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In the second pre-season game, in a rematch of the Redskins’ last playoff appearance, the Packers come to FedEx Stadium on Friday night. I still have bad memories of the second half of that 2015-season playoff game.
There will be a lot less at stake for the two franchises in this week’s matchup, but plenty at stake for the 90-players per side who will be competing on the field.
Ted Thompson made 10 picks in the 2017 draft, but didn’t make a selection in the first round.
After taking defensive players with his first four picks, Thompson used six late-round picks on offense, trying in particular to shore up the Running Back position (Thompson took running backs in the 4th, 5th, and 7th rounds), after “Fat Eddie” went off to play for the Seahawks, leaving Mike McCarthy with a converted WR at the top of his RB depth chart.
Here’s a quick rundown of the Green Bay Packer draft picks that you can watch for during the game:
All player information for this article and printed below was copied copied from ESPN.
2nd Round
Kevin King, CB - 2016 marks the sixth straight year the Packers have used their first pick to improve their defense. Some of their recent first-rounders. Nick Perry (2012), Datone Jones (2013) and Kenny Clark (2016) made minimal impacts as rookies, and Damarious Randall (2015) regressed in Year 2 after a solid first season. The Packers need more from this former Washington DB.
The Packers think King has a chance to be a No. 1 cornerback. They essentially played all of last season without one after Sam Shields sustained a season-ending (and possibly career-ending) concussion in Week 1. King also gives the Packers their tallest cornerback (6-foot-3): He's the tallest corner Thompson has ever drafted, and he's an inch taller than the Packers’ previous tallest cornerback, LaDarius Gunter. Just like most of the Packers' defensive backs, King can play multiple positions from safety to the slot cornerback to the outside corner spot.
Josh Jones, S - Safety isn’t a position of major need given how Morgan Burnett and Ha Ha Clinton-Dix played last season, but Jones isn’t your typical safety. If he can do what the Packers think he can -- hold up in coverage and play near the line of scrimmage almost like a linebacker would -- then he could be invaluable. The Packers lost one versatile defensive back when Micah Hyde signed with the Bills in free agency. Jones might be a faster version of Hyde. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds at the combine, which was even faster than what Packers new cornerback Kevin King (4.43) ran.
3rd Round
Montravius Adams, DT - Adams showed remarkable speed for a 6-foot-3 1/2, 304-pound defensive tackle when he ran a 4.87 40-yard dash at the combine. If it wasn’t clear before the Packers took Adams, it’s evident now what they thought of their defense last season. Following cornerback Kevin King and safety Josh Jones in the second round, Adams was the third straight defensive player to start the draft for the Packers. Not since 2012, when GM Ted Thompson used his first six picks on defensive players, have the Packers made this kind of a commitment to that side of the ball in the same draft.
The Packers also signed former Redskins, Ricky Jean Francois, in free agency. RJF was popular with media and fans during his tenure in Washington, and will likely enjoy his visit to FedEx Field.
4th Round
Vince Biegel, OLB - The difference between Biegel and his Wisconsin teammate T.J. Watt might not be all that great. The Packers passed on Watt at No. 29 when they elected to trade out of the first round, and Watt went No. 30 to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Biegel actually ran a tick faster than Watt at the combine -- his 40 time was 4.67 seconds compared to Watt's 4.69. He also benched the same number of reps (21) as Watt, although his vertical jump of 33.5 was lower than Watt's 37 inches. Yes, the Packers could've have taken Watt in the first round, but they turned that into cornerback Kevin King (at No. 33 overall) and Biegel. Also, Biegel, a fifth-year senior, played more at Wisconsin than Watt, who was essentially a two-year player.
The Packers lost Julius Peppers and Datone Jones in free agency. Yes, they re-signed Nick Perry to a five-year, $60 million deal but other than Clay Matthews, there weren't any other proven rushers from the outside linebacker position. Biegel played primarily left outside linebacker and although his sacks total (4.0) dropped last year from 15.5 in the previous two years, the Packers think he can provide immediate pass rush.
