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Deep Coverage, Deeper Questions: Packers Safety Breakdown ft. Destin Adams
0 Playsin 5 hours
Are the Green Bay Packers finally solid at safety… or are there still deeper questions lurking?
In this episode of Ohana Packers Edition (OPE), we dive into the Packers safety room with special guest Destin Adams to break down everything you need to know heading into the season.
We cover:
- Who should start at safety for Green Bay
- Which players are ready to step up
- The biggest concerns in deep coverage
- Whether the Packers still need to add talent
Plus, we answer YOUR listener questions and debate whether this unit can truly lock things down.
Is this group ready to take the next step… or are there still holes over the top? 👀
🎧 Tap in and find out.
#GoPackGo #PackersNation #NFL #Cheeseheads #OPE
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Transcript
Intro
Introduction & Guest Introduction
00:00:57
Speaker
Aloha and welcome back to another episode of the Ohana Packers Edition podcast. Today we continue our pre-draft preview episodes with safety in the 2026 NFL Draft and today we have Destin Adams. Thank you Destin for oh I'm gonna I'm trying so hard to pronounce your name correctly. But um I apologize now if I lose the the vowel pronunciation. But Destin, thank you for joining us. That's right, everyone listening. It is Destin, like Destin the city in Florida. or At least that's how he explained it to me. And we have him on to talk safety. So thank you for joining us today.
00:01:31
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, you you're batting 100 so far with the name. So, I mean, great start. But, yeah, appreciate you guys having me on. And, I mean, as long as you don't get too crazy with how you get it wrong, I'll be pretty fine.
00:01:48
Speaker
Don't worry, if anyone's getting called names, it's me by Joe, so no worries.
Show Format & Packers Overview
00:01:53
Speaker
Alright, so Dustin, I don't know how much Joe has told you about our usual show format for these episodes, but generally what we do is we go into the state of the Packers currently, then we go into any um potential free agent moves, and then we go into the draft class. So... um as We'll try to keep that one as um tight as we can.
00:02:15
Speaker
no real news for the Packers this week anyway, so um don't have a lot to shoot the breeze over. And I think we're going to, like I was telling dust Destin, now I'm going to start doing it. Thanks a lot, Mike. um ah Before recording, I think we'll skip the free agent portion of it because we're far enough along in the offseason that if they were going to make a free agent signing at the position, they would have done it already.
00:02:42
Speaker
um So I think we're pretty good with just what's on roster and any additions via draft and post-draft.
Current Packers Safety Roster
00:02:52
Speaker
Yeah, and you when you look at where they sit on roster, um theyve you've got four guys who are, i don't want to say locks, but pretty certain to make the team at this point in Javon Bullard, Xavier McKinney.
00:03:07
Speaker
i Javon Bullard, Xavier McKinney, Kitan Oladapo, and Evan Williams. And then outside of that, you have two future signings in Jonathan Baldwin and Mark Perry. So, I mean, they figure the Packers are going to carry five five to six guys depending on what they do at cornerback. They tend to go into the season with 10 total DBs on roster. And...
00:03:32
Speaker
They've waffled between splitting it 5-5, 4-6, depending on what the numbers look like at the other position. Every once in a while, they'll carry an 11th guy if that guy is like a special teams ace or something like that. so But the base of this room is pretty solid right now. You've got your two established starters in... um excuse me, McKinney and Williams. Bullard is a de facto starter given how much time they spend in nickel. Bullard really stepped into his own as um the the nickel um DB last season. in And Oladapo has, you know, he's flashed here and there when given opportunities, but um he kind of...
00:04:12
Speaker
he It'll be interesting to see what his role is in um Gannon's defense moving forward because, you know, he's not really showing himself to be a deep half guy. he was kind of used more as a box safety in the past by... um Oh, God, he's gone and I've already forgotten his name. um What's our old DC's name? Halfley?
00:04:35
Speaker
Halfley, thank you. Sorry, sorry Jeff. You're you're gone. You're no longer our DC. It's like college classes. um Oh, it's done, Purge. He's Miami's problem now, right?
00:04:51
Speaker
Yep, he's Miami's problem. But no, we we truly we do truly wish Halfley the best because you know he really did a lot of good stuff for the defense over the past couple seasons. and um Really just interested to see what direction Gannon's going to take it in. but That's where the Packers stand now.
00:05:08
Speaker
And because we want to maximize Destin's time talking about this draft class, I mean, it goes into... Well, the only I would ask, Mike, is beings that Destin is a Colts fan, I'm pretty sure of based on what I've seen him write for and, of course, the stuff he's got going in the background, just an outsider's view of what the Packers have in their... What he would see as what the Packers have in their safety room right now.
Xavier McKinney's Impact
00:05:35
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I think when you start to talk about it, you have to talk about Xavier McKinney first. um I thought going into McKinney's free agency run, i was shocked that a guy that young and with that much ball production was being able to hit the market. you You just don't see defensive backs with that type of ball production. become free agents that young and the Giants allowed it to happen. He was a guy that I know the Colts had a lot of interest in, ends up in Green Bay and has paid off immediately for what he's been able to do to their secondary. He really just plays that single high free safety position in a very high level. I think he's the perfect guy to bring in a young guy next to him and just raise the room of the floor. So I think looking at safety and just seeing a Xavier McKinney there, like it's hard not to have a strong opinion about what a safety duo could be if they get a draft pick right.
00:06:34
Speaker
It's kind of funny, too, that you mentioned that, Destin, that, you know, the Giants let it because they kind of two years in a row let a pretty good safety prospect leave through free agency because, you know, McKinney came to the Packers in the 2024 free agency cycle. And honestly, the offseason before in 2023, I wanted the Packers to sign Julian Love, who was a free agent, you know,
00:06:56
Speaker
not the same type of ball production, but it's more like in the like frame of a steady, heady guy who's not going to blow a lot of plays and, you know, he's going to make more than he gives up kind of thing. And so it was surprising to see New York back-to-back years kind of be like, okay, cool. Like we can just let this guy, and guys who, you know, love especially didn't make like,
00:07:19
Speaker
I think the deal he signed with Seattle was for like $5 million per seats per year or something like that. McKinney's was a little higher, but neither one was like a total break-the-market deal for a safety in any regards. But I think it just kind of speaks to how the league views the position and where they're at in terms of um valuing it to the point where...
00:07:39
Speaker
We'll just start to slowly get into draft prospects.
Caleb Downs: Top Prospect Discussion
00:07:42
Speaker
I mean, um and I'm going to bring up a guy that the Green Bay has no right being in range to take, but you're seeing it with Caleb Downs, who is the undisputed top prospect in the class.
00:07:53
Speaker
And... You're finding, i knew this was going to happen because he's a safety and there's always the how how valuable can a safety really be, all that kind of stuff. And it's like you see teams talking out of reasons or talking reasons of why he shouldn't be a top five pick when really for the longest time I had him as a surefire. Like he's a top five player in this class just because of all the things he does. He's been on draft radar since he was at Bama as a true freshman. I mean,
00:08:25
Speaker
Yeah.
