rks at guard, the Rams probably have an immediate starter in Risner, who could give them a long-term force on the inside of the line.32. New Engl

The Packers should stop wasting reps on players who clearly can’t help them Nothing we’ve seen on the football field from former fifth-round pick DeAngelo Yancey suggests he’s capable of being a contributor to the Green Bay Packers Kingsley Keke Jersey Womens , yet when the starters came out for Family Night, and each preseason game, there he was with them. Despite the fact all three rookie receivers seem to make plays more consistently, and nevermind Jake Kumerow’s breakout performance, there he is. Ditto for Quinten Rollins, out there playing safety ahead of Marwin Evans and returning punts over Jaire Alexander or Josh Jackson for reasons that remain fully untethered from reality. If they’re going to move anyone around to try and help him make the team, it should be Lenzy Pipkins, who has shown talent as a blitzer off the slot and remains the Packers’ most reliable tackling corner. There’s an important difference between making young players earn their spots, and wasting reps on players who simply aren’t going to help your team win. Jason Spriggs had been running with the first team at right tackle throughout the offseason and into training camp, but when the preseason opened Byron Bell slid into his spot. Despite playing poorly, he continued to be out there running with the ones. Kyle Murphy, against all logic, was playing backup left tackle and Spriggs is now third-string on the right side. Of course, the run of play sorted this out, as Bell continued to struggle. Murphy proved he doesn’t have the feet to play left tackle and the Packers eventually had to swap the two against the Steelers. There had been a logic to it initially. Bulaga may not be ready for training camp, so get Spriggs in there at right tackle because he’s going to have to play. Sliding Bell ahead of him for heretofore undisclosed reasons felt weird at the time and looks like a demonstrably bad move now. But sliding Murphy in as the second left tackle with Spriggs still on the team never made sense from the jump. If Spriggs isn’t the second right tackle, he’s clearly the best suited to be the second left tackle. Let’s not even re-hash the Hundley/Kizer issue. Hundley shouldn’t be in Green Bay for the regular season, so why waste time letting him work with the starters? The Packers can’t spoil reps like this. There are too many close position battles, too many spots up for grabs, and all of this on a team that fancies itself a Super Bowl contender. All the machinations with Rollins changing positions reeks of desperation. It’s time to mark the former second-round pick a sunk cost. Ditto for Yancey who probably shouldn’t be any better than WR8 on this team, but he’s getting reps with Aaron Rodgers. How does that make the team better in 2018? It should be Kumerow and the trio of rookies in that spot getting work for when the games actually count. Mike Pettine has successfully found a way to balance getting the young corners into the rotation during training camp and it’s paid dividends already with the rookie Jackson snaring a pick-six against the Steelers. He’s been the Packers’ most impressive defensive back through two preseason games, acquitting himself against the Titans starting offense as well. Jackson has been rotating in with the 1’s, and Kevin King’s injury opened the door for more reps. Jaire Alexander used those rotation snaps to earn more playing time and seemed to have leapt Davon House in the rotation. Green Bay doesn’t have to worry about stunting their growth so long as they’re getting playing time and House doesn’t flatline. But House is at least one veteran who has looked good enough to prove he should actually be playing despite an up-and-down training camp. As a team, the Packers need to do a better job of finding a way to balance giving their more veteran players the benefit of the doubt, while also making sure the young players get a chance to grow. It appears Brian Gutekunst hit this offseason out of the park and into Lake Michigan, but only if these young players get a chance to prove their should be playing. We already know Rollins can’t help them. He’s proven it. Ditto for Yancey, and to this point Bell as well. Given how well Oren Burks has played, it’s fair to wonder if this was going to happen with the limited Jake Ryan at linebacker as well.Few teams have been more adept at managing and developing their young players. It often takes until the regular season for McCarthy and Co. to throw them into the fire and maybe there’s a methodology there. But this team also has a nasty habit of loyalty to limited veterans. A.J. Hawk is somewhere nodding. The Packers need these young players to contribute, and giving away their snaps to older players who won’t play simply out of some perceived virtue is cutting off the team’s nose to spite its face. Let the young players get in the kitchen and cook. It’s the only way to get them ready to eat once the season starts. Will Andre Dillard be a Packer? That’s the result of our final mock draft for 2019 here at APC."Each year, Acme Packing Company readers put our heads together to predict the first round of the NFL Draft in the days leading up to its start. This