Green Bay Packers: Lower draft picks are a mixed bag, GREEN BAY, Wis. -- For every mid- to late-round draft choice who exceeds early expectations, another one doesn't.
Take cornerback Micah Hyde, the Green Bay Packers' fifth-round draft choice from Iowa, and running back Johnathan Franklin, a fourth-round pick from UCLA.
Neither player was drafted on the basis of his speed and athletic ability. The Packers were attracted to them largely because of their resourcefulness at the major-college level.
Hyde has made a seamless transition to the pro game. Sure, he has speed limitations but seems to understand that and plays to his strengths.
On Saturday night in St. Louis, Hyde put on a pass-rushing clinic from the slot.
Even when Hyde didn't get through, his timing was superb and it required a good effort in blitz pickup by the Rams to subdue him.
When the Rams' backups were discombobulated in their protections, as is commonplace in the non-preparation world of exhibition football, Hyde kept finding circuitous routes right into the quarterback's lap.
Charles Woodson and LeRoy Butler would be proud. The Packers need a legitimate rusher in their secondary, and Hyde could be it.
"He's what you thought he'd be," an executive in personnel said after watching the Packers. "Competitive. Smart. Probably can't ever line up outside for you. Can play the slot. May end up being a safety at some point in time.
"He has to use his body and be in really good position to be a cover guy. You've just got to be careful how you use him. The kid's not a bad player."
On the other hand, Franklin's game, based on the offseason and first three weeks of training camp, hasn't fit as well in the NFL.
Franklin, 5 feet 10 inches and 205 pounds, can't get out of neutral. He rushed seven times for 17 yards in the intrasquad scrimmage and nine for 23 in the first two games.
It's just 16 carries, but Franklin's average of 2.5 yards is about on par with the way he has practiced, too.
With Randall Cobb injured and possibly being phased out of the return game, the Packers have been force-feeding Franklin into a role he never played for the Bruins. He has encountered some ball-security issues in practice and hasn't done anything returning in games.
The scouts said he ran hard from scrimmage in college, but that hasn't been evident in the pros. Renowned for his pass protection, he's been only adequate there.
"He looks like his numbers," a personnel man said. "He's not a real impressive guy. He plays small, and he doesn't play fast.
"I kind of liked him in college because he was so productive. But if you didn't know he was a draft pick, you'd think he was a free agent."
Eddie Lacy looked even better on tape than he did live. Center Evan Dietrich-Smith wasn't in good position on two or three of Lacy's runs, but the rookie helped him by making great reads, powering through trash and making sharp, educated cuts.
It's hard to know what to make of Alex Green. He doesn't get in until the second half, and his reads haven't been sharp.
The first snap for James Starks came with 51/2 minutes remaining in the third quarter. He's 15-42 (2.8) in the two games compared to 12-31 (2.6) for Green.
Starks didn't help his cause with some shaky pass blocking. Rather than take blitzing safety Cody Davis on down the middle, he hit him with a glancing shoulder. Later, Starks ducked his head and made almost no contact with leaping linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong.
Mike McCarthy benched Starks after he bounced a poorly blocked inside run to the perimeter and fumbled once he got there.
Last week, DuJuan Harris put on pads for the first time but was limited because of a troublesome knee. If Harris can return to his 2012 form, the Packers probably view Lacy and Harris as their ideal 1-2 punch.
The battle outside
After two games, the third-best outside linebacker has been rookie free agent Andy Mulumba, not holdover Dezman Moses or rookie Nate Palmer, a sixth-round pick from Illinois State.
At 6-3, Mulumba is an inch taller than Moses and Palmer. He runs much faster than Moses and has been more instinctive than both of them.
Mulumba's forte is rushing the passer. He's a top-notch athlete with a feel for setting up blockers.
Against St. Louis, Mulumba did his best work against Chris Williams, the 14th overall pick as a tackle by the Chicago Bears in 2008. Williams, who was cut in October 2012, was playing left tackle with the backups Saturday night even though he is in a close battle to start at left guard.
Mulumba bull-rushed Williams for a sack in 3.2 seconds. On the next snap, he beat him for a knockdown.