00:08:34
Speaker
you put the film on and he pops like you know joe brings up how safety isn't one of his um favorite positions to scout because Half the time, guys aren't on screen or you can't tell where they are exactly on the field just because of the angles of college broadcast.
00:08:51
Speaker
Downs, there was no mystery because he came in he came in from out of frame like a heat-sinking missile, didn't miss tackles from depth, or like when the camera pans for a deep shot, he's there to make a play on the ball. like There's just no ins and outs about it. and He was a cornerstone of Bama's run to the college football playoff as a true freshman. Was a cornerstone of Ohio State's defense is on national championship winner. And then this past year was like...
00:09:18
Speaker
just still elite and you know he he very easily could have taken the like i've done all i need to do in college like there's you know you you don't want to um jalen smith yourself in the lead up to the draft where you're just playing this third season out as like uh um you know it's just a formality more than it is and you know needing to prove anything for himself but played really well this past season any ohio state issues on defense were not his fault and you know i circle this all back around to say like
00:09:49
Speaker
we talk about like it's funny because every team is like we need a great safety but then when you come to the draft it's like oh like you you hear it every year it's like oh how good does a guy have to be to be like considered a top 10 top 5 pick as a safety so yeah it it's one of those positions that always kind of makes me chuckle because it's like the it's the it's one of the definitive when you need it and don't have it positions and everyone's looking for these kind of guys who can do a little bit of everything Yeah, I mean, I think you hit it right on the head. I mean, for me, my big board's not officially posted yet, so I guess I'm just giving you the spoiler. Like, Caleb Downs is my number three player in this class. So I think very talented guy. You saw it a consistent level of excellence throughout his career is what how I like to refer to him as. And I just think in a situation where are you going to take a safety top five, like, that's always just going be a tough situation.
00:10:46
Speaker
question to answer for a team like talking to scouts around the league like it's always talked talked about with safeties linebackers running back tight ends like if are you going to go a year where you had to suffer so many losses suffer so much turmoil end up with the top five top ten pick and then like the prize you get is a safety, a linebacker, a running back, a tight end. Like, I understand that mindset, I guess. But, like, for me, another position being, like, guard. um That a lot of people just look at it in that light. To me, like, if I am in the top ten and I'm looking at it, I just want to walk away with a win. Like, I want a hit on a prospect. Like, making it, comparing it to like, Colts land. I mean, the Colts used the sixth overall pick on Quinton Nelson.
00:11:36
Speaker
um That's a guard. A lot of people wouldn't look at drafting a guard in the top 10, almost the top five as a very sexy move. um I can tell you for a fact that the Colts do not look back at that pick now and think, man, I wish we didn't take a guard because they're probably going to have a Hall of Famer um in terms of what Quentin Nelson has been and what he will continue to be. So to me, when I look at Caleb Downs, I see a dang good football player. So like to me, if I was a team in the top five with ca with a guy like Caleb Downs, it wouldn't be hard for me to turn a card in.
00:12:10
Speaker
do you guys and like mike said safety is not one of my favorite things to watch so i'm very limited on it but do you think it's and this is to both you guys do you think it's harder to hit on a safety in the top parts of the draft than it is later on i mean you look at some of the guys like a jamal adams who was supposed to be a can't miss prod prospect or um go even a little bit further back and mark Barron for the Rams and guys like that that do get taken relatively high in the draft, but then they kind of like flame out because it it didn't work. Do you guys feel it's it's a lot harder to hit on a, are a lot harder to risk it on a safety when not a lot of them are being, coming through on on their, uh,
00:13:04
Speaker
their promise, so to say. Destin, you can take it first. um So I think the answer to me would be, i think we've seen in the last few years just how the NFL values these positions. And looking at, like, the end of the first round, like, the value for me, as a safe if I'm looking to draft a safety and they're a fringe first-round pick, like, I'm probably going to let them go into day two and not use a pick on them just because that's where the value makes sense.
00:13:32
Speaker
To me, if a safety has played themselves into conversations of, is this guy a top 10 player in the class? Like, there's a good reason for that. Because you're just not seeing these teams talk about safeties in that light unless it's necessary. So there is are there are a few different guys in this class that are that fringe first round, second round class, going past the Caleb Downs, obviously.
00:13:55
Speaker
um And to me, when you're in that fringe realm, like... it wouldn't shock me if we see some of these guys that are getting first round love that are at that position falling in into day two, just because when you're in that 20 to 32 range, having to make sure you hit and looking at these other positions that could make more sense.
00:14:15
Speaker
I think safety, like you're saying, there's been a pretty decent hit rate of finding starters on day two at the position and the contract value just lines up a little bit better with how the position is valued in general and teams are all about getting the discounts at those power positions it's why hitting on a day two receiver is like gold in the NFL right now because that market is just taking off so making it make more sense on the books drafting a safety in day two is typically why you don't see as many go in that 20 to 32 anymore
00:14:47
Speaker
Yeah, and like Destin said, it's... So you brought two really good names, Joe, in Baron and Adams. So like with Adams, so there were two guys that I was like, one, i like Baron, I kind of liked as a prospect. Adams, I was like, I thought he was way too much hype. um And the big issue with the return on investment on on top 10 safeties is it's like...
00:15:13
Speaker
you need to get the guy who can do everything downs is a guy who can do everything as a safety he could play in the box if you wanted him to but he's just elite playing at depth and that's the thing is that like within adams is it's like you took a 230 pound linebacker like for all intents and purposes that was one of the concerns is it's like yes the highlight plays in college were awesome but it's like is he being used by LSU the way he is because that's what they needed him to do or because that's what he couldn't cover kind of thing. And that was always sort of like a you know a Russian roulette with these kind of prospects. And it's one of those ones where you can never really know until you someone makes the pick and you like play the career out and stuff. But yeah, it's it's one of those where, like Destin said, like you kind of brought up, Joe, the return on investment, it's a much...
00:16:08
Speaker
It's not saying that these guys can't do it, but you're you're eight you're you're shooting for a smaller barn than you are for, like, a top left tackle prospect. or a you know and know quarterbacks aren't even, like, sure things, but, like, just in terms of, like, what you can get back, it's like, okay, cool.
00:16:24
Speaker
You know, I get – and that's why, like, left tackles are up there because it's like, this guy's going to play every snap. He's going to be a focal point of every snap. Same with edge rushers. Same with, like, defensive tackles, what have not.
00:16:35
Speaker
With the safety, it's kind of like, okay, this guy's on the field for like 90-something percent of my snaps, but, you know, yes, he's keeping the lid on my defense, but how many plays is he directly involved and yeah that kind of stuff. So, yeah, it it takes a special player.
