Packers Met w/ Versatile Georgia OL Jamaree Salyer
In need of bolstering their offensive line depth, the Green Bay Packers have met virtually with the versatile Georgia OL Jamaree Salyer.
By Paul_Bretl
It's that time of the year--as NFL teams do their pre-draft due diligence, we will be hearing reports of meetings that the Green Bay Packers have had or will have with prospects.
Each team is allowed 30 official pre-draft visits, where they meet with the player in person, and teams can also meet with players virtually as well.
Of course, this can provide us with some insight into who the Packers may be interested in, and one name to keep your eyes on is Georgia offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer, who met with Green Bay virtually and is drawing "a ton of interest," according to Justin Melo of The Draft Network.
Once fully healthy, the Green Bay Packers should have a stout starting five along the offensive line, especially with David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, and Josh Meyers all back in the mix. However, the depth of the unit has taken a hit. Lucas Patrick is now in Chicago, Billy Turner is in Denver, and Dennis Kelly is a free agent.
The offensive line is one of those positions that teams should always be looking to add to, and since taking over as GM, Brian Gutekunst has selected at least one offensive lineman in each draft, including six in the last two drafts alone.
So armed with 11 draft picks, a history of drafting several offensive linemen, and with the depth not as strong as it has been in recent years -- and last year we saw how important that can be -- in all likelihood, the Packers will leave the draft with a new offensive lineman, the real question is, how many?
Standing 6'4" and weighing 325 pounds, Salyer has four years of playing experience at Georgia; however, he totaled only 1,254 snaps, with the 595 he logged in 2020 being the most in a single season.
Over his career, he wouldn't give up a single sack and allowed just 11 pressures. In his most recent 2021 season, Salyer allowed only one pressure in 172 pass-blocking snaps and was PFF's 17th highest graded pass-blocking offensive tackle.
While Salyer spent a majority of his snaps at left tackle (935), he has playing experience at all five offensive line positions, including 74 at left guard, 39 at center, 108 at right guard, and 91 at right tackle. At the NFL level, The Draft Network projects him as an interior player, but we all know how important it is for Packers' offensive lineman to have that versatility.
Now for a closer look at Salyer, this is what Drae Harris of The Draft Network had to say about him in his pre-draft report:
"In the run game, he is a physical presence who comes off the ball hard and is heavy at the point of attack. He generates vertical movement in the run game and plays with the nastiness and finish you like to see from linemen. He is very good on combo blocks and can engage at the second level surprisingly well for a young man with his size, mass, and girth. In the passing game, he shows good initial quickness out of his stance and into his set. He plays with good awareness and instincts, which help him identify stunts and games. He can handle the cross face and displays the agility to redirect laterally."
For a different perspective, this is what NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote about Salyer:
"The broad chest, bulbous thighs and long arms sound like a nice starting point for a move inside, but Salyer is high-cut and lacking functional bend, which makes his projection more difficult. No matter the position, range and leverage are going to be a concern in the running game. The athletic limitations could lead to erratic results depending upon the matchup, but he is qualified and capable of doing battle against power-based defenders. His pass sets can be clunky and disjointed, but he is fairly confident in pass protection and his best position could be right tackle. He offers roster flexibility but he has the ceiling of a below-average starter or quality backup."
Salyer is the 82nd ranked player on The Draft Network's big board, while over at the Mock Draft Database, which compiles dozens of big boards and hundreds of mock drafts from draft analysts, he is projected as a third-round pick.
Recent selections Jon Runyan and Royce Newman are former college tackles who have found success with the Packers at guard, and Cole Van Lanen is another draft pick who fits this mold as well. As Zierlein mentions, Salyer offers "roster flexibility," which we all know Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur covet--especially along the offensive line, where again, both guard and tackle depth could use a boost.
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__________________________
Born and raised in Green Bay, WI and I still call it home. After my family, watching the Packers, sharing my opinions on the team through my writing and interacting with other fans is my greatest passion. You can find me on Twitter at @Paul_Bretl.
Comments (27)
Leatherhead
April 01, 2022 at 10:27 am
So this guy gave up ONE pressure...no sacks...in 170+ pass plays.....and he ranks 17th??? What kind of a ranking system is that?
