Film Review: Undrafted Free Agents
By AndyHerman
The NFL Draft season isn’t officially over until all the undrafted free agents are signed and rookie minicamp truly begins. The draft, of course, is 7 rounds long and the vast majority of premier players in the league are going to be selected during the three days of the NFL Draft. But Green Bay has had tremendous success finding players throughout undrafted free agency. Players like Sam Shields, Cullen Jenkins, and Tramon Williams were all undrafted free agents.
In 2017 alone 23 different players who played in games for Green Bay were undrafted free agents: Geronimo Allison, Adam Pankey, Lucas Patrick, Lane Taylor, Justin McCray, Joe Callahan, Joe Kerridge, Lenzy Pipkins, Josh Hawkins, Marwin Evans, Jermaine Whitehead, Chris Odom, Donatello Brown, Justin Vogel, LaDarius Gunter, Brett Goode, Kentrell Brice, Michael Clark, Reggie Gilbert, Joe Thomas, Taybor Pepper, Derek Hart, and Emanuel Byrd.
Today I take a look at the 16 undrafted free agents that Green Bay signed and breakdown the tape on each. Please note to see the entire threads, you will need to click on the tweet. I will highlight a few plays below that stood out to me.
Jacob Alsadek - OL
Packers undrafted free agent thread 1:
Jacob Alsadek - @jacobalsadek
6’7’’ 325 - RG - Arizona - Senior #78Alsadek comes to a great situation where there’s not a lot of clarity at RG im Green Bay. There’s a lot of opportunity ahead of him! pic.twitter.com/jJIkECceTS
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) April 29, 2018
Alsadek’s size is evident immediately. He plays with good strength and is more agile than you would expect for his size. pic.twitter.com/fzd0OG6iEl
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) April 29, 2018
Parris Bennett – LB
Packers undrafted free agent thread 2:
Parris Bennett
6’0’’ 216 - LB - Syracuse - Senior #30Bennett is an undersized linebacker looking to fill the Joe Thomas role for GB. Bennett played all 3 LB positions in college but his size & overall lack of athleticism will limit him. pic.twitter.com/7ErgNCKZ6H
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) April 29, 2018
Bennett is a bit of a throwback as a linebacker. What is he best at... tackling. His form is good and he lead the team as a junior with 110 tackles and then again as a senior with 115 tackles. pic.twitter.com/YMVdqTHhBC
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) April 29, 2018
Kevin Rader – TE
Packers undrafted free agent thread 4:
Kevin Rader - @K_rader83
6’5’’ 250 - TE - Sr. - Youngstown StRader joins a tight end group that doesn’t have a ton of depth and is in desperate need of a blocking specialist and special teams ace and Rader could fit the bill. pic.twitter.com/Q4MZ2uveLO
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 1, 2018
Down 38-34 with 4 seconds left, just your standard insane one-handed catch off the opponents back to send the team to the championship. pic.twitter.com/aJFrNHrJkz
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 1, 2018
Tim Boyle – QB
Packers undrafted free agent thread 5:
Tim Boyle - @timboyle_7
6’4’’ 234 - QB - Sr. - E. Kentucky #7With GB releasing Joe Callahan from the roster, Boyle becomes the de facto number 4 QB in Green Bay. He has plenty of tools to work with & could quickly earn a spot on the p/s. pic.twitter.com/NS4hUcb6Sh
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 3, 2018
Nice play action and then plenty of zip on this ball. pic.twitter.com/OKG2zaqlzK
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 3, 2018
Austin Davis – C
Packers undrafted free agent thread 6:
Austin Davis - @AustinDavis_50
6’4” 301 - C - rSr. - Duke - #50Davis was a 3rd team all-ACC selection at Duke a season ago & will compete with Lucas Patrick and Dillon Day for the backup center spot. pic.twitter.com/NI6HPvpuCH
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 3, 2018
Davis has good feel at the center position and is willing to find work. pic.twitter.com/MLkU1pTpM2
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 3, 2018
Alex Light – OL
Packers undrafted free agent thread 7:
Alex Light
6’5” 287 - OL - Sr. - Richmond - #66Light is ironically a little “light” for the OL at the moment but he has a fantastic frame & plays with a little bit of nasty. I like his upside and think he has a chance to stick on the 53. pic.twitter.com/itBQaX8w2f
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 3, 2018
Light has violent hands to jar defenders. His punch stuns the edge rusher and puts him completely off his spot. pic.twitter.com/hHNFrsWQJ8
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 3, 2018