Later, Mulumba flattened inside and made a tackle, beat a wham block by the tight end for an assisted tackle and displayed good hustle downfield.
Mulumba isn't as strong as Moses, who played the point impressively in his 490-snap rookie season. He also will need tons of work in zone coverage.
Moses, however, hurt himself twice in coverage against the Rams. After missing running Isaiah Pead in the flat and watching him gain 11 more yards, Moses overran Jared Cook as he dropped in a fire zone and the lithe tight end was gone for 37 yards.
Palmer posted three pressures in the last quarter, his most impressive moments of camp. Still, he's a project.
Decent debut
Mike Neal played outside linebacker from scrimmage for the first time and wasn't bad. Of his 15 snaps, seven came at linebacker but just one was in the base 3-4 defense.
In his lone base snap, Neal used his 275 pounds to play through tight end Corey Harkey and force Pead to go so wide he lost a yard. Harkey, a second-year man from UCLA, had upheld his reputation for outstanding blocking by pancaking Nick Perry 10 yards downfield on Pead's 11-yard run to open the Rams' offensive night.
Harkey got back at Neal by hooking him inside and the ball went outside for a substantial gain.
Coverage figures to remain an adventure for Neal. But if he can be at least adequate setting the edge against the run, defensive coordinator Dom Capers should make good use of him in customized game plans.
Too close to call
Don Barclay had a full week to run ahead of Marshall Newhouse at right tackle. Based on Saturday night, McCarthy will have a difficult decision picking a starter.
Barclay played extremely well in the nine-play first series.
He got off to the linebacker level and stayed with Alec Ogletree on a 7-yard run by Lacy. He stepped outside to pin defensive end Chris Long inside on a 15-yard run. He shoved defensive tackle Kendall Langford into the turf on the back side on another 7-yard run.
In protection, Barclay was keeping Long at bay with crisp sets and good hand placement.
Newhouse replaced Barclay for the next series, and when Barclay returned for the third he wasn't nearly as effective. In fact, in his 33-play stint (all at right tackle), there were four pass plays (two against Long, two against end William Hayes) in which he lost the edge but the ball was out (three times) or Graham Harrell was forced to scramble.
Barclay, however, didn't have a glaring minus in the run game.
Newhouse, in 15 snaps at right tackle and eight at left, could be dinged for three running plays and one pass.
Left tackle David Bakhtiari split his 40 snaps against starter Robert Quinn and backup Gerald Rivers.
Other than Quinn's third-and-5 inside sack, Bakhtiari's only other big miscue in protection was a false-start penalty. Most of his minuses again came in the run game.
Long audition
Jermichael Finley played merely 17 snaps. Matthew Mulligan injured his arm double-teaming defensive tackle Michael Brockers on a run and was done after three snaps. Andrew Quarless and Ryan Taylor sat out.
Thus, D.J. Williams (23 snaps) was the No. 2 tight end, and the snap counts swelled this game for Brandon Bostick (18 to 33) and Jake Stoneburner (11 to 20).
Weighing merely 236 pounds, Williams has made himself into a capable blocker. Twelve of his snaps came from a conventional three-point stance, and from there he made outstanding blocks at the point of attack against both Quinn and Ogletree on three runs totaling 29 yards.
He also gained 10 yards after the catch on his two receptions for 17 yards, and showed awareness by getting out of bounds late in the final minute of the first half.
On the other hand, Williams got sloppy against Quinn twice on the back side, and also was part of the reason why Quinn wasn't blocked on a failed third and 1.
He also dropped a pin-point vertical throw from Harrell in which he was behind middle linebacker Josh Hull 21 yards downfield.
Bostick worked from a three-point stance 20 times. He isn't nearly the blocker that Williams has turned into even though he outweighs him by 10 pounds.
Other than one or two plays, Bostick wasn't a liability in the run game. He just doesn't have the tenacity, training or horsepower yet to match the other tight ends.
As a receiver, Bostick has watched Finley so much that their mannerisms are eerily similar.
He gets in and out of his breaks just like Finley. He swivels on his down hand to peer back at the quarterback during audibles like Finley. He even strides like Finley.
Bostick caught all three balls thrown to him for 29 yards.