00:16:53
Speaker
And, like I said, Downs is, to me, one of the exceptions because he fits the mold where he can be a truly transcendent prospect to pro, like, projection. Whereas a lot of other guys, like Destin says, like, are they truly, like, mid-first-round picks or are they getting artificially bringing brought up? You know, like... Haha Clinton Dix, like, there was a point where it's like, okay, like, how, like, is he truly a top 15 pick back in 2014? Or is he more of, like, a latter third of the first round pick kind of stuff? And, you know, needs, depth of the class and all is going to change the algebra on it. But Downs is just a special case where it's like, no like, this guy should... Like, it's it's the, like... You play his career nine times out of ten, it should work out really... You should have a multi-all pro type player and stuff, but... No, I just... I was kind of curious about that because if you look... You know, in my recent mind, you see more of the first-rounders flame out quicker than then later rounds, you know? Colts had one of my favorite safeties for years, Bob Sanders.
00:18:02
Speaker
You know, he was... The GOAT. Yeah, hey, Iowa Hawkeye alum, my my guy, you know, even though he was like five foot nothing, 200 pounds, you know, he was...
00:18:14
Speaker
I wish he would have been able to stay more healthy because he would have had a longer, more productive career if you can actually believe it, but he was a second rounder. The Packers had ah Nick Collins, he was a second rounder.
00:18:27
Speaker
You know, Javon Bullard and and Evan Williams currently for the Packers, second and and fourth rounders, respectfully. and um the The kid that I really liked last year that I know was really liked by a lot, and i mess up his a name all the time, but he was drafted by Seattle from South Carolina. Iman O'Ware?
00:18:48
Speaker
Yeah, there you go. You know, he was second he fell into the second round. So it just it makes me wonder, and what Destin said makes a little bit more sense, that... You know, it is kind of a premium position that you want. the The contracts are getting higher when they hit the free agency, so try to save your money a little bit and get a guy in the later rounds that can contribute day one. so But then, like I said, Mike brought up HaHa Clinton Dix. He was a first-rounder. He had one maybe a year ah another half a year on top of that where he looked... good jamal adams the most that you got out of him was the chets were able to trade him for hey great return on investment if you're new york though you gotta say we're talking about return on investment new york feels pretty good right and and or you look at the giants who gave up on mckinney at the end of his rookie contract
00:19:42
Speaker
And that's what you got to put it as is they pretty much gave up on him because they didn't even, the way it sounded, they didn't even offer him a contract. Now, I know they were kind in cap hell and all that, but, you know, it it's still one of those things that, like Destin talked about with McKinney, how do you let a guy that's that young, that has that kind of ball skill,
00:20:02
Speaker
go and not even try to offer him anything. So it just, it makes me wonder how people view, and not to say anything against Downs. I'll be honest, I didn't watch anything on Downs because I knew he was way out of the reach of the Packers. The Packers would have had to do like a Mike Ditka for Ricky Williams type trade to even consider getting to a spot to take him, unless are you know the famous Our famous saying goes, a gas mask bong video pops out. or you know he goes They already tried. they they They already tried with the whole injury red flags coming out of combine that everyone brought up i mean i I don't think it's happening. I think Caleb Downs is going to be a first round pick. I think Caleb Downs is going to end up being a top 20 pick probably. And if he fell out of that, then that'd be pretty shocking to me. Very good player. I don't think we have to worry about a but a bong video coming out pre-draft though.
00:20:58
Speaker
Well, the only thing, the other thing that can mess him up is the Lyle Collins route where he gets brought into questioning because of an ex-girlfriend getting murdered and you fall completely out of the draft because everybody's wondering why you're getting called in to the police and it was just because he was dating her at the time. Yeah, so like I said, i think he's going to be first-round pick. Yep. The odds on are pretty good there. but Right. Well, yeah, that's why I didn't watch any of him because it's like if if he's consensus top of the draft pick, Packers don't have a first round pick for the next two years, it's not even feasible.
00:21:37
Speaker
Yep, so Green Bay is sitting there at 52. You know, safety, I put it in the bin just for the Packers, just below wide receiver and tight end, where it's not a pressing need because you look to have hit on Bullard and Williams. The one area where I do think they need to plan for the future a bit is, you know, McKinney is, i think, he's 20 this is going to be his year 28 season so you know he's not old but you know he's in the middle or he's in the middle of his second contract um you know his seventh season in the nfl and you want to start to you know at least prepare for the future kind of thing and the one thing they don't have is a second guy who can truly play post safety i know gannon's gonna do you know he's not gonna just sit there and cover three the whole time or anything like that but you don't do want to have, I feel like, one more body who can play post-safety because, you know, Williams, we saw a bunch of times this season where he struggled to get over in deep half coverage to get to the sideline from his deep half responsibility. And Bullard has always been better as a line of scrimmage guy than he has been as a deep safety in the pros, at least. So um you want to see, that would be the one area where I'm kind of like, do they look to add someone? But
00:22:55
Speaker
um Well, and I'll add to that, Mike, if you go look, and I know Easton Butler has done a tremendous job of taking keeping track of who the Packers have met with, you know, for pre-draft. They've been meeting with a lot of safeties comparatively to what they have on roster. I mean, there's at least a dozen of them that they've met in the pre-draft season.
00:23:17
Speaker
um you know And that's all with the way from the beginning with Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl, all the way down to now the top 30 visits. that they've They've been talking to a lot of safety, so it makes you wonder if you know the Packers do tend to you know go a year ahead instead of a year behind on some of their draft picks that 52 rolls around, maybe if a certain person is there,
00:23:45
Speaker
they They make a play for him, you know, maybe like ah the kid from Arizona that Stooks. um Is that his name? I can't think of it off the top my head.
00:23:58
Speaker
Well, ah excuse me. Yeah, the cornerback safety hybrid. yeah Yeah, yeah, where they they could possibly play him as corner, but he also could play safety. I'd hate to go like that because we've had a rough time of it with the Demarius Randle.
00:24:13
Speaker
a botch that happened many years ago that I would hate to go that route, but if he's sitting there and they like him and they're thinking a year in advance, you know, could that be the pick at 52? But, you know, that's what I got to throw in there.
00:24:28
Speaker
Yeah. So Destin, like, you know, you're sitting there at 52. Like I said, it's going to take kind of the board falling a certain way and maybe Green Bay treating safety as a bigger need than a lot of us outside of the Packers room thinking
Safety Prospects for Packers
00:24:42
Speaker
it to be. But who are some names that you're looking at in that range that you'd be pleasantly surprised or pleasantly happy with if Green Bay, you know, you're the Green Bay GM and you're like, oh, like a safety prospect has fallen into my lap here at 52.
00:24:56
Speaker
Yeah, i mean, I think I talked about it a little bit earlier with like how I view those fringe first round safeties. Like to me, when you're getting that type of buzz, like you could go at the end of the first round, you could fall to pick 55. Like it just really depends on how those teams are going to view safety. So to me, like if I'm a team sitting like the Packers in the 50s as your first pick, like I'm not ruling out any of these safeties not getting to me other than Caleb Downs. Like, I just don't think any of these other guys, you're going to look at them and say they're an absolute lock to go into the first round, especially in a class like this where most of them aren't going to have first round grades anyway. Most scouts that I've talked to sit around the 9 to 12 first round grades total in this draft class. So it's very plausible that these safeties are not one of those 9 12. And that's the...
