How does the Green Bay Packers' 2021 Draft look two years later?
By rex.sheild
Historically, the Green Bay Packers have been home to a draft-and-develop approach much more than spending lavishly in free agency, and such approach has been successful for the most part. General manager Brian Gutekunst splurged in 2019 on free agents more than Packer fans are accustomed to, signing tackle Billy Turner, linebackers Zadarius Smith and Preston Smith, and safety Adrian Amos. The defensive acquisitions completely transformed the defense. Since then, Gutekunst has not been nearly as aggressive in signing free agents, but he has still found value, highlighted by the signing of linebacker De’Vondre Campbell during the summer of 2021. Campbell was first-team All-Pro for the 2021-2022 season.
So while Campbell was the only noteworthy free agent that the team signed during the 2021 offseason, how did the Packers fare in that year’s draft, judged two years after the fact?
Gutekunst started the team’s draft by surprising some, selecting Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes with the 29th overall pick. Stokes had an impressive rookie season as he finished the year with 55 combined tackles, 14 pass deflections, and one interception in 14 starts. His 14 pass deflections led the team and ranked 11th in the entire league. Further, his 49.5% completion percentage ranked fourth among defensive backs targeted more than 45 times and seventh for all defenders. When taking together completion percentage allowed on targets, yards per time targeted, and passer rating allowed when targeted (collectively referred to as “Cornerback Coverage Grade Plus”), Stokes finished tenth.
However, Stokes went through a sophomore slump in 2022. He allowed a completion percentage of 80%, 13.1 yards per completion (up from 10.6), 10.4 yards per target (up from 5.3), and a passer rating of 123.5 (up from 71.3). His season was cut short due to knee and ankle injuries suffered in Week 9 against the Detroit Lions, but he is “on track” for training camp.
With the 62nd overall pick, the Packers selected center Josh Myers. The pick was necessary after the team did not re-sign Corey Linsley, who signed a five-year, $62.5-million deal with the Los Angeles Chargers during free agency. The Ohio State product only appeared in six games during his rookie campaign due to injuries and while he appeared in every single game a season ago, he posted a disappointing PFF grade of 60.4, ranked 27th among centers that played at least 300 snaps. Whether it is fair or not, Myers will always be compared to Kansas City Chiefs Creed Humphrey, who was selected with the very next pick and named second-team All-Pro in 2022. This may be a make-or-break year for Myers, especially with the emergence of Zach Tom looming.
WR Amari Rodgers was picked in the third round and like the team’s third round picks before him, the end result was awful. The team released the Clemson product after the team’s victory against the Cowboys in Week 10, a game in which Rodgers fumbled the ball for the sixth time all season (five lost). The Houston Texans claimed Rodgers on waivers.
OL Royce Newman, the team’s fourth round pick, started 16 games in 2021, but his play regressed in 2022, with the bottom being his performance in Week 6. He gave up a team-high five pressures against the Jets. At this point, he is a depth piece along the offensive line that can play either guard or tackle and is at least a serviceable player.
Rounding out the rest of the draft class: DL Tedarrell Slaton (fifth round), DB Shemar Jean-Charles (fifth round), OL Cole Van Lanen (sixth round), Isaiah McDuffie (sixth round), and RB Kylin Hill (seventh round). Van Lanen and Hill are no longer on the team. The rest of the class have served as depth pieces, but important depth pieces nevertheless. Jean-Charles, who only appeared in six games in 2022 due to a nagging ankle injury, has found a role on special teams, and he may find himself in the cornerback rotation this season if Rasul Douglas moves to safety. McDuffie is the third linebacker.
I am most intrigued by Slaton, who should see an increased role in 2023 after the departure of DT Jarran Reed. The 6-foot-4, 330-pound nose tackle appeared in all 17 games last year, with two starts, and registered 31 combined tackles (15 solo) and two tackles for loss.
Overall, the 2021 draft yielded two starters and four depth players. This draft could look better if Stokes and Myers improve upon their 2022 outputs and if Slaton makes a leap in Year 3, but it could also look worse if Stokes' and Myers' production stays the same or regresses even more.
Grade: C
Aaron Nagler talked about the team’s 2022 draftees here.
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.