Totally agree we need to focus on getting more blockers in that line. I had to laugh at your opening statement about what the line would look like when it was all healthy and together........as if that's going to happen. We'll probably end up starting our #9 OL in the playoffs, as well as another backup or two. So the only recourse is to make sure your #9 guy is up to it.
greengold
April 01, 2022 at 12:12 pm
Respectfully, you simply cannot throw comments like this out there without knowing the full draft class.
This is what I’ve been talking about incessantly since jumping into my research OT DEPTH in 2022 Draft. It’s THAT DEEP, man! Which is a good thing.
Here’s just some of my notes at OT and they’re not even complete:
****
OT Jean DeLance - Florida
6-4 296 10 1/8” hands AND 36 1/2” arms!!!
Good punch destroyed Alabama’s Will Anderson
Versatile. G/OT. Swing.
SUPERIOR LENGTH
DAY THREE STEAL
—
****
OT Zach Tom - Wake Forest
6-4 304 4.94 33” vert 4.47 shuttle
10 3/8” hands 33 1/4” arms
Light feet. Destroyed FSU Jermaine Johnson + clean record in ACC
VERSATILE also plays C double digit starts C/OT and has OG experience
DAY 3 STEAL
—
OT Cordell Voson - NDSU
6-6 1/8” 315 hands 10 1/2” arms 33 7/8”
Wide strong base. Good stopping power point of attack both run/pass. Heavy stiff jolt punch with length to keep defenders away. Good down blocker.
15 pressures w 0 sacks on 974 pass blocking snaps
sleeper
_______
That’s the bottom of my OT notes… and, I’m really late to the game in my research, but have notes like this on players at every position. The point is, we have this guy from Georgia, but he’s bigger, had as good or better a resume, destroyed the Combine his draft year, and the ACC for 4 years starting, with years of development in our Packers system: Yosh Nijman.
FFS… I might as well start calling Yosh: “Rodney Dangerfield!”
We have starters at OT plus options. That luxury does not exist at WR. Period.
That’s precisely why I want ZERO TRADES this draft. Use the deep treasure chest of picks all the way through, taking your best players after landing the pass catchers- THE BEST of the WR class.
People may point to EDGE… It’s just as deep as OT. Add to that, the meat of the DT and LB classes resides in Day 3 in terms of value this draft, as best as I can see. Great CBs also plentiful. After digging more at S, there are some more gems there than I originally thought - a handful Day 3.
We have 11 great shots to land everything we need.
Leatherhead
April 01, 2022 at 01:40 pm
Since my religious beliefs require that I accept that I cannot know the fullness, or entirety, of anything, you have me in a bad spot. I'll circle back to that.
I like the OT Day 3 steals, but my PRIORITY on offense is to ensure good blocking and protection, from the first game through to the end. So I'm disinclined to rely on Day 3 steals to accomplish this, but would rather get them as a bonus. I think we should put some serious beef into the stew, trade down from #28 and get two prime chunks in the Top 100, PLUS a Day 3 Steal. Add that to what we have.
And since we lost Adams and MVS, and since we have picks #22 and #53 BECAUSE we traded away Adams, it seems just fair and balanced that we go ahead and use those picks to upgrade the WR spot. We still have all our own.
greengold
April 01, 2022 at 04:02 pm
Appreciate the grace offered there. I don’t know S, but have a willingness to look at the math to guess some odds, and who we might expect there.
Just a cautionary reminder: Jordy was the 3rd WR taken in 2008 with pick #36. There were no WRs taken R1 that year.
This year, an expected 7 WRs are projected to be taken in R1. Likely another 6 taken in R2.
jannesbjornson
April 01, 2022 at 05:50 pm
Good eyes on Tom, he's not a sleeper.
jannesbjornson
April 01, 2022 at 06:18 pm
He went up against Davis, Walker and Wyatt everyday at practice, second round grade, but I would focus on Tackles.
LLCHESTY
April 01, 2022 at 10:48 am
Doesn't seem like a Packer type at all. He didn't do any test besides bench at the combine or Georgia's pro day so he's either hurt or knew the results were going to be ugly. Seems like more of a power offense lineman than an outside zone one.
dobber
April 01, 2022 at 11:08 am
One of the first comments in the scouting reports says: has played all 5 OL positions.