00:25:49
Speaker
reality, then you're looking at a possibility of some of these guys falling into your lap, which is the perfect wording that Mike just used. So to me, like that's when I'm not using a second round pick on safety from the Packers unless a guy like Dylan Thineman falls in my lap and Emmanuel McNeil Warren falls in my lap. Two guys that I think have enough talent to where if they win at the end of first round, it would not shock me. But I think they have some holes in their game that would make them not be a first round grade for a lot of teams where if they fall in the second round, the thought of putting one of those two guys next to a McKinney in the safety room.
00:26:26
Speaker
Like I think that has potential to be one of the best in the league. And if that is how you view it, and I think a new defensive coordinator coming in, there's always the possibility of seeing some of these young guys that have not gone into full-time starting roles that are locks to be starters for the next five years. And I think you're looking at the Packers' room and you see a couple of those guys. So I think if you get one of those guys at that pick, I would would not rule it out personally.
00:26:56
Speaker
Now, I have a question about McNeil Warren to you. Because i he was one guy that I popped up on my screen because I think the Packers did meet with him in one of the earlier processes.
00:27:09
Speaker
I watched him. said his coverage looks good. Obviously, he's not a blazer with his speed, but he was pretty decent. Do you want to put them on? No, I don't want to them on, Daddy.
00:27:27
Speaker
Sorry, i had to do it. um But anyway, ah he did have he had the Peanut Tillman knack for punching out the ball. I know he's he was known for that and he's got good size. But the one thing that bothered me was I i wasn't sold on his tackling. where Where are you with his tackling? Because it just seemed like he was more interested in the, I'm going to punch the ball out, then let's get the guy down on the ground and not worry about him getting any more yardage.
00:27:56
Speaker
Yeah. So for me, I think one of the most common things you're going to see in non day one draft picks in every draft cycle at positions like linebacker, safety corner um is you're going to see poor tackling listed as a con. It happens often. And I think to me, it's always really big to look for what's causing the poor tackling. So for me, the red flags when that's a con for you and it's because of effort and it's because of just not putting in the effort to make a tackle and you can see that their priorities are elsewhere. Like that's a big that's a big con to me because that's not just coaching. That's going to be changing a kid's mindset and how they're playing the position. Right. So for me, I don't feel like big Neil Warren's issue is effort. I think a lot of what he has dealt with has been technique issues, which as long as you believe in your defensive coaching staff, um I think that's perfect. That's the kind of guy that's going to fall a little bit because he's not that perfect, well-rounded prospect that they feel like is ready to play right away. He needs a little bit of coaching. like That's what you're going to see scouts right. And to me, I think that's what it is with McNeil Warren. I feel like the technique has a little bit polished a little bit. right You mentioned the peanut punches and that being something that he wanted to go for a lot. To me, when I was watching his game, one of the things I wrote down is it really felt like that was like almost robotic for him. Like it may have been something his coaches wanted him to do at a very high rate. most likely because of trying to get the ball, trying to turn it over at a high rate and just making that such a focus for him. I don't feel like that has to be his first priority at the pro level. So I'm really interested to see where he lands because I think if you can coach up that technique a little bit, I think he has a really good base to be a really good tackler in the NFL.
00:29:46
Speaker
Okay. Yeah, I mean, it that's what it seemed like to me when I was watching it was that it was more like he wanted to do the punch than he wanted to do the wrap-up. So if if they can get him out of, not necessarily take away the punch from him per se, but to get him to want to focus on the tackle first and the punch second, then then it could be something else. and But that was really the, and outside of, you know, he he's not a blazer when it comes to fast. but You know, he didn't really run the best 40 for a safety. But then again, you look at Xavier McKinney and, you know, he ran a four five, four, six, 40. So he's not a blazer either. But yeah, that was my only knock on him.
00:30:30
Speaker
You got anything, Mike? No, same thing. I was just going to come in with you um and talk about, but Destin really did answer it, that, yeah, it does seem like it's a matter of showing up some technique on his tackling. um Sorry, folks. this We're recording on Easter Sunday, and Mike is probably in the midst of still dealing with with Easter stuff. so Counting, counting. but But no, he is a fun prospect to watch on film. it's one of He's one of those does a little bit of everything and um as a safety prospect. And he it does bring the question up of like, okay, you know, which one of these roles is his true NFL projection? Or can he truly do a little bit of everything? And that's, you know, that's the...
00:31:17
Speaker
that's what these That's what the scouts and GMs are paid the but big bucks for is to identify... you know You need to find guys who have at least one NFL trait. Obviously, the more they get the more they have, that's how you get up higher in the draft. Or just...
00:31:32
Speaker
Better return on investment. But, you know, as much as I said, I prefer a guy who can play um post safety to kind of back up and learn from McKinney. At the same time, if you find another guy who can play in the box and is just a much bigger body, you know, McNeil Ward, he stands just over six, three and a half, and he has 32 inch arms like.
00:31:53
Speaker
You know, one of the problems with the Packers in zone coverage is like linebackers not getting to proper depth or um the guys who do get to proper depth, they're just built, you know, they're just built like tree stumps. And it's, you know, that was the problem with like, um excuse me.
00:32:10
Speaker
mcduffie playing linebacker last season is like yeah isaiah was in the right spots but it's like if if you're at 10 foot or 10 yard depth with isaiah mcduffie a good quarterback is just gonna put the ball two yards over his head and there's nothing he can do about it whereas you know if you're a little taller a little more athletic maybe you tighten down those throwing windows a little better than what mcduffie can give you so you know there's degrees to this and um i you know I do think there is a world where McNeil Warren plays a solid role on the Packers defense this season. It's just one of those more, little bit more squint to see it because he's kind of crossing over on two roles you're already covered in Bullard and Williams.
00:32:51
Speaker
And at the same time, Williams has missed time in each season due to some soft tissue injuries. um And Bullard, yes, he bounced back his sophomore season, but you also have to find out how real or not real that bounce back was. So yeah you can never have enough good players at every position. So um you're only going to find out when you have the guys in the room. So, you know, definitely a good option there, especially, you know, the disclaimer we always have is um
00:33:22
Speaker
given if the board at um edge d tackle corner you know the quote unquote truer needs for the packers has dried up at 52
00:33:32
Speaker
You know, there's guys who are available for the Packers at other positions. Now let's flip the tables and Destin, you know, we're in the third round, let's say, and, you know, the Packers are kind of scratching their head at what to do there because the board is not super promising as, you know, the three positions I listed earlier, tight ends aren't looking great either.
00:33:54
Speaker
That said, if the Packers decide, let's go safety, who is a prospect you're not in love with in the day three of this draft? In the third round or day three? Sorry, what was that? we're sorry, in the third round. Day two, third round. Okay. um So ah a third round talent that I'm not in love with for Green Bay or that I'm just not in love with in this class? You can go either way. Okay. Yeah.
