Nick Perry
General Manager Ted Thompson had only traded up three times in his tenure to secure the Packers’ best valued player on their board. After locking up pass rusher Nick Perry in the first round, Thompson moved up in the second round to nail down defensive tackle Jerel Worthy and corner Casey Hayward. Worthy has the talent to replace Cullen Jenkins whose loss to Philadelphia in free agency two years ago was felt in 2011. Anthony Hargrove was also signed to add depth to the defensive end position, but he will be suspended for the first 8 games for his role in “Bounty-Gate”. Help in the secondary was needed and Thompson’s other trade up was for Hayward, an instinctive corner who should fill a role immediately. Thompson, who built the Packers into a Super Bowl Champion two years ago and 15-1 regular season record in 2011, may have considered additional trades but four of the last five Green Bay picks were league compensatory awards. Nick Perry was drafted to pressure the quarterback opposite Clay Matthews and was given extensive work to do just that during OTAs. Matthews moved from the left side to the right side of the defense. In the two years he was a starter, Perry recorded 21.5 sacks. He has long arms and very good athletic ability. At the Combine he had an explosive 10- time of 1.55 seconds. Once he sheds the blocker he demonstrates a third gear burst up the field. Jerel Worthy was impressive in rookie mini-camp with his first step explosiveness. He will be counted on to learn both the defensive tackle and defensive end positions. He worked with the first unit during OTAs. He has a load of natural talent and ability. Worthy finished his career with two strong games versus Wisconsin and Georgia. A good player, he needs to be more consistent. He can rush the passer and push the pocket from the inside. Casey Hayward is a very instinctive zone corner with top level ball skills. Aggressive in his play, he will have an opportunity to contribute immediately as a nickel and dime defensive back in the Packers’ nickel based scheme. He has competed against top flight receivers on a weekly basis in the SEC, knocking down catchable balls. Over his career he corralled 15 interceptions including seven in 2011. Mike Daniels led Iowa in tackles for loss as well as sacks. He will be a specialty player in Dom Capers’ 3-4 defensive sub packages. Undersized but quick and resourceful, Daniels is an explosive player who plays with leverage and power. A high motor, great effort player, he is instinctive in his play. Jerron McMillian is a box safety who has the athletic ability to develop in the back end. He has good recognition and anticipation. A fluid athlete with good leaping and corner skills, he has good hip flexibility for a smooth turn with burst and catch up speed. He is a big hitter with speed and attitude, good body control and foot quickness. Terrell Manning is a playmaker who knocked off the rust recovering from a knee injury early in 2011. He got better every week. Aggressive and competitive with good toughness, he hits with authority. He has good range and lateral quickness. He has good timing and anticipation in his play and will contribute on all special teams. Manning projects to move inside in the 3-4 defense. Andrew Datko has had left shoulder surgery. A good athlete, he has technique breakdowns at times which cause him to get bull rushed. He maintains contact as a position blocker and has the length, long arms, big hands, and athletic ability for the position. BJ Coleman started his career at Tennessee and was drafted as a developmental project. He has pro physical skills and above average arm strength and size for the quarterback position. He is a project that needs work on his accuracy and overall consistency. GRADE: ABOVE AVERAGE.
Box 235 Hiawatha, IA 52233