks. 0:03:22.040 --> 0:03:26.320 He did not dip into that well of selections for 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:28.799 next year. But the only thing he didn't really clue 0:03:28.880 --> 0:03:32.600 us in on was the interest in the kicker. But 0:03:32.680 --> 0:03:36.320 I also wonder nobody really asked, So if somebody had asked, 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:38.520 maybe we would have gotten a clue that he was 0:03:38.560 --> 0:03:41.840 interested in a kicker. And everybody pretty much had Tray 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:44.640 Smack of Florida as the top kicker in this draft. 0:03:44.680 --> 0:03:46.440 If there was one who was going to get drafted, 0:03:46.480 --> 0:03:49.680 it was probably it was probably Smack. But you're right, 0:03:51.000 --> 0:03:53.600 Goody was as transparent as it gets as far as 0:03:53.600 --> 0:03:56.040 a GM at the podium talking with the what he 0:03:56.120 --> 0:03:59.360 said on Tuesday, what he said after the first round 0:03:59.440 --> 0:04:04.040 on when the Packers didn't have any selections, those comments, 0:04:04.120 --> 0:04:07.640 you know, there wasn't he wasn't really trying to trying 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:11.560 to hide anything. When you look at when you look 0:04:11.600 --> 0:04:13.640 at this now that I mean six picks, it's the 0:04:13.720 --> 0:04:16.880 smallest draft class, tied for the smallest new franchise history, 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:19.280 the smallest the Packers have had since two thousand and four, 0:04:19.760 --> 0:04:23.440 which was the year before Ted Thompson arrived. What do 0:04:23.480 --> 0:04:25.720 you feel is the most important thing? And this can 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:28.120 either be a specific or a general comment. What do 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:30.600 you feel is the most important thing the Packers accomplished 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:31.200 in this draft? 0:04:31.240 --> 0:04:33.520 Okay, I want to do this like three things for 0:04:33.520 --> 0:04:35.360 a second. Okay, I'm gonna give you my first answer. 0:04:35.360 --> 0:04:36.600 One guy with three things. 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:38.120 One guy with well, you'll you'll, you'll get one of 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:39.560 the things, right, all right, But I want to I 0:04:39.600 --> 0:04:41.040 want to give you the first answer. I want to 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:42.600 see what you say for the second answer, and if 0:04:42.640 --> 0:04:44.240 it doesn't touch on my other point, I'm gonna have 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:47.000 a third answer. Does that make sense? Yeah? The most 0:04:47.000 --> 0:04:49.000 important thing they did was the cornerback thing. I can't 0:04:49.120 --> 0:04:52.640 honestly sit here and have the podcast that we had 0:04:52.720 --> 0:04:55.360 last week, in the preview that we had last week 0:04:55.680 --> 0:04:57.880 and not talk about the fact that the Packers did 0:04:57.960 --> 0:05:00.000 not only what Brian Goodiekin said, but what they needed 0:05:00.080 --> 0:05:03.320 to do. You and I discussed it. They hadn't drafted 0:05:03.360 --> 0:05:05.960 anybody at the cornerback position outside of the seventh round 0:05:06.000 --> 0:05:09.039 since twenty twenty one. This was the draft. This was 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:11.960 the time to be able to stack that position up again. 