00:34:15
Speaker
um To me, round two and round three is, like, such a gray area in this class. Like, I almost feel like it's the same thing. Like, it it's just going to be about preference, especially at safety. There's, like, so many different guys here. So, to me, like, if I had to pick one that's, like, I personally have struggled to get there with him,
00:34:38
Speaker
I guess I'll say Michael Taft from Texas. um like He's a guy that like I know a lot of people have looked at as a late round two, early round three type of guy. um when When I watch his film, like I think he has a lot of good coverage instincts. um um' I'm a little bit...
00:34:54
Speaker
worried, I guess, about if he's going to come in day one, just be able to be a man-to-man type guy in certain schemes at that position. And do I really feel like I want to drop him back as the single high safety yet? um ah So having those two question marks makes me a little bit worried to where I wouldn't use a day two pick on him. But I really do think a lot of this safety class, the the depth and the the gold of this class, in my opinion, is on day three.
00:35:25
Speaker
Yeah, I kind of watched a little bit of him and I immediately stopped and I was trying to pull up his Raz card real quick because I think I had Brian Moffy running through my head a lot when when I was watching was reading these draft cards. And the big thing the Packers, and this is well known, not just out from Moffy, but Moffy seems to be the one that points it out, is the three cone.
00:35:49
Speaker
you know The Packers have a specific three cone for all their players that they have to hit, and I think that was one of his um one of his weaker spots for his testing. so I was watching him, then I read the i believe I read his Raz card and saw his three cone. I was like, well, nope, that's it.
00:36:11
Speaker
it's It's interesting because like McKinney is a guy who kind of falls on the fringe of where the Packers would like would they take him, would they not take him and stuff.
Packers' Draft Strategy
00:36:21
Speaker
And you know people are like, oh, well, they signed him. But I'm like, they're more willing to sign guys in for agency who they wouldn't necessarily draft because they're like, okay...
00:36:30
Speaker
This guy has proven in the NFL that he is, you know, whether it's between the ears or whether just the test, he's not a good tester, whatever it is that, you know, his on-field play is what is showing up on film.
00:36:43
Speaker
You know you can say whether that's a good or a bad strategy, but, um... That is just the way they approach it is they're like, if you have specific, you know, it's like short cornerbacks, i.e. Ahmaud Carroll, the three-cone drill, you you can pick between Quinton Rollins, whatever. You you have several several examples in the past decade or so for Packers draft picks. There's a reason that they don't like guys who have above seven second three cones because, you know, as much as people are like, well, how much, how often do you do that in an NFL game? Well, the thing is that as a DB, you're forever with your shoulder, that you want to be square to the line of scrimmage and you're forever changing direction based on, you know, which way the quarterback looks, which way the receiver that's in your zone is going. And you have to be able to flip your hips on a dime. And that's what the three cone is expressing in terms of a test. And, know,
00:37:33
Speaker
To circle back to what Joe was saying, is like you know everyone's like, oh, like you know what does it mean that this guy's outside their parameters? The parameters are set for like, okay, like...
00:37:46
Speaker
This guy is like a 7.02 for example. And it's like, where do you draw the line? It's like, okay, in the fourth round, i'll I'm okay making that gamble because, you know, you're you're based on the film production versus where you're taking the guy. You just can't pass that prospect up anymore. Whereas um if it's a, you know, like...
00:38:09
Speaker
Yeah, it's just one of those, like i said, and whereas McKinney, when you look at some of his testing scores and you're kind of like, oh, like his cards kind of got some yellow and red that the Packers normally don't touch. But it's like, yeah, but he's shown that he still has the range, the ball production, the eye discipline, that it's he leverages all his athleticism to be a extremely ball hockey safety on the back end of a defense. So.
00:38:34
Speaker
long-winded explanation around you know the packers are a team where they stick to their parameters on draft night but don't let that cloud you from oh this guy they brought in like he doesn't fit with what they would normally take but a guy that and if they do go outside the parameters it's usually in the later rounds i e like a kingsley and igbari in the fifth round or something like that so yeah they but early in the draft they tend to stick around their parameters more often than not A lot of easier to break rules when you're paying day three guys what you're paying them compared to what you're going to pay a day two or a first round guy. Yeah, very much. Definitely makes sense. um Also, I mean, to me, talking to pro scouts and talking to college scouts in terms of what their job is for an NFL team, like they're looking for very different things. And I think you covered it really well. In terms of like there was already a proven line of production with McKinney, so you don't really have those questions. Because any draft prospect, and that's including a Caleb Downs who we talked about earlier, there's going to be the question of will he be do this in the NFL? Because you haven't seen it. And until you see it, you never know. With a guy like McKinney entering free agency, you have seen him play against NFL talent. You have tape in the NFL.
00:39:46
Speaker
It is no longer will he do this. He has done this. So now will he work in our scheme? Like that is really what the pro scouts look at in comparison to what a college scout is looking at and trying to project what this guy will do in our defense. So, I mean, I don't think a, and I don't follow the Packers like you guys do, obviously don't know the three cone rules for them, but I think it makes a lot of sense that if the Packers have a three cone rule um for a defensive back, that they'd be willing to bend a little bit on that for a day three prospect or a free agent opposed to drafting one in the top three rounds.
00:40:24
Speaker
yeah Yeah, a lot of their, and three cone goes for everybody on the team. They they tend to stick with that for everybody. but um But yeah, they will later in the draft, your day three guys, your UDFAs are some of the ones that are more outside the box on that. But I want to throw a name out here real quick because I saw it up three. It looks like the Packers visited with him on three separate occasions. I watched him. I wasn't.
00:40:50
Speaker
to keen on him but they've like i said they've met with him three times i don't know what that means i don't know if there's something about him they like I don't know if that means that he's got maybe a history that they're trying to get cleared up or anything, but that's bitz Bishop Fitzgerald from usc um I thought his hip flip looked a little bit stiff.
00:41:13
Speaker
um Tackling for the most part was solid, but there were times that he could take a bad angle or two. And I thought his speed looked okay. Production-wise, I think, was maybe mid-tier on things, but...
00:41:28
Speaker
Usually when the Packers are meeting more often than not with a player on multiple occasions, there's a good chance there they view something, or like I said, there' there's something in his history that they're just trying to get cleared up and seeing if if he's out or over it.
00:41:44
Speaker
So Bishop Fitzgerald, where are you guys sitting on him? I mean, I'm not going to speculate on why the Packers met with him three times or anything like that. I don't know what the Packers typical process is when they go through a draft process for that kind of reason. I will say with him specifically, i do think he's a very interesting prospect that would make a lot of sense for a team to want to get extra work on because a lot of the expected testing numbers that were floated around for him um had him faster. than what he showed in Indy at the Combine. And typically when that kind of thing happens, um you could see teams wanting to kind of let them test a little bit for them themselves, see it live, because
00:42:33
Speaker
I mean, there's so many different weird stories that have happened during combine workouts that um are forever going to say what they say, but they don't tell the full story. I think a good example is looking at like Jarvis Landry, the receiver, who hurts himself during his 40, and that's not instantly reported. He runs a really slow time, and he becomes a guy that a lot of teams brought in multiple times to really – check on some things, whether that was meeting with him at the combine, meeting him at some all-star games, bringing them in the building. So I do think that could be a reason just because I've heard that from other teams that he's a guy that they really expected to test better. So maybe they want to get some fresh eyes on him outside of that environment and see if those numbers are a little better.