__________________________
Rex is a lifelong Packers fan but was sick of the cold, so he moved to the heart of Cowboys country. Follow him on Twitter (@Sheild92) and Instagram (@rex.sheild).
__________________________
Comments (42)
The_Baloney_Stops_Here
March 24, 2023 at 12:07 pm
Too early to tell.
jannesbjornson
March 24, 2023 at 12:19 pm
Tyson Campbell, second team ALL PRO.
The_Baloney_Stops_Here
March 24, 2023 at 06:09 pm
What's your point? 23 teams passed on Aaron Rodgers. Should the fans of those teams crucify those gms for eternity? Every gm misses. Its part of the game.
jannesbjornson
March 24, 2023 at 10:52 pm
Gutedkunst must have watched both guys on the Bulldogs defense on film and went to the Pro Day. Campbell was the more physical guy and could breakdown better vs the WRs in coverage. Stokes could run with the 'BAMA speedsters. He is linear. Gutedkunst went for the RAS guy and missed on the more complete player. His job is to evaluate the talent. Find the best football player. Campbell proved he is better suited for the Pro Game, so far.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
March 24, 2023 at 12:39 pm
Pick-up a couple more energetic pass rushers in the draft on both the DL & at Edge rusher and Stokes will look pretty damn good.
Having said that the magic elixir might be unlike with Sampson that is is beneficial for Stokes to get those locks cut as I was only a few feet away from him on the sidelines, and damn all the guy could do was play with his locks. Distraction, nervous habit, or just plain adoration for the locks? :)
Packers2020
March 24, 2023 at 02:42 pm
And let's add this....
If Barry doesn't play soft zone coverage most of the time last year (in the beginning of the year) does Stokes play better. Stokes is once again a man-to-man corner with an aggressive style just like Jaire.
If Barry actually uses these corners what they are best at, maybe they will excel.
jannesbjornson
March 24, 2023 at 10:59 pm
Stokes has the 4.25 speed. He played the ball for 14 PDs as a rookie as he got the attention and zilch in '22. Same defensive scheme. With his speed he should be able to read and react going downhill to the ball. Campbell is a 4.45 guy, but better recognition skills and plays to the ball. Something didn't jibe for Stokes in 2022 ? Campbell had 55 solo tackles and 3 INT s in 2022. His physicality was evident in college. Go with the football player, not the RAS.
BirdDogUni
March 24, 2023 at 07:01 pm
You don't think Delilah actually cut Sampson's hair to weaken him do you? Think that was a metaphor...
splitpea1
March 24, 2023 at 12:59 pm
Stokes fell off a cliff last season, as he didn't record a single pass break-up. That almost seems hard to do if you try, but then again, you're not going to be able to defend many passes if you're assigned (I guess) to play so far off the receivers. So Barry needs to utilize him correctly, and that should be a priority this upcoming season....In a related note, the Packers need to drastically improve their Cover 4 defense or ditch it altogether, as they allow too may big plays while employing it.
Slaton and McDuffie were very good selections. We'll be counting on Slaton and Wyatt's continued improvement as we lost a couple of older DLs to free agency.
I don't know whatever possessed Gute to take Myers over Humphrey. Many scouts had him projected as a late third-round to fourth-round pick. His run blocking needs to improve for sure. Although we may have other options at center, I would like to see Gute maybe use one of those compensatory picks on some competition for Myers.
Gute has totally flubbed the third round; even Ted managed to pick some useful starters, although most of them weren't great. Some fans are expecting bigger things from Deguara, but seeing is believing here. So what's the common denominator with the Packers in the third round? It isn't the athletic score because Amari/Sternberger and Burks/Deguara were on opposite ends of the spectrum. But it has to be more than just bad luck; we're talking about a top-100 prospect here, and we should have more to show more it.
TKWorldWide
March 24, 2023 at 01:25 pm
Yes! Myers over Humphrey is really a head scratcher. They had their choice of either and chose Myers. I’d love to hear an explanation as to WHY. Ugh!
Leatherhead
March 24, 2023 at 01:37 pm
OK, the Packer Personnel Department.....scouts, coaches, etc. spent months looking at every single snap that Myers took, and every single snap that Humphrey took. Many of them in slow and stop motion. They spoke to their coaches and teammates and high school teachers. And at the end of the day, they decided that Myers would be a better fit for us.