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:16.359 You hope that Keishawn Nixon, Carrington Valentine and also Benjamin 0:05:16.360 --> 0:05:18.440 Saint Jude that those guys stay healthy, they compete, and 0:05:18.440 --> 0:05:20.200 that's gonna be the top of your depth chart this year. 0:05:20.680 --> 0:05:23.760 But if something does go awry, if somebody does go down, 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:26.760 who was that next man gonna be that steps up? 0:05:26.920 --> 0:05:28.480 You and I didn't know. We didn't know if bou 0:05:28.520 --> 0:05:31.000 Melton's even gonna be playing cornerback next year, honestly, or 0:05:31.000 --> 0:05:32.600 if he's gonna be going back to receiver. Those are 0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:35.800 questions we have to ask her in OTAs they needed 0:05:35.800 --> 0:05:38.120 to find depth. And what I liked about this was 0:05:38.520 --> 0:05:41.720 with Brandon Cisa in the second round. This is the 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:47.680 blue Trip day two type pick. You're looking for, right, durable, physical, 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:51.160 the ball production. That's something I think the packers are 0:05:51.200 --> 0:05:55.320 hoping that long term will improve. But he's twenty years old, Mike, 0:05:55.880 --> 0:05:59.280 And when you're looking at it, you check all the boxes. 0:05:59.320 --> 0:06:01.600 You look for, the those intangibles, you look for, the health, 0:06:01.640 --> 0:06:04.520 you look for that CSA fits all of that, Okay, 0:06:04.560 --> 0:06:06.640 So you get past all that, what are you looking for? Then? 0:06:06.640 --> 0:06:08.200 On day three, if they were going to go for 0:06:08.240 --> 0:06:12.600 a second cornerback. Demani Jackson is exactly what you want 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:15.560 in a developmental six round pick. A guy with a 0:06:15.680 --> 0:06:19.080 five star pedigree, a dude that went to USC played well, 0:06:19.160 --> 0:06:22.240 got an opportunity to go to Alabama, played well as 0:06:22.320 --> 0:06:25.360 junior year. This past year kind of took a step back. 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:29.360 There's so many things about him with his speed, his 0:06:29.400 --> 0:06:32.320 playmaking ability, his ball skills that if you get him 0:06:32.360 --> 0:06:33.960 in there with the right folks, you get him in 0:06:33.960 --> 0:06:35.960 there with the right coaches, and a guy that is 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:38.120 not asked to go in day one and play right away. 0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:41.000 I really like what I see and in the interim 0:06:41.560 --> 0:06:43.400 also can be a really intriguing player for you on 0:06:43.440 --> 0:06:44.080 special teams. 0:06:44.160 --> 0:06:47.359 Yeah, I'm really interested to see just how this whole 0:06:47.400 --> 0:06:50.120 competition at cornerback is going to roll. And we're me 0:06:50.200 --> 0:06:52.480 talking about this throughout the spring and throughout the summer. 0:06:52.520 --> 0:06:55.600 But you know, really, the way I see it, other 0:06:55.680 --> 0:06:59.800 than Keishawn Nixon being your CB one, yep, you know 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:03.880 you've got Valentine and Saint Jus. Now you've got Cisa 0:07:04.320 --> 0:07:07.440 and Demani Jackson thrown thrown into the mix here. I mean, 0:07:07.640 --> 0:07:10.160 how this is going to sort out two three, four five. 0:07:10.360 --> 0:07:13.240 You know at the cornerback position is very much up 0:07:13.240 --> 0:07:17.520 in the air. With both Cisay and Jackson, you're talking 0:07:17.520 --> 0:07:19.920 about two guys who can run. They both clocked in 0:07:19.960 --> 0:07:23.600 the low four fours in the forty the There's no 0:07:23.720 --> 0:07:27.960 question about the physical tools, size, speed, all of that 0:07:28.000 --> 0:07:32.480 with with either of these players. It's about the refinement, 0:07:32.600 --> 0:07:34.600 right as you said, get him in with the right 0:07:34.680 --> 0:07:37.120 guys and work on the development. As you said, CSA 0:07:37.280 --> 0:07:41.800 is only twenty years old. Both of these guys transferred 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:46.480 during their college careers. Cse went from North Carolina State 0:07:46.480 --> 0:07:53.280 