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Georgia CB Brandon Boykin

Green Bay Packers draft prospect profile: Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia

Player information:

• Brandon Boykin, CB, Georgia
• 5-foot-9, 182 lbs.
• Broke his leg during the Senior Bowl, which robbed him of the opportunity to compete at the combine and Georgia Pro Day.

NFL Combine (DNP, leg):

• N/A 40-yard dash
• N/A 20-yard shuttle
• N/A 3-cone drill
• N/A broad jump
• N/A vertical jump
• N/A bench press reps

News & Notes:

A prep star in Georgia, Boykin stayed home and went to school in Athens. He appeared in 13 games his freshman season before going on to start 38 of the next 40 games for the Bulldogs. A jack-of-all-trades, Boykin registered nine interceptions, 19 tackles for losses and 18 passes broken up on defense, plus five return scores and three offensive touchdowns. He became the first player in SEC history to score three or more touchdowns of 100 yards. While Boykin is definitely on the short side (5-9) for cornerbacks, players his array of skills are hard to find. Boykin represents good value in the second round or later at a position that has three good players but struggled in 2011.  Read more... (579 words + 1 image, estimated 2:19 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Most Frustrating Player

(Be sure to place your vote in the poll below.)

Adam: Tramon Williams. It was very frustrating watching Williams go from a top-tier CB to a complete mess. Hopefully a better pass rush and a fully-healed shoulder gets him back on track in 2012.

Al: So many candidates… I’ll stay away from the obvious choice (cough… Finley… cough…) and go with Charlie Peprah. The Packers won a Super Bowl with Charlie Peprah at safety. Last season, he was a disaster. Made mistake after mistake and gave up one big play after another. Obviously, without Nick Collins around for guidance, he was just lost back there…

Chad: Jermichael Finley, hands down. (Pun intended.) This year we saw the drops bug move from James Jones to Finley, and boy was it frustrating to watch. Finley is a dominant player and such a threat to defenses that seeing him consistently drop passes was gut-wrenching. Here’s hoping this problem goes away with a fresh year and a fresh contract.  Read more... (540 words, estimated 2:10 mins reading time)

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S Janzen Jackson, McNeese State

Green Bay Packers 2012 NFL draft prospect profile: Janzen Jackson, McNeese State

Player information:

• Janzen Jackson, S/CB, McNeese State
• 5-foot-11, 188 lbs.
• Impressive athlete who transferred out of Tennessee after run-ins with the law and a clash with new coaching staff.

NFL Combine:

• 4.64 40-yard dash
• 4.15 20-yard shuttle
• 6.90 3-cone drill
• 125″ broad jump
• 36.5″ vertical jump
• 9 bench press reps

News & Notes:

A five-star recruit and one of the more heavily recruited players coming out of high school…Started in the second game of his freshman year at Tennessee and went on to start nine more in 2009…As a sophomore, led Tennessee with five interceptions…Was only Volunteer to earn All-SEC honors in 2010 as a second-teamer…Numerous character concerns, including an arrest for armed robbery and charges of substance abuse…Left UT in the spring of 2011, was welcomed back by coach Derek Dooley in July and then dismissed at the end of August…Transferred to McNeese State, in his hometown, where he started at both cornerback and safety. Intercepted three passes…Might be in the hybrid cornerback/safety mold at the next level…Red flags will knock Jackson down many boards…Far from “Packers People”—would be interesting to see if GM Ted Thompson even has him on his board—but talent and ability to play a hybrid role (i.e. Charles Woodson) makes him an intriguing prospect for Green Bay.  Read more... (568 words + 1 image, estimated 2:16 mins reading time)

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Alabama safety Mark Barron

Green Bay Packers draft prospect profile: S Mark Barron, Alabama

Player information:

• Mark Barron, S, Alabama
• 6-foot-1, 213 lbs
• Underwent double hernia surgery but still projects as the draft’s top safety

NFL Combine: (injured, did not participate):

News & Notes:

Barron stepped onto campus his freshman year and tallied 11 special teams tackles, the third most on the Alabama roster. From there, Barron took over the starting safety position and proceeded to rattle off three-straight first-team All-SEC selections. Arguably his most productive season came in 2009, when Barron intercepted seven passes as a sophomore. Two years later, Barron is the unquestioned No. 1 senior safety in the 2012 draft class. Most project him in the top-30 picks.