Now, Humphrey has done great, no doubt. Myers was hurt, and then recovering, and I don't think we've seen the best of Josh Myers yet.
croatpackfan
March 25, 2023 at 03:55 am
I agree LH. Corey Linsley was also from the same college program. They are producing good OC. I believe that was the trigger for Packers to pick Meyers vs Humphrey. I wonder if Humphrey lost his 1st season as pro for injury how he would play his second season.
I believe Meyers would be good another season further from his injury. We saw that more than 90% young players has down year if they suffer long recovery injury.
Give the man a chance. Lets evaluate him after this season.
TKWorldWide
March 26, 2023 at 08:26 am
Well, yes, scouting….but what I mean is, “they liked his length”, or, “they preferred his agility”, or, “they liked his nasty streak”. Does that make sense? Because at this point, Humphrey has greatly outperformed Myers. Can he still improve and eclipse him? Sure! So let’s see it!
Packers2020
March 24, 2023 at 02:43 pm
What was Meyers Raz Score? :)
splitpea1
March 24, 2023 at 03:11 pm
Apparently he did limited athletic testing, and an overall score was tough to come by. But Humphrey recorded at perfect 10.
jannesbjornson
March 24, 2023 at 11:08 pm
He was ALL-Big Ten, 1st team as a senior and 2nd team All-American. He had credentials and pumped 29 reps on the bench. They wanted a guy who could take on the bull rush. He had bad luck with the ACL. Humphrey is a savage as a player, but plays with tenacity and perfect technique. Meyers probably with a higher RAS or RASTA, or whatever. He is 10 pounds heavier than Creed Humphrey, but is not as fast out of his stance. See if Myers can come back? He was on skates in some of the games, but he may have been covering for Newman or Hanson as they were stunted into oblivion. Time will tell.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
March 25, 2023 at 07:42 am
Split,
Definitely a head scratcher as you say but MAYBE this upcoming season we see the real ML offense and maybe we will finally figure out why we drafted guys like Myers & Deguara. Seems like a stretch but this is the year!
BAMABADGER
March 24, 2023 at 01:10 pm
So far, the 2021 draft class has been disappointing at best. Stokes may have faired better if he had a different D Coordinator.
KnockTheSnotOutOfYou
March 24, 2023 at 01:13 pm
Being a competitor Stokes should be watching tape/film all day long every day to correct his mistakes. The talent is obviously there! I think he will come back with intent to show everyone that last year was a fluke!
TKWorldWide
March 24, 2023 at 01:24 pm
Am I wrong in thinking that Stokes is best in press-man coverage? Alexander as well? If so, why would GB NOT use them that way much of the time?
LambeauPlain
March 24, 2023 at 01:50 pm
Stubborn adherence to Barry Ball.
Just like Capers whose defense contributed mightily to missing more SB appearances, MM stuck with him and rarely did Head Coaching duties on D or STs.
MLF seems to be following in MM's footsteps with Barry. MLF has no one to blame but himself.
TKWorldWide
March 24, 2023 at 03:13 pm
It seems to me that under Capers, “communication problems” accounted for lots of busted coverage and big plays. Too vanilla is no good, but neither is complex when your own players can’t execute it.
BAMABADGER
March 24, 2023 at 08:27 pm
You are correct. Barry is the problem with the secondary and total D.
jannesbjornson
March 24, 2023 at 11:19 pm
Stokes should be mentored by Al Harris, or watch his tape. If Stokes cannot flip his hips fast enough, press cover will do him no better. Barry is timid and apparently cannot teach quarters for these guys , or they cannot learn the scheme? Stokes had safety help as a greenhorn with Jaire on the one zone until he was injured. Douglas was a solid find and thrived in Barry's scheme. I would get two more CBs for depth and competition. Get guys who can Tackle, are physical with the WRs and Play the Ball in the air. If a guy cannot recognize and react, he will be exploited in the Pros. Jaire plays man all day and has ALL PRO credentials. He finally told Barry to let him play his game. LaFleur allowing Barry to run a conservative and soft shell D plays into his finesse mentality.