to South Carolina. Jackson went from USC to Alabama. And Jackson's, 0:07:53.320 --> 0:07:55.520 you know a guy, as Brian Gudacunz said, you know, 0:07:55.560 --> 0:07:58.160 he's been through some adversity. He went into his college 0:07:58.200 --> 0:08:00.520 career with a knee injury coming out of high that 0:08:00.600 --> 0:08:03.080 kind of slowed his ability to get on the field, 0:08:03.160 --> 0:08:05.400 and then he kind of lost his starting job a 0:08:05.400 --> 0:08:07.440 little bit last year for Alabama and then won it 0:08:07.520 --> 0:08:10.240 back when they got to the SEC championship game. So 0:08:10.840 --> 0:08:13.440 there were a lot of things that they studied about 0:08:13.440 --> 0:08:18.120 these players and brought them in for good reason. The 0:08:18.200 --> 0:08:21.040 other one, I think you know, to flip this to 0:08:21.520 --> 0:08:26.160 point number two is what the Packers did to reinforce 0:08:26.240 --> 0:08:29.080 things on the defensive line. Getting an interior guy in 0:08:29.160 --> 0:08:32.880 Chris McClellin, getting an edge guy in Deny Dennis Sutton 0:08:32.880 --> 0:08:36.720 from Penn State. Both of those positions, for different reasons, 0:08:37.360 --> 0:08:42.080 needed to be reinforced. Right you look at the edge, 0:08:42.400 --> 0:08:45.000 you don't have a Shan Gary or kings Leannigbari anymore, 0:08:45.040 --> 0:08:47.200 and you don't know exactly when Micaeh Parsons is going 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:49.680 to be back from his injury, so things are kind 0:08:49.679 --> 0:08:52.400 of wide open there. You've now thrown into the mix 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:58.200 with Lucas Faness. You've thrown into the mix another draft 0:08:58.240 --> 0:09:00.680 pick in Dennis Sutton to go with two draft picks 0:09:00.720 --> 0:09:06.000 from last year in Baron Currell and Colin Oliver. And 0:09:06.040 --> 0:09:09.600 then you also have Brenton Cox Junior coming back. And 0:09:09.679 --> 0:09:11.839 he was a guy that the Packers really were hoping 0:09:11.880 --> 0:09:14.280 they were going to get to see what he could 0:09:14.360 --> 0:09:17.640 do in a regular role last year, but then his 0:09:17.679 --> 0:09:20.240 whole season kind of became a wash because of because 0:09:20.240 --> 0:09:23.480 of injuries. So he's he's kind of back, you know 0:09:23.720 --> 0:09:25.679 where he was a year ago, and the Packers are 0:09:25.720 --> 0:09:28.120 still waiting to see. But you've got all these guys 0:09:28.120 --> 0:09:31.160 in the mix at at edge rusher with with opportunity 0:09:31.240 --> 0:09:35.160 knocking there given given the decision, the the what the 0:09:35.200 --> 0:09:38.679 process that has unfolded in the off season, and then 0:09:38.720 --> 0:09:42.520 on the interior, you've got DeVante Wyatt coming back from 0:09:42.559 --> 0:09:46.960 the injury, you signed Javon Hargrave, and now you drafted 0:09:47.520 --> 0:09:52.160 on Day two a guy who can play a true nose, 0:09:52.200 --> 0:09:54.640 can also play some three technique and as I said, 0:09:55.040 --> 0:09:59.520 mixes in the ability to get after the quarterback with 0:09:59.640 --> 0:10:04.680 the stopping the reinforcements. They got here without having a 0:10:04.720 --> 0:10:08.439 first round pick. I think I think Brian Goodcuns is 0:10:08.480 --> 0:10:09.839 pretty happy with what he got there. 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:12.440 Yeah, I think so. And McClellan is the guy that 0:10:12.520 --> 0:10:13.800 I was going to kind of bring up as this 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:17.800 third option because listen, the Packers wanted this dude bad 0:10:18.679 --> 0:10:20.280 Brian even touched on. I mean, this is a guy 0:10:20.360 --> 0:10:23.199 that was in the conversation for the second round pick, 0:10:23.760 --> 0:10:26.880 and when the third round came around, they were not 0:10:27.000 --> 0:10:29.800 willing to wait for him anymore. And I've said it 0:10:29.840 --> 0:10:31.640 again and some of the other content we've made, but 0:10:32.360 --> 0:10:36.120 it seemed like a prudent salient move by Brian goodecunts 0:10:36.160 --> 0:10:39.920 because if you look what happened immediately after they took him, 0:10:40.600 --> 0:10:43.600 two other defensive tackles came off the board, including orange. 