00:43:21
Speaker
Yeah. Mike, do you got anything to throw in there? Because like i said, I had never heard of him, but I was going through Easton's... Easton's got a database of Packer meetings, and they've they've met with him like three separate occasions, so I just... No, no. Like, what Destin is saying makes a lot of sense, where it's like...
00:43:40
Speaker
Yeah, and it's it's kind of funky because, yeah, like you said, he's sort of the quote-unquote other safety from USC in this draft because, you know, the the the name that a lot of people have more eyes on is Kamari Ramsey. But, yeah, I do think when you...
00:43:55
Speaker
when you've when you've got um that many visits in with the same guy, you are, you know, maybe it's a, you know maybe something in the medicals turned up and you're checking to see, like, is it progressing? You know, like, let's say it's like some sort of um surgery rehab or a soft tissue rehab. And it's like, okay, in six weeks, you're supposed to be here kind of thing. And, you know, you're kind of trying to get like the the multiple um landmark evaluations of a guy's rehab over an injury and stuff. you know, As Destin said, the other side of it is like testing, you're coming in for personal workouts, all that kind of stuff.
00:44:28
Speaker
And there's also the chance that it is like, you know, the off-field stuff. So we're never going you know, to be a fly on the wall in those kind of conversations, we'll never know for certain. But those are generally the three places I would imagine it as well. I honestly didn't watch a lot of USC. And um yeah, like...
00:44:49
Speaker
Like Destin said, i have heard more like, because I don't think he made the freaks list, but you do hear a lot like, just because my wife's a Chargers fan, so a lot of the reporters that you know you follow for Chargers news, they also do like UCLA, USC area like stuff. And...
00:45:07
Speaker
the Fitzgerald was one of the guys, like I said, not Feldman's freakless necessarily, but you did hear like, oh, okay, this guy's expected to be this, this, and this, and then it's like... Definitely not a 4.55 speed. Yeah. Definitely was expected to break into the 4.4s. Yeah, exactly. So it's one of those where, like I said, and I'll be, I say it on as many episodes as I can, I am not the person to ask like, oh, what does this guy look like he should run? i'm like...
00:45:34
Speaker
You know, I'm like Unger from the longest yard. He's fast. And he makes other fast guys look not fast. I'm not the guy who's going to be to like, that's a 4'4 guy. That's a low 4'3 guy. You know, I do not have the eye for that. It's also probably the hardest drill to, like, predict. When you're talking milliseconds, I mean, that's just crazy stuff. I mean, so like just for an example, just part of my scouting process, I typically put down an expectation for drills from what I see on film just to see how it progresses. So like just going through my notes and for Bishop Fitzgerald, like I have a 4-4-6.
00:46:13
Speaker
So I have him breaking the 4-5s. 4-5-5, I mean, that sounds so much worse, right? I mean, it's... It's nine-tenths of a second worse, and and when you're looking in the the combine and reactions, like that's a significant difference. But in reality, that's less than it takes for me to do anything, for me to blink. That's.09. So, like yeah, I don't know. I mean, it's a very tough thing to get into, but...
00:46:43
Speaker
him running a 4.46 would have looked a lot better to a lot of people than a 4.55. Whether I think that is hilarious when just like talking about the logistics of it is one thing, but it is the reality of the sport.
00:46:55
Speaker
yep exactly for sure and the 40 and that's why i when i watch these guys especially before the combine i'll say something like well speed looks good on film because that that leaves me that little bit of wiggle room that if they go to the combine and run like a 4-2-4 then i'd be like yeah see i saw that on tape and if they run a 4-2-4 it better look good on film But I mean, I had that issue last year with RJ Harvey when we were doing our running backs because I was watching one where he was he it was against Iowa State and he broke a deep one and he was going and the next thing you know, this cornerback is just chasing him down. It's like, okay, he doesn't have the greatest top speed, but then you look at the 40 times of the corner that chased him down and he was in the 4-2s, 4-3s. It's like, okay, never mind. RJ Harvey's got pretty good speed.
00:47:47
Speaker
It happens. It happens. It happens. So, as we move into the early Day 3 range, two guys that I've kind of had my eye on, one initially for sort of like Homer reasons, and another just because...
Day Three Safety Comparisons
00:48:05
Speaker
kind of always kind of like TCU safeties for some reason. But two guys in that, like, round four range that I've had my eye on are Bud Clark and Zaki Wheatley.
00:48:14
Speaker
i'm a I'm a Michigan fan and grad destined, so, you know, Tyrone Wheatley's kid is playing for playing college somewhere. I'm going to have my eye on him. Didn't test nearly as well as I thought. he I didn't think he was some kind of elite athlete, but I didn't think he was going to run a 4.6540, and I didn't think that showed up on film. But, um...
00:48:34
Speaker
He's one of those, like, he kind of reminds me of, like, how Adrian Amos used to play at Penn State, where he kind of just was all over the place, using a lot of different roles. I liked it. And like I said, this is where, like, the 4-6-5 surprised me, because I liked his click and close from depth, um and I really liked the power that he brought when he would come downhill into the, you know, into the run alley and support the run.
00:48:57
Speaker
And um with Clark... i like the you know I like his range. The ball skills are solid. And then the big question for me is like, what does 188 pounds mean to a lot of different teams? And, you know, like the Packers are one of the ones where they like their guys to have a certain amount of stockiness to them. They don't care for super skinny prospects. But, um you know, round four, maybe even five is where you're getting into that range where it's like the rest of the player is a really good player. And like, you know, what's a couple trips to Culver's?
00:49:29
Speaker
I'm stopping you from getting this guy. So how how are Wheatley and um how do Wheatley and Clark measure up for you as prospects? Yeah, so I mean, I'll start with Wheatley. To me, I think a lot of the teams that are going to be interested in McNeil Warren early are going to look at Wheatley as a guy who could be had for cheaper because he's going to be that early day three. Maybe someone falls in love with him at the end of the third But I probably in day three in the fourth or fifth round opposed to McNeil Warren, who's going to be a first or a second round pick.
00:50:03
Speaker
um And I think they have a lot of similarities in terms of how they were used in college of just being asked to do so many different things. um ah For me, for McNeil Warren, the 40 wasn't that big of a deal just because when I watched him, I really felt like his long speed was actually where he had an asset. And I think that kind of proved itself at the with the 40, especially the 10-yard split. being as poor as it was for the position. um Like I felt like that kind of verified that for me, but I really do think as the play gets going, he, he has plenty enough speed to make plays. And I think we always saw him around the ball at Penn state. And I think that's a big thing to watch, especially for guys that get asked to play in the box and get asked to play with their instincts a lot. like he did. So I like Wheatley a lot. And I think it makes a lot of sense if you're a team in on McNeil Warren early that you look at Wheatley as a guy that maybe I can get him in day three and get a similar production, maybe not as good instantly. But I think they could get a lot of
00:51:08
Speaker
good stuff out of him for what your dollar is worth essentially um when looking at day three. um But Clark's another one. I mean, he's really fun, really fun tape to watch. And I think looking just throughout, he's a guy that, first of all, having proven ball production is just always going to be a win because that's just one of the questions you're always going to ask. Can they turn the ball over at the next level?