Thegreatreynoldo
March 24, 2023 at 01:18 pm
Slaton improved. I am a little disappointed that he went from 250 snaps in 2021 to just 333 in 2022. Reed and Lowry did not belong inside, meaning Clark played a few hundred snaps at NT. Slaton flashed more often than he did in 2021 but still wasn't as consistent as one would wish.
Myers was wildly inconsistent. He can look good and then terrible. He is a low end starter, mostly by default and as a center drafted in the second round, I can only describe him as underwhelming, so far. He does string together some nice plays, so I haven't given up on him, and no doubt the injury did not help his transition to the NFL. 2023 is a big year for him.
McDuffie looked like he could play a little as he played late in the season. With Campbell and Quay Walker in front of him, we fans might not see much of him. Shemar-Charles only played 3 defensive snaps due to injury. He wasn't good as a rookie. He gets an incomplete.
Newman was a bit of a surprise when GB drafted him in the 4th (143rd). So far he looks like a utility backup OL at OG and RT. Not too bad an outcome for a 4th round pick. Newman hasn't been great so far, but he looks like he belongs in the NFL.
The Packers traded Van Lanen for pick 242 in this draft. He played one snap for GB and 18 for Jacksonville (plus 63 ST snaps). We shall see what the Packers do with 242.
It is too early to grade this draft. So far they got a low end, default starter (Myers), a rotational DL, a utility OL, some backups and ST guys, and Stokes, who had a fine rookie year and a not so great sophomore season ended by injury. It could still be a good draft. A C+ might be about right. If Stokes, Myers and Slaton (or anyone one else - perhaps McDuffie, though that probably means trouble with Campbell or Walker) take a jump, it could be good.
Leatherhead
March 24, 2023 at 01:46 pm
Slaton is a runplugging nose pig. I'd expect we'll see more of him this year, with Wyatt and Clark at ends.
Myers took a bad injury as a rookie, was clearly still recovering (IMO), and had a lot of different guys lining up next to him on either side. I don't think we've seen the best of him yet.
I liked what I saw of McDuffie, but if he's on the field, either Campbell or Walker isn't.
Newman regressed last year. By my count, he's our #7 lineman right now, and it looks like the most we can hope for is a reliable backup on the right side.
AT this point, it doesn't look like a great draft for the Packers, but as I've said many times before, most of your team are JAGS, and you've got to have them to win. Not everybody can be a plus starter, and even plus starters get hurt, so you've got to have the JAGS if you want to put a team on the field.
greengold
March 24, 2023 at 02:40 pm
I too did not appreciate how Barry used our DL personnel last season.
Clark should have been paired regularly with Slaton. Agree 100%. Adding to that, they should have used Ford more, paired with Wyatt.
I would have jettisoned Lowry 3 years ago.
jannesbjornson
March 24, 2023 at 11:48 pm
Four bigs on the line is best. When he went heavier sets the D performed better. His intractable usage of Lowry hurt the squad. Slaton was under utilized. They have to secure two more edge guys in the upper rounds to get to the QB. Part of the run fit issues were the ILBs, who are not pluggers, but chase guys.
RobinsonDavis
March 25, 2023 at 01:45 pm
I agree with your player assessments, TGR. However disagree only with respect to the grade (mine would be D or D+). Consider the point of how many of your top 30-36 players need to be replaced every year. These are your starters and major contributors to a team. The average years played at this level is roughly 5-6 years (data I have compiled that is NOT skewed by the average length of service for every NFL player). Using this formula, a team has to replace roughly 5-6 players every year of the top 30-36 players. This could happen through free-agency or the draft. So arbitrarily, let's say the Packers have to replace roughly 4 spots from the draft. Did they at least meet this minimum? Stokes & Myers meet this, and I would probably add Slaton to this list as well. However, I'm not sure if I would add Newman or McDuffie to this list as of yet. Newman likely could be as he is a #6-8th offensive lineman, imo, (thus maybe garnering a C grade). I thought Hill and Van Laanen had potential, but they are gone now.
