Packers Get Receiver And Punter (No Joke) In Fifth Round
This is pretty much what I feel about Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst right now.
Throw him and Russ Ball into a room together and they’re a couple of wild and crazy guys!
The Packers used their two fifth-round picks on a receiver and a punter. Yes, a punter. Not a misprint.
Here’s a summary on our thoughts about that punter pick.
A fucking punter? What's wrong with the one the Packers have?
— Total Packers (@totalpackers) April 28, 2018
The punter was actually chosen before the receiver.
Said punter is Alabama’s J.K. Scott.
We’ll give you this. Scott can kick the hell out of the football.
But let’s ask the obvious question before we get to that. Is there something wrong with Justin Vogel? Didn’t the Packers finally solidify the punter position with Vogel in 2017 for the first time in — I don’t know — Ted Thompson’s entire tenure as general manager?
Vogel had a 44.4 average and a 41.6 net in 2017.
But moving on…
Scott has a 45.6 career average at Alabama. His hang time was 4.55. He put 25 percent of his punts inside the 10 and 51 percent inside the 20. Scott also handled kickoffs, but that doesn’t matter much in the pros, since they will soon be eliminated.
Not that I am suggesting Scott will turn out like this in the NFL, but remember when the Packers drafted B.J. Sander in the third-round in 2004?
The second pick in the round was receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling from South Florida.
In 2017, Valdes-Scantling caught 53 balls for 879 yards and six scores. He’s a big target at 6’4″ and 206, which kind of fits the profile of the first receiver the Packers took, J’Mon Moore in round four.
Valdes-Scantling is a blazer, though. He ran a 4.37 40 and has the capability to stretch the field.
Unlike his predecessor, Gutekunst appears to have pretty defined characteristics for receivers. The two guys he’s drafted are over six feet tall and relatively fast, with Valdes-Scantling obviously being the burner of the two.
Maybe Aaron Rodgers can actually stop throwing receivers open and they can get open on their own if either of these guys develop.
Trading twice in first round, acquiring 2019 1st round pick = Wolf
Trading up and then reaching for Burks = TT
Need WR and OL but drafting a punter in 5th round = Sherman
Excellent analogies…
A punter?? Exactly, what the hell is wrong with Vogel?? Cool your role Gutes, better not improve too much in one year. You might make TT look bad.
That’s a message that nobody but AR is safe. Vogel looked good because the punters for the past 10 years sucked so bad.
When they drafted a long snapper, shit got real.
Too cute Gute. A punter in the fifth round???!! Not the seventh, but the fifth? In this day and age he better be the second fucking coming of Ray Guy because you already have a decent punter. What, all the good o-line prospects were gone? No tight end projects on the board worthy of a fifth round pick?
This was Ted Thompson speaking someone’s ear. “Hey, remember when I sent Jon Ryan packing and got us Derrick Frost? I say we should draft a punter. Nobody will expect this one…”
This guy will be the ST answer!
He kicks it so hard and runs so fast that he will punt it and be there to force the fair catch.
And score a touchdown. ;-). The legend of Jim Thorpe.
I correct myself. The long snapper they drafted played tight end in high school. I’m cool with it now (wink).
Passed up on Jack Cichy. Not cool with that. Sure thought he was worth a late round pick for an inside linebacker.