0:10:43.640 --> 0:10:46.880 So this is going to be the type of tone 0:10:46.920 --> 0:10:49.160 setter I feel like, not only just with what they're 0:10:49.200 --> 0:10:52.160 hoping that McClelland can be as a playmaker, but I 0:10:52.160 --> 0:10:55.760 also think where this defensive front is headed. We aren't 0:10:55.840 --> 0:10:58.560 living in the era anymore of really the three hundred 0:10:58.559 --> 0:11:02.560 and forty pound Ryan Pickett's bj Raji's Johnny Jill. He's 0:11:02.600 --> 0:11:05.600 just lining up and having a thousand pound defensive front 0:11:05.679 --> 0:11:08.560 that doesn't really happen as much anymore. But this shift 0:11:08.559 --> 0:11:12.400 that you've seen if you've been paying close attention, the 0:11:12.440 --> 0:11:15.560 Packers are really putting a premium on length. When you 0:11:15.600 --> 0:11:17.679 look at the end of last season, they signed Jordan 0:11:17.800 --> 0:11:21.360 Riley from the Giants, and unfortunately Jordan ended up having 0:11:21.360 --> 0:11:24.720 the achilles injury that took him out. But we saw 0:11:24.760 --> 0:11:28.680 what we were looking at with a one technique tackle 0:11:29.320 --> 0:11:31.360 that's in like that three hundred and fifteen pound range 0:11:31.400 --> 0:11:35.080 but has incredibly long arms in some intriguing traits. In 0:11:35.080 --> 0:11:39.160 that regard, McClellan is that and then some this is 0:11:39.160 --> 0:11:41.080 a dude with eleven inch hands. It was a topic 0:11:41.080 --> 0:11:42.719 that I felt kind of sheepish. I didn't want to 0:11:42.720 --> 0:11:44.160 bring it up on the conference call because 'z acer, 0:11:44.200 --> 0:11:45.600 But I'm interested to talk to him about it this 0:11:45.640 --> 0:11:49.480 week because to give you a perspective on that, his 0:11:49.600 --> 0:11:53.120 hands are almost two inches larger than TJ. Slayton's when 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:55.280 Slayton was playing nose tackle and Slayton was like nine 0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:59.680 in an eighth, I believe McClellan's hands are eleven inches. 0:12:00.760 --> 0:12:02.800 And when you look at all this, you watch him 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:04.240 play on film, but then you look at all the 0:12:04.280 --> 0:12:08.160 scouting reports on him, everybody mentions just his physicality and 0:12:08.200 --> 0:12:11.680 how he can manipulate offensive linemen. That's what the Packers 0:12:11.679 --> 0:12:13.160 are looking for with a guy that can play that 0:12:13.200 --> 0:12:16.959 one three technique. Because realistically, yes, we're gonna have conversations. 0:12:16.960 --> 0:12:19.880 I'm sure Jonathan Gannon is just going to get pelted 0:12:19.920 --> 0:12:22.720 with questions about three to four when he an inevitably 0:12:22.800 --> 0:12:25.400 talks to the media. But the reality is the Packers 0:12:25.400 --> 0:12:27.280 are looking at this from a nickel position too, and 0:12:27.280 --> 0:12:29.199 when you look at the nickel, you're basically looking at 0:12:29.200 --> 0:12:31.719 two three tech nose tackles with some variants in there, 0:12:31.760 --> 0:12:34.120 but that's what you're looking for. Guys that can defend 0:12:34.160 --> 0:12:36.360 the run but also rush the passer. The Kenny Clarks, 0:12:36.600 --> 0:12:40.480 the DeVante Wyatts, and McClellan is just a really intriguing 0:12:40.480 --> 0:12:42.160 guy to add in that mix. Is there going to 0:12:42.200 --> 0:12:44.400 be room for still a Jonathan Ford if he earns 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:46.800 the job. Absolutely. I don't think anybody's arguing with the 0:12:46.840 --> 0:12:48.960 three hundred and thirty pound defensive