Jamaal Williams, RB - This is the kind of running back you get in the fourth round: a productive player who has some question marks. He has battled knee injuries and off-the-field issues. He left BYU for a year (2015) because he violated the school’s honor code. Williams said the honor code violation was “having a girl in his room.” When asked how NFL teams reacted to that, he said, “Most of them laughed.” It’s hard to argue with his production. He rushed for 1,375 yards in 10 games as a senior and finished as BYU’s career rushing leader with 3,901 yards, yet 14 running backs were taken before Williams. Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine might have been a better pick with the Packers’ first fourth-round pick (No. 108 overall) but after they took outside linebacker Vince Biegel at that spot, Perine lasted only six more picks before Washington selected him.
He has a much different style than Ty Montgomery, the Packers receiver turned running back. He’s more of a bruising, aggressive runner, so he could serve as a nice complement to Montgomery’s versatility. Williams’ upright running style resembles former Packers running back James Starks. The Packers would love it if he turned into this year’s Jordan Howard, the fifth-round pick of the Chicago Bears last year who finished second in the league in rushing last year.
5th Round
Deangelo Yancey, WR - The 6-foot-2, 205-pound receiver was a big-play threat for an otherwise lackluster Purdue team. He averaged 19.4 yards per catch as a senior last year, and his best game came against Wisconsin with six catches for 155 yards and two touchdowns. He was not invited to the combine and showed only average speed at his pro day, when he ran a 4.53 40-yard dash. He’s possible insurance in case the Packers lose one of both of their receivers entering the final years of their contracts -- Davante Adams and Jeff Janis -- and if Jordy Nelson or Randall Cobb experience a sharp decline.
Aaron Jones, RB - If you're going to wait until Day 3 of the draft to take a running back, you might as well take two of them. That's what general manager Ted Thompson did after taking BYU's Jamal Williams in the fourth round. It's the third time Thompson has taken two running backs in the same draft: He did so in 2007 (Brandon Jackson, DeShawn Wynn) and 2013 (Eddie Lacy and Jonathan Franklin) and each time, he found one contributor (Jackson and Lacy).
At 5-foot-9 1/2 and 208 pounds, he's a different body type than Williams (6-0, 212). Williams is more of a bruising runner between the tackles, while Jones has more quick-twitch ability. They could be perfect complements to each other and to the returning Ty Montgomery.
6th Round
Kofi Amichia, T - The 2015 draft was the only year in Thompson's 13 drafts as general manager that he hasn't taken an offensive lineman. In eight of those drafts, he took multiple offensive linemen.
Most of the linemen Thompson has drafted played left tackle in college. Most of them end up moving to another position. At 6-foot-4 and 291 pounds, Amichia is a prime candidate to move to guard. He almost certainly won't need to play right away; the Packers signed veteran Jahri Evans last week mostly as a one-year starter at right guard to replace T.J. Lang, who signed with the Lions in free agency.
7th Round
Devante Mays, RB - Ted Thompson appears to be serious about finding a running back after losing Lacy in free agency and cutting James Starks. Mays became the third one the Packers' general manager selected in this draft -- something this team hasn’t done since 1974.
It did happen in the NFL last year, when the Seahawks took three backs in the same draft: C.J. Prosise (third round), Alex Collins (fifth round) and Zac Brooks (seventh round).
Mays rushed for 966 yards in 13 games as a junior but was limited to only six games because of a knee injury last year.
Malachi Dupre, WR - At 6-foot-2 1/2, Dupre has good size -- similar to Geronimo Allison, the undrafted free-agent receiver who became a contributor late last season. With Dupre and Deangelo Yancey (fifth round), it will make for some competition for the likes of Allison, Trevor Davis and Jeff Janis for the final few roster spots at the receiver position.
Poll
Question 1: Who has the most to prove this week?
This poll is closed
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77%
Redskins offense
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17%
Redskins defense
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4%
Redskins special teams
Poll
Question 2: What are the chances that the Redskins & Packers meet in the playoffs again this post-season?
This poll is closed
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1%
100%
-
7%
70%
-
30%
50%
-
32%
33%
-
14%
10%
-
14%
zero