Kyle Meadows – OT
Packers undrafted free agent thread 8:
Kyle Meadows - @RealKyleMeadows
6’5’’ 301 - RT - rSr. - Kentucky - #73Meadows looks the part of offensive tackle but needs to bulk up & work on his technique. Meadows was a 3 year starter in the SEC & will battle for a p/s spot in year 1. pic.twitter.com/n5ByRJ567a
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 4, 2018
Meadows fires off the ball and overpowers his man, driving him downfield & creating plenty of space for the back. pic.twitter.com/OCDDPBpOLC
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 4, 2018
Conor Sheehy – DL
Packers undrafted free agent thread 9:
Conor Sheehy
6’4” 295 - DL - Sr. - Wisconsin - #94Sheehy has a chance as a rotational lineman who could specialize on run defense on early downs. He has his work cut out for him w/ the current depth on the line. pic.twitter.com/0q0GdUpQVl
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 5, 2018
Here again you can get an idea of his upper body strength and how he can win. pic.twitter.com/PE9ecpiseM
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 5, 2018
Raven Green – S
Packers undrafted free agent thread 10:
Raven Greene - @Rgreene_5
5’11” 197 - S - rSr. - James Madison #5Greene’s off to a good start by getting @nickdapick36 & @leap36’s number 36 jersey in Green Bay. Greene had some flash plays & could stick as a core special teams player. pic.twitter.com/9MLpU3tdy0
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 5, 2018
Greene had a couple pick 6’s in his career and is capable of being a playmaker. You love the close on the ball as soon as he makes his break. pic.twitter.com/UjFQ06nSgP
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 5, 2018
Ryan Smith – TE
Packers undrafted free agent thread 11:
Ryan Smith - @r_smith82
6’4” 265 - TE - Sr. - Miami (OH) - #82Smith is a bit of a throwback TE who is one of my favorites of the undrafted class so far. With the lack of depth at TE he could have a chance to break camp w/ the team. pic.twitter.com/f3GUrMiGrP
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 6, 2018
My favorite play of the thread. Just a beast mode play. Sure it could get called but it wasn’t and it’s just awesome football. The timing on the pass was perfect too. pic.twitter.com/YsGnmZrRh3
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 6, 2018
Greer Martini – LB
Packers undrafted free agent thread 12:
Greer Martini - @GreerMartini48
6’3” 236 - LB - Sr. - Notre Dame - #48Martini is a bit of an undersized linebacker but you wouldn’t know it from how he plays. He plays physical and holds up really well @ the poa for his size. pic.twitter.com/x6k34OxxXx
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 6, 2018
You consistently see Martini show solid football iq and good anticipation. Here he reacts well to the route by the running back and makes the play. pic.twitter.com/ZSVZWTEFNw
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 6, 2018
Naashon Hughes – Edge
Packers undrafted free agent thread 13:
Naashon Hughes
6’4” 250 - LB - rSr. - Texas - #40I watched a lot of tape of Hughes trying to find something I really liked but tbh I just wasn’t a huge fan. He has some athleticism & versatility but will be hard pressed to make the 53. pic.twitter.com/xadxdgYKPE
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 7, 2018
Top of the screen, Hughes does a really nice job setting the edge here and forcing the play inside. He flashes potential but is just very inconsistent. pic.twitter.com/G8N1HZBYNo
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 7, 2018
CJ Johnson – Edge
Packers undrafted free agent thread 14:
CJ Johnson - @Cj3liveee
6’2” 226 - Edge - Jr. - East Texas Baptist - #3I’ve found my udfa crush of 2018. Johnson is really fun to watch & flashes serious potential off the edge. If you watch only one udfa thread; watch this one. pic.twitter.com/yKLEctiwPj
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 7, 2018
Johnson has a seriously quick first step and made small school OT’s look completely out of his league. In 2017 he had a 4 1/2 sack game against Belhaven. pic.twitter.com/jKhyOrzw5a
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 7, 2018
Tyler Lancaster – NT
Packers undrafted free agent thread 15:
Tyler Lancaster - @BigLanny6767
6’3” - 313 - NT - Sr. - Northwestern - #1Lancaster is a true run-stuffing nose tackle who has incredible upper body strength. He’s tough to move off his spot & is adept at working against double teams. pic.twitter.com/XhCozOCm5a
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 7, 2018
Last play, you can see how Tyler holds up against & splits double teams.