tackle and being able 0:12:49.000 --> 0:12:51.800 to have that specifically in short yardage situations or third 0:12:51.800 --> 0:12:54.320 and short. But you need guys that can do it 0:12:54.360 --> 0:12:57.439 on all three downs, especially when you're drafting early, and 0:12:57.720 --> 0:13:00.439 McClellan is that dude. So I'm very intrigued meet him. 0:13:00.440 --> 0:13:02.600 I loved all of his content that he put out. 0:13:02.679 --> 0:13:07.040 Seems like a very gracious, appreciative young man that when 0:13:07.040 --> 0:13:10.040 you look at terms of packer people. The more I 0:13:10.120 --> 0:13:11.880 learn about him, the more I hear stories about him 0:13:11.920 --> 0:13:14.280 at MISSOO, Uh, this is definitely a guy that's gonna 0:13:14.280 --> 0:13:15.040 fit into the culture. 0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:18.720 Yeah, it seems like the focus on the hand size 0:13:18.760 --> 0:13:21.760 and the length, I mean, the thing that scouts like 0:13:21.800 --> 0:13:24.079 about that, and they like it both as far as 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:27.800 offensive linement and defensive defensive linement because it's about being 0:13:27.840 --> 0:13:31.280 able to use those physical tools to separate from the 0:13:31.320 --> 0:13:34.520 person that you're engaging with, right, It's it's about it's 0:13:34.559 --> 0:13:38.000 about being able to separate and control the other body. 0:13:38.120 --> 0:13:40.400 And uh, and that's what that's what all the combat 0:13:40.520 --> 0:13:43.040 is down there in the trenches. Right, So you're always 0:13:43.040 --> 0:13:45.319 looking for guys who maybe have a little bit of 0:13:45.360 --> 0:13:49.199 an edge there, you know, from uh, from a physical standpoint. 0:13:49.520 --> 0:13:52.880 All right, so we've touched on the cornerback and the 0:13:52.920 --> 0:13:55.760 defensive line side of things. Point three, I'll turn it 0:13:55.800 --> 0:13:56.079 back to you. 0:13:56.360 --> 0:13:58.760 Yeah, so let's just talk really quickly here about Jagger 0:13:58.760 --> 0:14:01.480 Burton because in the fifth n again kind of like 0:14:01.559 --> 0:14:03.720 Jackson in some ways, the Packers phone a guy that 0:14:03.760 --> 0:14:06.600 came with really big credentials coming out of high school. 0:14:06.920 --> 0:14:11.040 Burton was the first ever mister Kentucky Football that was 0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:14.160 an offensive lineman in the whatever it ended up being 0:14:14.160 --> 0:14:16.920 now thirty eight years that they've had that award in Kentucky. 0:14:17.559 --> 0:14:21.040 Normally you always think about quarterbacks, receivers, maybe a pass rusher. 0:14:21.400 --> 0:14:24.960 This dude was that physical, that dominant that he got 0:14:24.960 --> 0:14:28.400 that type of recognition. So he's from Lexington. He decides 0:14:28.440 --> 0:14:31.800 to stay at Lexington. He liked what they were building 0:14:31.840 --> 0:14:35.040 there and wants to see it through. What I love 0:14:35.080 --> 0:14:37.440 about his story is there's a lot of adversity involved 0:14:37.480 --> 0:14:39.000 in that. This is a guy that came in and 0:14:39.040 --> 0:14:41.560 made an all freshman team right away, but didn't really 0:14:41.560 --> 0:14:45.560 lock down a starting, full time position until his final year. Yes, 0:14:45.600 --> 0:14:48.120 he started at various spots, but it was at left guard, 0:14:48.160 --> 0:14:50.400 it was at center, it was at right guard, and 0:14:50.440 --> 0:14:52.960 then finally this past year was at center. He talked 0:14:52.960 --> 0:14:55.960 about the pressure. I really appreciate his honesty and transparency 0:14:55.960 --> 0:14:58.080 about the pressure of being a four or five star 0:14:58.160 --> 0:15:01.320 recruit who stayed home and played for his home state team. 0:15:01.600 --> 0:15:03.400 This isn't a guy that flew across the country and 0:15:03.440 --> 0:15:06.520 went to Washington or Oregon or USC or was over 0:15:06.720 --> 0:15:10.280 down at Florida State. He stayed at Kentucky and wanted 0:15:10.280 --> 0:15:12.680 to play in the SEC and accept that challenge. And 0:15:12.720 --> 0:15:14.480 he mentioned being able to lean on his family and 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:17.440 the people that supported him throughout that. In addition to 0:15:17.480 --> 0:15:20.400 the fact he's a six foot four guy at three 0:15:20.520 --> 0:15:23.280 hundred and twelve pounds, he runs a sub four forty. 