I will say that Gute and his team made up for draft shortage with the signings of Campbell, Douglas, Mercillus, and Dennis Kelly that year. The first two were obviously stars and the last two, barring injury, were obviously going to aid us. This was just an atrocious injury year that will go down as one of those "Could have Been" years. We still had our opportunity though.
greengold
March 24, 2023 at 01:57 pm
My Packers 2021 Mock Draft:
29 - CB Eric Stokes
62 - DL Alim McNeill
92 - S/ILB Divine Deablo
135 -WR Jaelen Darden
142 - CB/S Israel Mukuamu
173 - WR/RB Demetric Felton
178 - OT Larnel Coleman
214 - S/ILB Jamien Sherwood
220 - OLB/ILB Charles Snowden
256 - WR Austin Watkins
I loved the Stokes & Slaton picks. Both of them were part of a small group of the most NFL ready players in the draft class.
Seemed to me that Gutekunst needed a self scout after this draft, because he did some weird stuff. Myers over Humphrey? Trading up for Amari Rodgers? Why, exactly? Cole Van Lanen??? Are you kidding me? He seriously took McDuffie because you noticed he had some acceleration? What's that? And, you had AJ Dillon in your ear???
This, after the year before acquiescing to LaFleur for his dream H=Back, Deguara, who everybody and their brother had in R5... wow.
Gutekunst was a little too high on himself at that point. Every pick is important, and too many Day 3 picks he seemed to toss, aside from Slaton and Kylin Hill - a shame he lost his knee to ACL... I mention Slaton not just because Slaton worked out. TJ was going to work out for whomever took him. The most pro ready NT/DT in his class. Better than Christian Barmore.
To me, Gutekunst made adjustments, and those appeared to be pretty solid in 2022's draft. What I really loved towards the end of 2022 was the Jonathan Ford pick. Childhood friend of Slaton. Great story, and I think those two will progress this season.
Loved the Rasheed Walker pick, as well as the Toure selection, which now, Toure seems a question mark.
I can't wait to see what Walker is like this season.
OMG, just for kicks, here's my 2022 Packers Mock Draft:
22 WR Chris Olave
28 OT/OG Darian Kinnard
53 EDGE Cam Thomas
59 WR Alec Pierce
93 TE Jelani Woods
132 S Bryan Cook
140 EDGE Alex Wright
171 TE/H Chig Okwonko
228 WR Bo Melton
249 OG Jason Poe
258 WR Deven Thompkins
Gutekunst signing Bo Melton in December cracks me up! Hey, uh.... see those TWO TEs THERE!!!???!!! TWO OL??? TWO EDGE??? SAFETY??? 3 WR!!!!! Holy crap!
"The more things don't change, the more they stay the same."
-- Not Yogi Berra
LOL.
_____
QUESTION for you draft nuts: What do you think about EDGE Nolan Smith??? Just curious...
Me, he's so small!!! For an EDGE??? 235 lbs. Not conventional...!!! I guess, just 10 lbs lighter than Micah Parsons. If you're going to use him and Quay all over the place??? That's a lot for opponents to scheme for. Plus, a lotta Bulldogs on D!!!
Wondering about 13... and 15. Could land gangbuster talents there. Somebody always drops. Somebody of great quality.
---
Seen so many different mocks out there, which is always fun. Man, some of the players that might be available at 13/15 are just freakishly good.
nfldotcom has GB taking:
13. OT Paris Johnson
15. TE Michael Mayer
OT and TE are two of the safest picks a team can pop in R1, and the most bust free. Both are also highly likely to be starters, and that's irrespective of draft position in the round.
Can't argue it. I can't. I won't.
But, how in the hell did Quentin Johnston fall from grace like a hot rock? They have him at Pick #34 in R2. How the mighty have fallen. EDGE Zach Harrison all the way down to Pick # 102 at the very bottom of R3...WOW.
Which brings me to that beautiful 3 stacker, 42, 43 and 45. Again, WOW. They show Darnell Washington at #41. That usually tells me, being R2 territory, we can probably safely go +/- 3 draft slots with picks (that's the way I've been doing this for years, +/- 5 in R4, =/- 10 in R5-6...).
So many factors in play.
LambeauPlain
March 24, 2023 at 01:57 pm
Did Myers and Newman regress due to Steno coaching them less last year due to OC duties?
Did Stokes and Slayton regress due to Barry Ball?
Coaching is so important in the NFL...especially with young players transitioning to the pro game.
stockholder
March 24, 2023 at 02:31 pm
I would never have taken Stokes.