00:51:32
Speaker
um And it's one of the things that typically is going to translate well. If you track the ball well in college, you're typically going to track the ball well in the NFL. um It might be harder to make plays against these NFL receivers, and it might be harder to kind of fool some of these quarterbacks at times. But if you're good at tracking the ball in the air, like...
00:51:53
Speaker
It's like riding a bike. like You're going to be able to track a football if you can do it at the college level. And I think Bud Clark has a proven track record there. So if you're looking for a guy that's just going to excel in zone coverage, I think Bud is definitely a guy you should be high on. Probably going to be more likely a day three pick. But again, he's a guy i wouldn't bat an eye at if he went in the third round.
00:52:14
Speaker
Yeah, with Clark, and like you said, that's the the one the one nuance with safety ball production in college is, again, I bring up HaHa because it's like, I think HaHa had like five or six interceptions his last year at Bama, but then when you would like go back and watch the film, there those they're in the box of, okay, he's in the area, but he's not really undercutting the route himself or making the play. It's like a lot of tipped pass plays, a lot of overthrows where he's like five yards behind the receiver. And so it gets into that whole, like, okay, on one hand, he's not the guy forcing the turnover.
00:52:53
Speaker
And at the same time, as Packers fans, we have the past 10 to 15 years seen so many guys just drop golden opportunities to convert turnover turnover opportunities into actual turnovers.
00:53:07
Speaker
And so it's like... When you want to split hairs, it's like, okay, like how much does that matter to you? like the the like The difference between creating the turnover and securing the turnover? That said, like you noted, Destin, Clark is the guy that is creating the turnover. And yes, the windows, they change...
00:53:26
Speaker
as a process you know coming from college to the nfl but also like from a packer's point of view the ideal is that you've got micah parsons coming back fully healthy and he's going to create havoc and you're going to have some off-target throws because your quarterback's in peril and all that kind of stuff so you want that guy who's both going to be assignment sure and is going to have the wherewithal to understand routes and how to undercut and all that kind of all that good and stuff so yeah like i said just take him to culvers yeah
00:53:58
Speaker
um So I know we want to end pretty soon, but I just want to throw a couple of names out that the Packers have met with that maybe you guys can do like a rapid fire on what you think of them.
VJ Payne: Standout Prospect
00:54:08
Speaker
They've met with James Madison safety, Jacob Thomas, Charlotte safety, Jakarius Connelly, and Kansas State safety, Vijay Payne.
00:54:20
Speaker
ah So any three of those really kind of stand out to you? They're probably going to be late day three, you know, preferred UDFAs based on schools. But, you know, do any of those three kind of pop up on your radar?
00:54:36
Speaker
So I love V.J. Payne. I think he's probably the guy that like is going to be my safety in terms of my guys this year. i think he's a guy that has proven ball production. But I also think he's a guy that plays so violently that he's just so fun to watch on film. He's a guy that's always trying to make a play. Once the ball is out of the quarterback's hand, he's not a guy that gives up because the ball didn't go to his target. He's a guy that wants to see the ball and attack the ball afterwards. um And I think V.J. Payne is a guy that but I just have a hard time not seeing hit, man. I do like I just have a hard time not seeing him be a successful NFL player. Even if it ends up being just like a special teams ace because someone finds a way to turn his physicality into that realm of the game. I just think Vijay Payne is a guy who has great size, tested really well, he has really fun film. Looks like a really smart player that really understands offenses. He's a guy that I keep seeing people say he's going to go day three. I have a round three grade on VJ Payne. He's a guy that I think is just very talented. I'm very excited to see where he lands. and i
00:55:54
Speaker
he plays both safety spots. Some people are going to tell you he should play free safety just because of the coverage ability. um I really do think he's at his best when you can just lay him in the box, let him just...
00:56:06
Speaker
look at the field, make instinctual plays and just attack. So I would love to see a VJ Payne next to a guy like x Xavier McKinney. So I would love to see him in Green Bay personally. But yeah, I'm pretty high on VJ Payne.
00:56:20
Speaker
um Yeah, be like I said, I know they visited with him. I didn't get a chance to watch him much. But what do you think of the idea? Because I kind of caught this on on one of a friend of the Jake Schavink and JJ Leahy's show that...
00:56:37
Speaker
Jake also seemed to think that maybe Vijay could be a corner at in the next level. So is that something that maybe could possibly happen with him too?
00:56:48
Speaker
Yeah, i mean, he definitely has the size for it. I mean, you're you're looking at a guy that –
00:56:55
Speaker
206 pounds, has really good arms at 33 and 3 fourths, tested really well at either position. So I could see somebody wanting to test him outside, especially because of the positional value at corner opposed to safety. I still think his best role at the next level is going to be in the box just because of how I think he operates when his instincts are just what he's at his disposal of.
00:57:20
Speaker
um But I do think if you put him at corner, he's going to be one of the better tackling corners on your team. And I do think that matters for a lot of teams. Maybe not as much for some. But I do think against the run as a corner, he'd be excellent right away. So I think he could play either spot. I think that's the the best part about him. He kind of played everywhere at Kansas State. Has snaps at corner, has snaps at both safety positions, um has great size. You don't have to question if he's going to be able to cover a tight end on a jump ball play. So a very versatile player that I'm really excited to kind of see what role he kind of carves out. Selfishly, because I just want to see him hit people more, I want him to play in the box.
00:58:05
Speaker
He does bring a ton of bricks with him into the contact area. Yeah, a lot of fun. And like you said, you know, so we're really entering that era where guys are like, where more coordinators are experimenting with moving different body types around in the defensive backfield. And you look at Payne and it's like, he's that boundary corner who you just like, he, and what I like about his film at corner is he understands that the sideline is his friend. and he's just going to ride the receiver out there within the rules of the game. And like, okay, quarterback, you want to make a throw, you've got like a 6x6 inch window to fit the ball in. Or it's a you know it's incomplete is your best case scenario. Or I'm batting it to myself or batting it to a teammate for an interception. So, yeah, like it's...
00:58:52
Speaker
really He's a really intriguing prospect. and These are the kind of prospects that i get you like I really enjoy in the draft process because we're talking about a ah late round three, early round four type of guy where you're like, yeah, like the but the upside is pretty pretty exciting at this position. jen So...
Potential Late Picks
00:59:12
Speaker
Yeah, it's this is where it gets really fun for me. is The way you guys are talking him up, I'd take him at 52 because the Packers need a corner that tackles. we We went all season without corners that could tackle. So, you know, a corner that's not afraid to hit somebody, it's ah it's a plus for me.
00:59:28
Speaker
It's a yes for me, dog. If the Packers want to use a second-round pick on him just so my agenda on him being underrated hits, I mean, power to them.