0:15:23.640 --> 0:15:28.480 He has the athletic intangible sub five sub five A see, 0:15:28.480 --> 0:15:29.520 I got too much in. 0:15:29.520 --> 0:15:31.560 Himself fast just wanted to correct you there. 0:15:31.600 --> 0:15:34.600 He actually he was given John Ross a run for 0:15:34.680 --> 0:15:37.280 his money. 0:15:36.200 --> 0:15:39.440 In the forty. 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:41.480 That'd be like somebody that you'd create it like Matt 0:15:41.560 --> 0:15:44.000 and you just want again like you break the whole system. 0:15:44.000 --> 0:15:46.480 I have a mod on there, but no runs a 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:51.160 sub five forty for a man that size. Packers. When 0:15:51.200 --> 0:15:53.200 you look at how they draft offensive lineman, this is 0:15:53.240 --> 0:15:55.920 typically the traits they look for. I talked years ago 0:15:55.960 --> 0:15:58.880 about Sean Ryan and Zach tom both were like the 0:15:58.920 --> 0:16:02.320 top vertical among offensive linemen. They look for those sort 0:16:02.360 --> 0:16:03.680 of things. They pay attention to those sort of things 0:16:03.680 --> 0:16:05.760 because it talks to them and speaks to them in 0:16:05.840 --> 0:16:08.520 terms of a player's explosiveness. And that's gonna be something 0:16:08.520 --> 0:16:10.640 that Burton's going to try to bring here again. Another 0:16:10.680 --> 0:16:13.280 guy man that will get added into the mix. We've 0:16:13.280 --> 0:16:15.480 seen a fifth round pick like Corey Linsley come in 0:16:15.480 --> 0:16:17.440 and get a starting opportunity right away and own it. 0:16:18.240 --> 0:16:20.000 Sometimes it takes a couple of years, like it did 0:16:20.000 --> 0:16:21.960 with Sean Ryan, but either way, the Packers needed to 0:16:22.000 --> 0:16:24.880 add a body at that position and Burton definitely fills 0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:25.280 that well. 0:16:25.320 --> 0:16:28.000 It seems like the way it shook out, and I 0:16:28.000 --> 0:16:30.640 don't want to speak for the personnel department or the 0:16:30.680 --> 0:16:33.120 coaching staff here, but just trying to read the tea 0:16:33.200 --> 0:16:35.000 leaves a little bit the way this shook out, the 0:16:35.000 --> 0:16:39.160 Packers ended up taking just one offensive lineman in this 0:16:39.280 --> 0:16:42.120 draft to fortify things, and he's an interior guy. His 0:16:42.320 --> 0:16:45.840 starts throughout his college career at Kentucky, Burton started games 0:16:45.840 --> 0:16:48.400 at both guard spots as well as at center. He's 0:16:48.440 --> 0:16:51.440 an interior guy who can play all three spots, very 0:16:51.520 --> 0:16:54.360 much like Jacob Monk, who the Packers drafted a couple 0:16:54.360 --> 0:16:58.840 of years ago. You've also got John Williams, an interior 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:01.680 guy who's rookie season was you know, kind of a 0:17:01.880 --> 0:17:03.480 wash or a red shirt, whatever you want to say, 0:17:03.520 --> 0:17:07.120 because of because medical rich. So the way the way 0:17:07.160 --> 0:17:11.800 things are shaping up, it seems to me that with 0:17:12.080 --> 0:17:16.480 other guys who have shown some versatility Darien Kennard, Travis Glover, 0:17:16.600 --> 0:17:18.800 that those are the guys who those are going to 0:17:18.880 --> 0:17:23.240 be your backup tackles now, you know, because you've now 0:17:23.359 --> 0:17:26.080 sort of fortified the inside with this extra draft pick 0:17:26.119 --> 0:17:28.480 and the other guys that go along there. That's sort 0:17:28.520 --> 0:17:30.040 of the way I read it. Does that make sense? 