Lancaster is a true run defender who isn’t going to provide much pass rush. He can be a true NT in a 34 w/ how well he holds up at the poa. He’s going to need to be a dominant run defender to stick around. pic.twitter.com/QMoYy71tvM
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 7, 2018
Filipo Mokofisi – DL
Packers undrafted free agent thread 16:
Filipo Mokofisi - @5ilipo
6’3” 283 - DL - rSr. - Utah - #45Mokofisi lined up all over the place, including NT, DT, DE & OLB. Mokofisi is a rotational DL who can both hold up inside & help collapse a pocket. He’s an interesting player. pic.twitter.com/ZRuO7xorGh
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 8, 2018
Not bad hands and hand eye coordination for a 280+ pound lineman. pic.twitter.com/Pwbg50RHB1
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 8, 2018
Marcus Porter – LB
Marcus Porter - @RichhPort3r
6’0” 229 - LB - Sr. - Fairmont State - #2Porter is another one of my favorite udfas of this class. He’s undersized & coming from a small school but he will absolutely light players up. Love his mentality!!! pic.twitter.com/XxOtzg6gM5
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 8, 2018
Check the acceleration at the end of this play. He closes and finishes so well. pic.twitter.com/kp2wfeuzHB
— Andy Herman (@SconnieSports) May 8, 2018
Undoubtedly, multiple players on this list will end up on the roster at some point this season. The NFL season is a war of attrition and ultimately players get hurt, resulting in young, inexperienced players trying to fill in where the veterans left off.
Two of my favorite players from this class were Marcus Porter and CJ Johnson. Both are undersized and will need to put on some serious functional strength, likely next offseason. But both are aggressive and have the right mentality to find a niche on special teams and work their way into a lineup over time.
On offense I really liked Ryan Smith at TE and Alex Light at guard. Light will also need to put on weight but he looks the part; with coaching and added strength he has a real chance to make an impact over time, similar to Lane Taylor. Smith and Rader may have the best odds of making the team as the depth chart at tight end isn’t exactly deep.
Overall it wasn’t one of my favorite undrafted free agent classes ever, but it’s a solid group with many having a chance to fight for spots on special teams early in their careers.
In case you missed my breakdowns of all the drafted players, you can find them here:
Jaire Alexander: https://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/film-review-jaire-alexander-131
Josh Jackson & Oren Burks: https://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/film-review-josh-jackson-oren-burks-228
Day 3 Picks: https://cheeseheadtv.com/blog/film-review-packers-draft-day-3-209
PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHEESEHEAD NATION WEEKLY NEWSLETTER HERE.
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Andy is a graduate of UW-Oshkosh and owns & operates the Pack-A-Day Podcast. Andy has taken multiple courses in NFL scouting and is an Editor for Packer Report. Andy grew up in Green Bay and is a lifelong season ticket holder - follow him on Twitter @AndyHermanNFL!
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Comments (25)
bbarryirish
May 08, 2018 at 01:16 pm
Thanks Andy. Awesome overview. Love the insight Cheesehead TV provides.
Go Pack!
Chuck Farley
May 08, 2018 at 08:49 pm
Ya thanks Andy, lot of work here. Good job. The qb may be my favorite.
I bleed green more
May 08, 2018 at 02:04 pm
I loved it I think guys are going to step up this year.
dobber
May 08, 2018 at 02:11 pm
Between 11 draft picks, a bunch of UDFAs, and players on the roster who haven't shown an ability to get it done, I suspect there will be significant roster turnover this fall...
Bearmeat
May 08, 2018 at 02:36 pm
Let's hope so. The key players need to get younger and many of the role plaers need to get better.
worztik
May 08, 2018 at 03:40 pm
DOB... The one thing that the majority of the draft picks and UDFA signing have is height and athleticism... speed too!!! Ya know what they say you can’t teach height! Or do they? Some really big boys coming to camp and I hope they move like hummingbirds!!! 320lb+ hummingbirds!!! ;~€)
Bearmeat
May 08, 2018 at 02:18 pm
Nice to look at the deep dives on the roster. One or two of these might end up filling a hole on the team in 3 years or so. Thanks!
Handsback
May 08, 2018 at 02:46 pm
I don't think there will be many spots where a UDFA will make the team. In year's past....not the case.
Minniman
May 08, 2018 at 04:02 pm
With so many late round draft picks this draft it may be the case this year, but undoubtedly injuries will impact the team somewhere, so there's no harm in taking a closer look at prospects than film and pro-days can give teams
dobber
May 08, 2018 at 08:20 pm
We just spent the whole off-season complaining that this was a team that lacked talent and was full of JAGs. What does it matter if the guys who can't get it done are 2-4 year vets or rookies who might still grow?
Oppy
May 08, 2018 at 02:51 pm
Andy,
Did you intentionally find zone-blocking examples of a number of the OL featured here, or did it just turn out that the Packers were definitely targeting ZBS linemen (which would make sense).
wow, Alsadek is both lightening fast to wham the DL for the double and get off to the next level... and the extension he displays in getting to the LB in the first clip is crazy.
MITM
May 08, 2018 at 03:07 pm
I see a teency bit of Desmond Bishop in whatever film of Parris Bennett i've been able to get a hold of. Bennett and Zaire Franklin (Colts) the 2 LBs from Cuse constantly show up on tape, and I personally think Bennett is the better player even though Franklin got drafted.