00:59:39
Speaker
all right the only thing i'm thinking about uh thomas is i thought his back pedal and his hip flip were one of the smoothest i've ever seen i mean he was basically floating when he was doing his back pedal and hip flip uh i know mike's gonna end it here pretty soon because we want to cut off But I'm not going to let it go that easy because there are two guys that I got to talk about.
01:00:00
Speaker
I was getting you there. One of them is my homer pick. The other one is one that I really like from what I saw and could be another one that could be a late draft. So I'll talk about him real quick.
01:00:11
Speaker
Tanner Wall from BYU. ah He had a smooth back pedal. I thought he was a solid tackler. Maybe not be the fastest, but was super serviceable. He was one that I thought tracked the ball really well.
01:00:25
Speaker
ah You know, ah it was basically one of those see ball make play, you know, see ball, get ball. And he tested really good. um you know Obviously, I don't know anything about outside of that. BYU is not a school that I kind of watch a lot of, but I did see him. I did really like what I saw out of him. He could possibly be maybe a day three guy for them.
Xavier Wampa's Potential
01:00:48
Speaker
But I will talk about Xavier Wampa. The Hawkeye fan in me has to support the Hawkeye player.
01:00:55
Speaker
i will say about Wampa that he never lived lived up to his his hype. ah He's one of the very few five-star recruits that come out of the state of Iowa, let alone go to the University of Iowa.
01:01:12
Speaker
and he never really lived up to that he was always a freakish athlete and i believe he tested really well at at the combine but you saw flashes of it in his time at the university of iowa he did start some games as a true freshman had some um time since day one uh limited stats but That's about all I can – the only other thing I can throw out is like I always do with University of Iowa guys. They're blue-collar guys. They're the type that, you know, they're going to show up. They're going to put in the work.
01:01:52
Speaker
ah Hopefully somebody can take Xavier and finally mold his athletic ability into what he should have been. But coming out as, like I said, a – Very few times do five-star athletes pop up out of the state of Iowa, and even fewer times do those five-star athletes end up at the University of Iowa.
01:02:16
Speaker
He was one of the few, and it just it it never lived up to that ranking. So I was searching for this because i had ah i had a scout text me talking about him specifically, and I wanted to see exactly what he said. So I got a text this draft cycle, and he he the text read, he's built like and tested like a former five-star.
01:02:45
Speaker
Why didn't he play like one? um So, like, um I do think the frame and the testing matter. And I do think the fact that now, whether it's right or should be this way, high school rankings follow you all the way to the draft process. Like being a former five-star recruit matters and scouts care about it. The fact that it was there and maybe it just wasn't untapped um in college, like that matters to a lot of NFL teams. So I do think there's going to be guys that are really big fans of him and we'll see what that looks like. I think he's going to get drafted and I think we'll see it happen on day three. But I do think –
01:03:29
Speaker
Having that foundation of his size and what he tested like is a very, it matters more than some people might think. Do you hear that, Mike? I have the same thoughts as an NFL scout.
01:03:42
Speaker
No, not going to go against anything there. and I totally agree. like you know This is one of those where um if the Packers believe in their safety coaching, this is a guy that you're like, hey, we can get him round six, round seven. years sort of like and you know At absolute worst, this is sort of like a Kendall Donerson or like a Jeff Janis pick where it's like the RAS card is basically a 10. Just take him and see if you can teach him how to football better than he did in college. And I'm always up for those when you're in the dredges of the late sixth and seventh round, like just start throwing the darts, let them fly, let them lie, let them lie wherever they end up going. um
01:04:19
Speaker
Destin, thank you so much. Were there any other prospects that you wanted to um have a Ted talk over or was VJ Payne atop your list for guys that you absolutely had to make sure were mentioned today? Yeah. I mean, the fact that you gave me the floor to talk about VJ Payne made this podcast worth it. Doesn't matter what else happened. But I mean,
01:04:39
Speaker
I like day three a lot, like just to like go like quick fire at you. Robert Spears Jennings out of Oklahoma. Another guy day three tested really well. I think he's going to be a special teams ace at the very minimum. And I think he has a little bit of upside to carve out a role in the NFL. I think Deshaun Singleton from Nebraska is another guy that I like. like his film a lot. And really interested to see where he fits in in terms of trying to carve out a role on defense. Maybe not as much of a special teams guy early on, but I do think he has a lot of talent.
01:05:17
Speaker
And then, I mean, I think somebody's going to take Lorenzo Stiles. I think somebody's going to bet on the athletic profile. having a brother that's going to be drafted as high as he's going to get drafted and sunny.
01:05:30
Speaker
um I think it'll be interesting to see what his draft stock looks like. Come April, um end of April. We're already in April, man. The the year is flying and by guys. Yeah. I was just looking at the, our tentative schedule and we've only got two more weeks of this.
01:05:44
Speaker
Hey, Hey, that that's a good thing though. The draft cycle needs to be shorter. Okay. If I'm going to leave you guys with anything, that's, that's the end. The draft cycle needs to be shorter. Fix that the NFL.
01:05:55
Speaker
And on that note, we will um we will keep this episode as short as and concise as um Destin is hoping the NFL will keep the draft cycle moving forward. But Destin, thank you so much for joining us today. we appreciate We are very happy to hear that the highlight was you going on your VJ Payne TED Talk. um Where can all of our listeners find all of your work and your um eventual VJ Payne, why he will be a Hall of Famer because so-and-so drafted him? Peace.
01:06:27
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, ah anybody can follow me on X, Twitter, whatever you call it nowadays, um at the Destin Adams. Not at the Dustin Adams. You're not going to find me there, but at the Destin Adams on X. And then you can find any work on the NFL draft. And if you want to talk about the Indianapolis Colts or read about the Indianapolis Colts for any reason ever, I have you covered um over there at A Z Sports.
01:06:52
Speaker
Hey, I got a soft spot for the Colts just because of Dallas Clark and and Bob Sanders. So, yeah, we're we're good on that. yeah. Destin, thank you so much for joining us today. We really appreciate you taking out the time to talk to the two of us, these two loonies, as we go over the Packers draft plans. But we really appreciate it. And um you can check us out at Ohana underscore Packers on Twitter. ah At Ohana Packers.
01:07:18
Speaker
apple Ohana Packers Edition on Instagram. Please check us out on Facebook. We are still trying to get to 100 followers there so that we can do our live streams on Facebook as well as on YouTube. Once we get to 100 followers, we're going to do our drawing. Please hurry up. The Perishables that I sent, they're still good. They're still good. we, you know, the more time goes by, is going to have to keep checking those a little bit more closely to make sure he doesn't have to enjoy them all on his loan. So... Just help out. I'll go share him with my new favorite restaurant in town.
01:07:55
Speaker
So help Joe out there. um Please follow us on your favorite podcasting apps. Give us a like and a subscribe if you're enjoying what you're hearing. And I don't believe we got one for today's episode, but we have been getting some questions written in for or topics for to be broached by our guests. So please keep those coming along both for the rest of our draft preview sessions and for any of our other episodes we really want to be in touch with our um our listeners so on that note destin thank you one more time go pack go and a load