year, we did the same, with eight writers contributing to the mock.APC’s writers were assigned teams and made the picks for those teams accordingly. Below are APC’s selections, with context and analysis added by Managing Editor Evan “Tex” Western, who did not participate in the picks themselves.1. Arizona Cardinals (Kris Burke): Kyler Murray, QB, OklahomaThere isn’t much to say here. It seems like Murray is the Cardinals’ guy, which likely means that Josh Rosen is in a new city by the end of the second day of the draft. Murray will fit in well for Kliff Kingsbury and his Air Raid offense.2. San Francisco 49ers (Wendi Hansen): Josh Allen, EDGE, KentuckyThis pick seems to be down to Allen or Bosa. Both look like great prospects on the edge, and Bosa might be a slightly better scheme fit now that the Niners are back to a 4-3 system. Still Kingsley Keke Green Bay Packers Jersey , Allen has plenty of size to play with his hand in the dirt, so this will probably just come down to whichever player the Niners prefer after interviews.3. New York Jets (Kris): Nick Bosa, EDGE, Ohio StateSee above. With Allen gone, Bosa is probably a no-brainer pick for the Jets.4. Oakland Raiders (Shawn Wagner): Quinnen Williams, DT, AlabamaWilliams is undoubtedly one of the best defensive tackle prospects in years, and the Raiders could use an impact player in the middle of their line. This would give Oakland a ferocious interior group, matching up Williams with Maurice Hurst and Johnathan Hankins.5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Jon Barnett): Devin White, LB, LSUThe Buccaneers have been connected to White for a while now, and for good reason. He could be a solid strong-side or middle linebacker in a 4-3, and could be a great pairing with Lavonte David.6. New York Giants (Jason Hirschhorn): Montez Sweat, EDGE, Mississippi StateWith the news today that Sweat’s heart condition is not as problematic as initially thought, he makes sense as a top-ten pick. In New York, he’ll give the Giants a dynamic edge rusher that they no longer have after trading Olivier Vernon to Cleveland.7. Jacksonville Jaguars (Shawn): Rashan Gary, DL, MichiganGary is a high-ceiling, low-floor prospect, and his fit in Jacksonville would be interesting. They already have two excellent defensive ends in Yannick Ngakoue and Calais Campbell, but either Campbell or Gary could shift inside on passing downs. That would allow them to work Gary in gradually as he acclimates to the NFL.8. Detroit Lions (Owen Riese): T.J. Hockenson, TE, IowaAn early tight end for Detroit? It didn’t work out that well last time with Eric Ebron (though he’s doing fine in Indy now), but Hockenson would probably be a day-one upgrade over projected starter Jesse James.9. Buffalo Bills (Mike Vieth): Ed Oliver, DT, HoustonOne of my favorite prospects in the draft, Oliver is a monster who would make a good Bills defensive line even better. This is a pure best player available pick, and for good reason.10. Denver Broncos (Peter Bukowski): Jonah Williams, OL, AlabamaDenver signed Ja’Wuan James in free agency to play right tackle, so Williams probably plays guard for the Broncos if he comes off the board at 10. A quarterback is still a possibility here — it’s a bit surprising we have only seen one go in the top ten.11. Cincinnati Bengals (Wendi): Devin Bush, LB, MichiganThis pick seems to be pretty commonly-predicted lately as well, as Bush would give the Bengals an impact player at linebacker that they haven’t had in a long time. With his range and coverage ability, he’s probably a perfect fit on as a weak-side linebacker.12. Green Bay Packers (Peter): Andre Dillard, OT, Washington StateFinally we get to the Packers’ pick here, and Peter has given the team its right tackle of the future in Dillard. Since the team has another pick later in round one, Green Bay can afford to get a player who will spend 2019 as a backup before moving into the starting lineup when Bryan Bulaga presumably leaves next spring. Williams being off the board means that Dillard is almost certainly the best remaining offensive lineman. The other option I could see here is Brian Burns Kingsley Keke Jersey 2019 , who could be a rotational pass-rusher as a rookie.13. Miami Dolphins (Shawn): Dwayne Haskins, QB, Ohio State’Finally, we get quarterback number two. Miami would likely be ecstatic with this scenario, though in reality we’re probably much more likely to see someone move up into the top ten to grab him. If they didn’t take one of the remaining QBs in this situation, that’s a clear sign that they’re tanking for Tua in 2020.14. Atlanta Falcons (Jason): Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida StateThe Falcons need pass-rush help, and Burns is a nice fit here. Vic Beasley hasn’t cut it in the last two years or so, and he’ll likely be gone after the season. Enter Burns, whose testing and tape as a pass-rusher give him a great ceiling, though he’ll need to learn to play the run before he becomes a full-time starter.15. Washington (Mike): DK Metcalf, WR, MississippiA quarterback is possible here as well, but Metcalf would give Jay Gruden a pair of deep threats (Paul Richardson being the other) along with Josh Doctson, who has yet to really break out.16. Carolina Panthers (Paul Noonan): Greedy Williams, CB, LSUThe Panthers drafted an