Since'61
May 08, 2018 at 03:38 pm
Alsadek is the only member of this UDFA class who has the size and strength to play in the NFL. The rest were underwhelming to me. Eastern Baptist v. Bellhaven looks like HS football.
The TE Rader may have a shot by default since there is no one else, providing he can block. I think the QB (Boyle) could have a shot at the PS if he has a good camp.
After that I see camp fodder. Thanks, Since '61
flackcatcher
May 08, 2018 at 05:15 pm
Camp fodder '61, not this year. There is not one UDFA in this group who is a just a guy. In one way or another this group is either speed or strength guys, or both. The kind of players who slip based strictly on the tape. With a new GM and New DC a lot of 2-3 year players will be fighting for their football jobs on an even playing field with this group of UDFA. On the offensive side, the Packers are reverting to big rangy OL and big WR like they had from 2007-2012. There is going to be a lot of change on the bottom third of this roster. It should not surprise anyone if the turnover reaches to the upper half of the roster either.
Since'61
May 08, 2018 at 07:49 pm
Flak - You could be correct, it's all speculation at this point. I'm basing my post on the author's comments that many of these UDFAs are undersized for their positions plus the fact that many come from little or even unranked programs. I can see 3 maybe 5 of these guys either making the final 53 and/or the PS.
The more competition in camp the better. I will have no problem with turning over the bottom of our current roster. I'm just not as sure as you are that more than 3-5 of these guys will still be there by the end of TC. Thanks, Since '61
flackcatcher
May 09, 2018 at 02:01 pm
I actually agree you on the overall numbers at the end of TC '61. My point is we are seeing something pretty rare in pro sports, a wide open training camp. Outside of core players and high draft choices, no one's job is safe this year. As you say, it's all speculation at this point. ( I understand were the author is coming from on the size issue. College teams often list their players a inch or two and 20 pounds heavier than they are when playing ball. But a player can't fake quickness or strength on the field. The video does not lie.)
dobber
May 08, 2018 at 07:54 pm
There are aspects of Alsadek's game that remind me of Lane Taylor...if he were 6'7". I think he's got a shot...but is likely a PS player.
worztik
May 08, 2018 at 05:46 pm
I think that TT has the team stocked with so many below average players/athletes that we could keep ALL the draft picks and ALL the UDFAs and get rid of their counterparts and we wouldn’t miss a beat!!! I am Soooooo pumped to see the team when BG gets finished that I CAN’T WAIT!!! Just me but, I’m all in for lots of change and new faces... let’s be the BULLIES of the North Central Region!!!!!!!!! Or just our division would be great, too!!! Teams are going to fear the Green and Gold... mark it down!!!!
dobber
May 08, 2018 at 07:55 pm
I think BG will be ready to restock the roster with his long-shots and projects and will be willing to cut most of TTs long-shots and projects loose.
Samson
May 08, 2018 at 08:42 pm
Good idea but almost impossible to really know if an UDFA "has it" after one TC.
To change a non-player for another non-player makes little sense.
Here's hoping Gute really has that ability that TT lacked.
dobber
May 08, 2018 at 09:33 pm
Is there really any way to defend one non-player over any other non-player? Just saying I'd rather have a guy who has a chance to turn into something than someone who has already demonstrated he won't.
For that matter, arguing over non-players seems futile.
Samson
May 08, 2018 at 08:34 pm
Great analysis .... however ....
I'm hoping none make the final 53. (maybe PS for a few)
Chuck Farley
May 08, 2018 at 08:38 pm
Normally Mr negative, I like some of these guys a lot. I see speed in some of them and agree with other posters, we got guys some of these could replace. Hope they get a fair chance is all.
Mike plays favorites and tends to play guys he is familiar with and fails to give guys time to show there stuff.
My fave, the qb. Nice footwork, rifle arm with accuracy and size.
Could made hundley and Kiser look bad.
Samson
May 08, 2018 at 08:41 pm
MM may very well be history after season 2018. -- A clean sweep in GB after season 2017 would have been nice. --- 50-50 may work.
croatpackfan
May 09, 2018 at 06:11 am
Andrew, great article. Thank you...
I feel this TC will be much more competitive than it was several past seasons... I do think that very few players are safe bet for 53.
I expect some surprising outcome at right side of the OL, at LB (ILB/OLB), TE, WR and DB...
At the moment it looks like there is a lot of fine young players to fight for not so many roster spots...
It is nice to dream. Hard reality will punch us back at the time of TC and many of our favorite players may be cut down because there will be better options, or some players we were certain that will be Packers may found themselves out of the door...
I can not wait till TC...