0:17:30.119 --> 0:17:33.680 Yeah? Absolutely? And you know, and to the reporter's credit, 0:17:33.720 --> 0:17:35.960 you know, Brian Goodcuinz was asked after the work game 0:17:36.160 --> 0:17:38.760 or after the draft too. Okay, so what happens at 0:17:38.800 --> 0:17:40.840 left tackle now? Because you did not draft to tackle 0:17:41.000 --> 0:17:42.440 like that much is known. I mean, this is a 0:17:42.440 --> 0:17:44.960 guy that has played exclusively into your offensive line. It's 0:17:45.000 --> 0:17:47.480 not a an Anthony Belton type where it's like, okay, 0:17:47.480 --> 0:17:50.359 well you got a really good body here played tackle. 0:17:50.440 --> 0:17:53.360 Could he going inside questions to figure out there? Burton's 0:17:53.400 --> 0:17:55.440 going to be in that conversation. So if you're looking 0:17:55.440 --> 0:17:58.880 at how to replace Rashid Walker at left tackle, obviously 0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:00.879 it starts with Jordan Morgan, and the Packers made that 0:18:00.920 --> 0:18:03.439 investment two years ago. They're gonna see that through. But 0:18:03.520 --> 0:18:06.280 the question was asking, good concept, what else are your 0:18:06.320 --> 0:18:09.440 options there? And he mentioned whether it's Zach Tom, whether 0:18:09.480 --> 0:18:11.440 it's it is a Darien Canard, whether it is maybe 0:18:11.440 --> 0:18:13.960 even an Anthony Belton. The Packers still feel good about 0:18:13.960 --> 0:18:16.520 their options. I think where Green Bay needs to get 0:18:16.560 --> 0:18:19.560 to this training camp and this season is they have 0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:22.240 had all these young dudes. This has been an infusion 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:24.760 of talent on the offensive line the last few seasons, 0:18:25.000 --> 0:18:27.320 but I remember, I'll never forget this. A very well 0:18:27.320 --> 0:18:31.879 accomplished NFL coach once told me. He's like, you don't 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:34.520 see offensive linemen coming to their own until they're twenty 0:18:34.520 --> 0:18:37.040 seven years old. That's when they hit their prime. And 0:18:37.080 --> 0:18:39.119 then after that you're gonna hopefully keep them healthy, and 0:18:39.119 --> 0:18:40.920 then you're gonna see where they take off to. And 0:18:41.000 --> 0:18:42.840 sometimes you end up with Andrew Whitworth, who does the 0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:45.879 darn thing until he's forty right so, or Trent Williams 0:18:45.960 --> 0:18:48.040 as he's doing right now making all of us thirty 0:18:48.040 --> 0:18:50.720 eight year olds look good. But the fact is is 0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:52.520 that I think Green Bay needs to find a way 0:18:52.560 --> 0:18:55.040 to settle into a lineup. Now they have the bodies, 0:18:55.080 --> 0:18:56.920 they have the guys who's going to be the one 0:18:57.080 --> 0:18:59.240 to own those positions and if they can get to 0:18:59.280 --> 0:19:00.840 that point, obviously we have to deal with the injuries. 0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:03.080 I understand that, But in terms of having a week 0:19:03.119 --> 0:19:05.520 one starting lineup where you feel good about the five guys, 0:19:05.520 --> 0:19:07.680 where they're at, not just the people but the positions 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:10.520 they're playing, I think that's one of the main objectives 0:19:10.520 --> 0:19:12.080 here going in this upcoming season. 0:19:12.160 --> 0:19:14.440 Yeah, I totally agree with you. A couple other things 0:19:14.440 --> 0:19:16.880 we need to get to with regard to this draft, 0:19:16.960 --> 0:19:18.919 but we do need to take a quick break, So 0:19:19.000 --> 0:19:22.000 let's hear a quick word from our sponsor. 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