LSU corner in round two last year, grabbing the blazing-fast Donte Jackson. Now Williams arrives to give them a deep, young core of corners along with James Bradberry.17. New York Giants (Jason): Daniel Jones, QB, DukeAnother ideal situation here — the Giants find a quarterback without having to move. Jones over Drew Lock is all about evaluation, of course, so either one could be the pick in this spot.18. Minnesota Vikings (Kris): Greg Little, OT, MississippiThe Vikings drafting an offensive lineman here seems like an inevitability. They grabbed Pittsburgh’s Brian O’Neill in round two last year, but Little represents another great option there, and he might be able to move to guard if O’Neill locks down the right tackle job.19. Tennessee Titans (Paul): N’Keal Harry, WR, Arizona StateThe Titans added a slot receiver this offseason in Adam Humphries, but Harry gives them a special quality they don’t have on the boundary: ability to win 50/50 balls. They’re in an odd spot in the draft given their roster — an offensive lineman might make sense here as well.20. Pittsburgh Steelers (Owen): Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, S, FloridaPittsburgh’s secondary has been in pretty rough shape for a while, and despite some high draft picks there are still questions there. Gardner-Johnson could play a hybrid slot/safety role, which would be a great job of matching need to player here.21. Seattle Seahawks (Peter): Clelin Ferrell, EDGE, ClemsonFrank Clark is gone, headed to Kansas City via trade. Enter Ferrell to replace him in the lineup, 22. Baltimore Ravens (Mike): Garrett Bradbury, OL Kingsley Keke Jersey Mens , NC StateBradbury is likely to be the first true interior lineman off the board, and he would be an immediate starter at center or left guard.23. Houston Texans (Jason): Jawaan Taylor, OT, FloridaThis is another place where offensive line seems to be a no-brainer. Taylor could actually be a candidate to start on either side of the line on day one.24. Oakland Raiders (Shawn): Byron Murphy, CB, WashingtonThe Raiders’ second of three picks bolsters their secondary after adding the top defensive lineman. If Jon Gruden wants to revamp his defense, this is a great way to go. Murphy has some concerns about his top-end speed — corners who run 4.55 don’t often get drafted in round one, but Murphy is an excellent prospect in every other way.25. Philadelphia Eagles (Paul): Christian Wilkins, DT, ClemsonThe Eagles just re-signed Timmy Jernigan to be their number three defensive tackle behind Fletcher Cox and new arrival Malik Jackson, but Wilkins is a best player available pick and gives the Eagles ridiculous depth at that position.26. Indianapolis Colts (Owen): Jeffrey Simmons, DT, Mississippi StateSimmons’ ACL tear will almost certainly make him fall quite a ways in this year’s draft, but how highly he goes may be even more dependent on interviews and seeing how he responds to questions about his violent incident in high school. If teams are okay with him off the field, expect him to come off the board late on day one.27. Oakland Raiders (Shawn): Drew Lock, QB, MissouriWith their third picks, the Raiders still find a way to get their quarterback of the future here. It’s not crazy to think that they would move up to take Lock if he slips into the teens, but this would be a best-case scenario28. Los Angeles Chargers (Wendi): Andy Isabella, WR, MassachusettsIsabella has been a fast riser since the college football season ended, but his production and athleticism put him in day two category. Could a team make a little bit of an extra reach for him despite his 5-foot-9 frame? The Chargers could make some sense, since pairing him with a bigger possession receiver like Keenan Allen would be a nice combination.29. Seattle Seahawks (Jason): Deandre Baker, CB, GeorgiaMaybe the Seahawks take another first-round running back in Josh Jacobs; but in this case Jason has them going for secondary help after acquiring this pick from Kansas City in the Frank Clark trade. Baker might be an instant upgrade over second-year pro Trey Flowers, or else he could become the team’s slot corner while Flowers stays outside.30. Green Bay Packers (Peter): Noah Fant, TE, IowaFant’s athleticism should have Packers fans and NFL fans everywhere drooling. However, his skill set is similar to that of a young Jimmy Graham, though he’s probably more adept as a blocker than even Graham. Making this pick could very well be a sign that Graham would be heading out the door sometime on day two or three of the draft. And while Matt LaFleur doesn’t need a hyper-athletic tight end for his offense, I’m sure he and Nathaniel Hackett would be more than happy to find ways to use him.31. Los Angeles Rams (Shawn): Dalton Risner, OL, Kansas StateWith question marks at guard, the Rams probably have an immediate starter in Risner, who could give them a long-term force on the inside of the line.32. New England Patriots (Jon B): A.J. Brown, WR, MississippiBrown to New England seems to be gaining traction, as the big receiver is able to play in the slot or on the boundary — an essential quality for a Patriots wideout. Julian Edelman and Demaryius Thomas aren’t getting any younger, and Brown would be another big target over the middle to help make up for the loss of Rob Gronkowski’s production.