Stoneburner came back for the ball and made a smart, sure-handed touchdown catch. Otherwise, he didn't distinguish himself.
Take cornerback Micah Hyde, the Green Bay Packers' fifth-round draft choice from Iowa, and running back Johnathan Franklin, a fourth-round pick from UCLA.
Neither player was drafted on the basis of his speed and athletic ability. The Packers were attracted to them largely because of their resourcefulness at the major-college level.
Hyde has made a seamless transition to the pro game. Sure, he has speed limitations but seems to understand that and plays to his strengths.
On Saturday night in St. Louis, Hyde put on a pass-rushing clinic from the slot.
Even when Hyde didn't get through, his timing was superb and it required a good effort in blitz pickup by the Rams to subdue him.
When the Rams' backups were discombobulated in their protections, as is commonplace in the non-preparation world of exhibition football, Hyde kept finding circuitous routes right into the quarterback's lap.
Charles Woodson and LeRoy Butler would be proud. The Packers need a legitimate rusher in their secondary, and Hyde could be it.
"He's what you thought he'd be," an executive in personnel said after watching the Packers. "Competitive. Smart. Probably can't ever line up outside for you. Can play the slot. May end up being a safety at some point in time.
"He has to use his body and be in really good position to be a cover guy. You've just got to be careful how you use him. The kid's not a bad player."
On the other hand, Franklin's game, based on the offseason and first three weeks of training camp, hasn't fit as well in the NFL.
Franklin, 5 feet 10 inches and 205 pounds, can't get out of neutral. He rushed seven times for 17 yards in the intrasquad scrimmage and nine for 23 in the first two games.
It's just 16 carries, but Franklin's average of 2.5 yards is about on par with the way he has practiced, too.
With Randall Cobb injured and possibly being phased out of the return game, the Packers have been force-feeding Franklin into a role he never played for the Bruins. He has encountered some ball-security issues in practice and hasn't done anything returning in games.
The scouts said he ran hard from scrimmage in college, but that hasn't been evident in the pros. Renowned for his pass protection, he's been only adequate there.
"He looks like his numbers," a personnel man said. "He's not a real impressive guy. He plays small, and he doesn't play fast.
"I kind of liked him in college because he was so productive. But if you didn't know he was a draft pick, you'd think he was a free agent."
Eddie Lacy looked even better on tape than he did live. Center Evan Dietrich-Smith wasn't in good position on two or three of Lacy's runs, but the rookie helped him by making great reads, powering through trash and making sharp, educated cuts.
It's hard to know what to make of Alex Green. He doesn't get in until the second half, and his reads haven't been sharp.
The first snap for James Starks came with 51/2 minutes remaining in the third quarter. He's 15-42 (2.8) in the two games compared to 12-31 (2.6) for Green.
Starks didn't help his cause with some shaky pass blocking. Rather than take blitzing safety Cody Davis on down the middle, he hit him with a glancing shoulder. Later, Starks ducked his head and made almost no contact with leaping linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong.
Mike McCarthy benched Starks after he bounced a poorly blocked inside run to the perimeter and fumbled once he got there.
Last week, DuJuan Harris put on pads for the first time but was limited because of a troublesome knee. If Harris can return to his 2012 form, the Packers probably view Lacy and Harris as their ideal 1-2 punch.
The battle outside
After two games, the third-best outside linebacker has been rookie free agent Andy Mulumba, not holdover Dezman Moses or rookie Nate Palmer, a sixth-round pick from Illinois State.
At 6-3, Mulumba is an inch taller than Moses and Palmer. He runs much faster than Moses and has been more instinctive than both of them.
Mulumba's forte is rushing the passer. He's a top-notch athlete with a feel for setting up blockers.
Against St. Louis, Mulumba did his best work against Chris Williams, the 14th overall pick as a tackle by the Chicago Bears in 2008. Williams, who was cut in October 2012, was playing left tackle with the backups Saturday night even though he is in a close battle to start at left guard.
Mulumba bull-rushed Williams for a sack in 3.2 seconds. On the next snap, he beat him for a knockdown.
Later, Mulumba flattened inside and made a tackle, beat a wham block by the tight end for an assisted tackle and displayed good hustle downfield.