What they’re saying about him:

Wes Bunting (National Football Post): Has the makings of a heck of a special teams player who can also attack downhill vs. the run game, play inside the box and drive on the football in front of him in the pass game. Isn’t going to be a major threat turning and tracking the football, but his improved instincts makes me think he can start in the league early on.  Read more... (483 words + 1 image, estimated 1:56 mins reading time)

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RB Chris Polk, Washington (Photo: SI.com)

Green Bay Packers draft prospect profile: Chris Polk, Washington

Player information:

• Chris Polk, RB, Washington
• 5-foot-11, 215 lbs.
• Tougher to bring down and overall more explosive, but Polk compares favorably to Packers’ RB Ryan Grant

NFL Combine:

• 4.57 40yd dash
• 4.21 20 yard shuttle
• 7.13 3-cone drill
• 111″ broad jump
• 31.5″ vertical jump
• N/A bench press reps

News & Notes: 

Stepped onto the campus at the University of Washington ready to contribute immediately. Polk started the Huskies’ first two games of his 2008 but injured his shoulder and was granted a medical redshirt. From there, Polk began his climb up UW’s career rushing ranks. Three-straight 1,000-yard seasons placed Polk No. 2 on the school’s all-time rushing leaderboard behind only Napoleon Kaufman. Was a Three-time All-Pac-12 selection and semi-finalist for the Doak Walker award in 2011. Increased his draft stock at UW’s Pro Day, trimming down to just 212 pounds and running the 40-yard dash in 4.45 seconds. Polk might now be a lock to be drafted within the top-60 picks, which could be out of the Packers’ range for a running back.  Read more... (579 words + 1 image, estimated 2:19 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Most Underrated Player

(Be sure to place your vote in the poll below.)

Adam: Scott Wells. I think readers of this site understand how good Wells was last season, but I doubt the average fan sees it. Yeah, he’s not the greatest run blocker, but he’s superb in pass protection and excels as the quarterback of the offensive line.

Al: Brad Jones. Jones is not Mr. Dynamic. He’s not going to give you a huge pass rush boost from ROLB, but of all the knuckleheads the Packers trotted out at that position last season, he is easily the most consistent and reliable. He became a forgotten man last year, as the Packers tried desperately to catch pass rush lightning in a bottle with Walden, Zombo, Latttimore and So ‘oto, but in the end, they came back to Jones as the Packers realized what they had given up. Now the Packers’ coaches are talking up Jones as an important player for next season  Read more... (660 words, estimated 2:38 mins reading time)

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2011 Packers Yearbook: Player You Would Cut Right Now (If You Were Ted Thompson)

(Be sure to place your vote in the poll below.)

Adam: Ray Dominguez. Hey, the Packers were 15-1. Why would I want to cut any of the regulars that contributed to a great season. I’ll cut Dominguez because he was signed late and never played.

Al: Chad Clifton. Cliffy’s been a solid performer and a good soldier, but he’s been fighting a breaking-down body for a few years now. Counting on him would be a huge mistake and the Packers could use the cap room and roster spot. It’s time for Newhouse and/or Sherrod to claim the job.

Chad: Sadly, I would have to release Donald Driver. We’ve all been through this discussion multiple times now, so it’s no shock to say that he’s in his waning years and would just be taking up a roster spot from a younger player on the rise. I would make the move now instead of in training camp so that Driver has the ability to sign and get comfortable with a new team.
 Read more... (638 words, estimated 2:33 mins reading time)

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