#1 - Christian Barmore. DT Alabama-
#2 - Creed Humphrey. C OKL.
I gave in on Myers. Only because of Linsley.
Amari Rodgers was a waste.
Could have just Stayed there with Monty Rice Lb
Or traded up Asante Samuel Cb.
There's just something about
those Florida Secondary guys.
jannesbjornson
March 24, 2023 at 11:52 pm
I had Nico Collins for the three spot. Another bigger WR with good mitts.
Swisch
March 24, 2023 at 02:53 pm
I'm not giving up on Amari Rodgers as developing into a solid player in the NFL, and it bothers me that he didn't seem to be given a proper opportunity as a slot receiver with the Packers.
He seemed to do well with the Texans late last season after the Packers gave up on him, albeit in a limited sample size.
We saw that Romeo Doubs had his ups and downs last season, and yet I'm excited about his future as a wide receiver for the Packers.
It seems Rodgers was never given half the opportunities afforded to Doubs, not even one-tenth.
I'm hoping he proves the Packers wrong, but most of all proves to himself that he belongs as a highly regarded player in the NFL.
4thand10
March 24, 2023 at 05:05 pm
It bothers me too. Clearly he wasnt a PR/KR but the question is….is that why you draft a Slot WR in the 3rd?? 2 weeks later Im watching him high point a bad throw for a TD for the Texans. Im assuming they had seen something they didnt like in practice??? But IDK, he had no problems running reverses and catching balls from Love in the preseason. But Rodgers throws at his feet a few times and all of a sudden he’s garbage?? Playing him at KR was like beating a dead horse and they kept trotting him out there for it… so, clearly thats coaching. And if he lights it up as a slot for the Texans I guess we’ll have our answers.
Swisch
March 24, 2023 at 05:50 pm
I'm glad for your response, 4thand10.
It seems that the career of a young player can be sidelined by others piling on with negativity. Just about everyone is so very sure that a young guy is already a big flop.
I wonder if he just needs a boost, a coach who believes in him and utilizes him properly, fans who don't rush to write him off but instead patiently encourage him.
***
On a related note, I remember watching this past AFC Championship Game -- a heavyweight matchup between Chiefs and Bengals -- when it was late in a tight contest.
As the Bengals punted to rookie Skyy Moore, an announcer mentioned that he had struggled with fumbles as a returner earlier in the season; Moore then reeled off a 29-yard return to help set up the winning field goal.
In the Super Bowl, Moore caught the first touchdown pass of his career.
Coldworld
March 25, 2023 at 07:43 am
Part of that is the return of Cobb the summer after and then his centrality to the O thereafter. However, I’ve said a number of times during that year and the next, that I don’t understand that causing LaFleur to then take a very specific type if slot, drafted for what was previously considered to be a specific LaFleur offense role as a slot option hood with ball in hand and turn him into an all position receiver against history and physique. Was he simply another Deguara, a guy picked for a role LaFleur discarded, a year later?
I would add to that strong questions on how he handled rookies in camp last year and prepared them to both play and play with Rodgers. I didn’t think we used Watson to his strengths particularly well, but Doubs’ use was even more puzzling. Toure flashed but couldn’t get a snap or a target. I have serious doubts about LaFleur’s ability to get young talent developing and producing effectively. He seems to fight change and ignore type and historic strengths. Perhaps that was Rodgers driven. If it wasn’t then I think LaFleurs’ chances of survival are seriously diminished.
The_Baloney_Stops_Here
March 24, 2023 at 06:14 pm
They drafted him BEFORE 12 demanded they trade for Cobb. Amari was supposed to be the slot guy. 12 made sure that never came to fruition.
ko40489
March 24, 2023 at 08:19 pm
All of Gutekunst's drafts have graded out at C (or below). That's starting to show up in the performance of the team--which was at best a C last season.
Untylu1968
March 24, 2023 at 11:09 pm
Graded out by who??
ko40489
March 24, 2023 at 08:19 pm
All of Gutekunst's drafts have graded out at C (or below). That's starting to show up in the performance of the team--which was at best a C last season.
TKWorldWide
March 25, 2023 at 07:50 am
Idea so nice, say it twice!