Mulumba isn't as strong as Moses, who played the point impressively in his 490-snap rookie season. He also will need tons of work in zone coverage.
Moses, however, hurt himself twice in coverage against the Rams. After missing running Isaiah Pead in the flat and watching him gain 11 more yards, Moses overran Jared Cook as he dropped in a fire zone and the lithe tight end was gone for 37 yards.
Palmer posted three pressures in the last quarter, his most impressive moments of camp. Still, he's a project.
Decent debut
Mike Neal played outside linebacker from scrimmage for the first time and wasn't bad. Of his 15 snaps, seven came at linebacker but just one was in the base 3-4 defense.
In his lone base snap, Neal used his 275 pounds to play through tight end Corey Harkey and force Pead to go so wide he lost a yard. Harkey, a second-year man from UCLA, had upheld his reputation for outstanding blocking by pancaking Nick Perry 10 yards downfield on Pead's 11-yard run to open the Rams' offensive night.
Harkey got back at Neal by hooking him inside and the ball went outside for a substantial gain.
Coverage figures to remain an adventure for Neal. But if he can be at least adequate setting the edge against the run, defensive coordinator Dom Capers should make good use of him in customized game plans.
Too close to call
Don Barclay had a full week to run ahead of Marshall Newhouse at right tackle. Based on Saturday night, McCarthy will have a difficult decision picking a starter.
Barclay played extremely well in the nine-play first series.
He got off to the linebacker level and stayed with Alec Ogletree on a 7-yard run by Lacy. He stepped outside to pin defensive end Chris Long inside on a 15-yard run. He shoved defensive tackle Kendall Langford into the turf on the back side on another 7-yard run.
In protection, Barclay was keeping Long at bay with crisp sets and good hand placement.
Newhouse replaced Barclay for the next series, and when Barclay returned for the third he wasn't nearly as effective. In fact, in his 33-play stint (all at right tackle), there were four pass plays (two against Long, two against end William Hayes) in which he lost the edge but the ball was out (three times) or Graham Harrell was forced to scramble.
Barclay, however, didn't have a glaring minus in the run game.
Newhouse, in 15 snaps at right tackle and eight at left, could be dinged for three running plays and one pass.
Left tackle David Bakhtiari split his 40 snaps against starter Robert Quinn and backup Gerald Rivers.
Other than Quinn's third-and-5 inside sack, Bakhtiari's only other big miscue in protection was a false-start penalty. Most of his minuses again came in the run game.
Long audition
Jermichael Finley played merely 17 snaps. Matthew Mulligan injured his arm double-teaming defensive tackle Michael Brockers on a run and was done after three snaps. Andrew Quarless and Ryan Taylor sat out.
Thus, D.J. Williams (23 snaps) was the No. 2 tight end, and the snap counts swelled this game for Brandon Bostick (18 to 33) and Jake Stoneburner (11 to 20).
Weighing merely 236 pounds, Williams has made himself into a capable blocker. Twelve of his snaps came from a conventional three-point stance, and from there he made outstanding blocks at the point of attack against both Quinn and Ogletree on three runs totaling 29 yards.
He also gained 10 yards after the catch on his two receptions for 17 yards, and showed awareness by getting out of bounds late in the final minute of the first half.
On the other hand, Williams got sloppy against Quinn twice on the back side, and also was part of the reason why Quinn wasn't blocked on a failed third and 1.
He also dropped a pin-point vertical throw from Harrell in which he was behind middle linebacker Josh Hull 21 yards downfield.
Bostick worked from a three-point stance 20 times. He isn't nearly the blocker that Williams has turned into even though he outweighs him by 10 pounds.
Other than one or two plays, Bostick wasn't a liability in the run game. He just doesn't have the tenacity, training or horsepower yet to match the other tight ends.
As a receiver, Bostick has watched Finley so much that their mannerisms are eerily similar.
He gets in and out of his breaks just like Finley. He swivels on his down hand to peer back at the quarterback during audibles like Finley. He even strides like Finley.
Bostick caught all three balls thrown to him for 29 yards.
Stoneburner came back for the ball and made a smart, sure-handed touchdown catch. Otherwise, he didn't distinguish himself.
