With their first third-round pick, the Green Bay Packers grabbed Southern Miss defensive tackle Khyri Thornton.
Why, that’s where Bert Favre went to college! That must make Thornton a Packers all-time great in the making!
Booyah!
Thornton is 6-3, 304 and he’s not going to wow you with his stats. He had 39 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and a half a sack in 2013. He can obviously push his way into the backfield and take up some blockers, but he’s not going to generate any sort of pass rush.
Thornton is one of those guys that wasn’t too highly regarded coming out, but improved his stock during workouts. He was initially projected as a fifth- or sixth-round pick, but moved up to potentially being a late third-round pick. And that’s where Big Ted pounced!
Are we excited?
Meh.
You can never have too many defensive linemen though. This probably ends any chance Ryan Pickett had of returning to the Packers. It might do the same for Johnny Jolly, which would send our anger meter into the red.
But whatever.
Here’s what NFL.com has to say.
Has the size, brute strength and enough agility to warrant interest as a developmental, rotational five-technique in an aggressize, zone-blitzing scheme such as the Jets, Ravens or Steelers. Versatility is a plus.
There are no highlight videos of this guy, so here’s a video of him talking about some college stuff.
Missed Louis Nix III by 2 picks…
FML
Louis Nix is fat.
The position is no surprise. The pick itself… huh. Ok.
Daquan Jones was still there too
Agreed, I would have felt better with DaQuan Jones but whatever…Teddy knows best, right?
Could have got him in the later rounds. A wasted pick, I’m afraid.
Sounds like another Mike Neal Nick Perry science experiment, with Dom Capers’ name written all over it.
The tight end they drafted was projected to be a 5th or 6th rounder as well …
Pretty sorry draft so far. Damn.
Says you, draft guru.
Read anything Dane Brugler or Josh Norris wrote about the guy, both loved the pick. I’m gonna trust those two guys who watch a fuck-ton more tape than anyone who comments on these boards.
Personally didn’t want Nix at all, fat, lazy, and injury riddled. Reminds me a lot of Raji when he plays. Could Thorton be a bust? Sure, but I don’t mind the pick.
Says the hypocrite who listens to two guys and simply assumes they are correct. It’s pretty obvious that if we really wanted him, we could have gotten him in a later round. Also, your assessment of Nix is absurd. And the comparison to Raji is a compliment, considering Raji was great at NT. Get a clue.
Yes, I’m going to believe two guys whose job it is to watch tape 40 hours a week and analyze over your astute analysis of “pretty sorry draft so far.”
And you know for a fact we could have gotten him later? You should let me know how the other 31 teams draft boards look like, thanks in advance!
Let me get this straight, you don’t mind him being a 3rd Round bust? #SMH
Where the hell did I say I wouldn’t mind him being a bust? Learn to read vijay, I said he “could be” a bust, like every other player in the draft.
But you know so much more than TT, let me know when you get the petition ready to take over as GM, I’ll be the first to sign!
I will b mad I’d the pack dosent get back Jolly Johnny
Khyri Thornton game tape against LA Tech
This is taken from JS online:
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/258732031.html
The Packers’ selection of Southern Miss defensive tackle Khyri Thornton in the third round drew some mixed reaction at ESPN.com.
“This seems like it could be a reach, although Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. raved about Thornton during the ESPN draft broadcast,” says Rob Demovsky.
“However, according to the ESPN Insider player rankings, the 6-foot-2, 304-pound Thornton was the 17th-best defensive tackle in the draft, yet only eight were taken before the Packers picked him at No. 85 overall. Several pre-draft predictions had Thornton as a third-day pick.”
It would seem a lot more experts share KL’s concerns. However, the article is discredited to some degree for calling Pete Prisco an expert. The guy said Eddie Lacy would be a reach and that Franklin would beat him for the starter position.
Sounds a lot like another Josh Boyd, high-motor, undersized, “athletic” DL type. May be a reach but gotta say I’m interested to see how he progresses.