...so there you go.
31 reps on the bench, so upper body isn't an issue.
Leatherhead
April 01, 2022 at 11:17 am
dobber, do you think it's possible that the Packer scouting department has every snap this guy played on tape, catalogued? And that this has been viewed and analyzed repeatedly by scouts and coaches? And that maybe they have an idea of whether or not he's somebody they might be interested in?
The same school of thinking applies to our WR situation. These guys have been scrutinized by knowledgable people already. I'm not going to sit here and say "X is better than Y" based on a little bit of what I've gleaned from the internet.
This is a big, strong, versatile lineman who played in the best conference in college football. He's the Packers type.
Swisch
April 01, 2022 at 11:40 am
Leatherhead, that's what we do here as fans at CHTV, make our best calls about what we think the Packers should do in this or that decision.
That's the fun of it all, plus I think that we the fans have a lot of good things to say for the benefit of the Packers.
It's not as if the football experts get it right all the time, either. Sometimes they can't see the forest for the trees. They get lost in the details and miss the point.
***
I'm all for listening to the experts -- although it can be a challenge to discern which experts to listen to. Experts tend to disagree. That's why we get second opinions for doctors, even third and fourth opinions.
What I won't tolerate from the experts is arrogance. After all, the smartest people can make the biggest mistakes and cause the greatest damage and inflict the most suffering.
Knowledge can be used for good or evil, and it makes me so angry to see egotists trying to run our lives and going on to ruin our lives.
It takes humility plus knowledge for wisdom, which is what truly benefits people.
Whether it's football or anything else in life, beware the elitist experts who scorn the common people and tell us to just shut up and follow along. They're the kind who lead us into misery.
What we the people have is common sense and common goodness, and may we hold these common gifts close to our hearts as the basics for a happy life and a healthy society -- and not be afraid to speak out.
Leatherhead
April 01, 2022 at 12:12 pm
I get your point, Swisch. I think the second opinion bit falls a little short, because when I want a second opinion on a medical issue, I listen to another medical professional, not some guy down the street who had a cousin who had a similar problem.
I just think it's kind of nutty that any of us think we know better than the pros who spend their lives analyzing tape and dissecting what they see.
I don't need to be warned about trusting elitist experts. I'm ready, willing, and able to start shooting these people and I hope I get the chance, frankly.
Swisch
April 01, 2022 at 01:32 pm
I was concerned that my comment might not come across the way I wanted it to.
I realize the good people here at CHTV may already get what I was trying to say; but then again, we're being bombarded these days with manipulations and intimidations to go against our better judgement and to not speak out.
Even in sports, we're being told we're haters if we disagree with allowing men (who claim to identify as a woman) to compete with women (and to use the same locker rooms).
Every day there's new ideology and terminology that is almost impossible to keep up with; and we're told we have to accept it because we don't know any better.
Often these are insanities that will inevitably lead to tragedies.
***
As far as football and the Green Bay Packers particularly, I really enjoy getting the opinions of fans here about various matters -- with the perspective that we're not experts, but with the experience over the years of finding in our comments much good sense.
On the other hand, it was our expert quarterback who missed the wide-open receiver in a key play late in the playoff game against the 49ers; and this expert quarterback and his coaches have apparently never really answered for this massive oversight; plus, as far as I can tell, the football experts in the media have never highlighted this epic fail and investigated it, if they've even mentioned it at all (although it has been featured by Jersey Al here at CHTV).
Also, it's the experts who exalt first-round picks and miss on undrafted free agents; who trade away or waive players who excel on other teams; who sign declining veterans to astronomical contracts that burden the team for years to come.
We have to watch out for the experts, even as non-experts. Sometimes something is so obvious that it's missed by the most educated.
What expert, for example, juggled the offensive line for the Packers in the playoff game against the 49ers, when it seemed to so many of us fans that these blockers we're getting better and better as a unit during the regular season to the point of being a major factor in our offense being one of the tops in the NFL. (Only 10 points against the 49ers, though.)
Also, who was the expert who decided to play the starters against the Lions in the final regular season game that was meaningless. After all, there was all of that drama about our aforementioned quarterback limping around on an injured pinky toe so delicate that the slightest aggravation could mean him missing a game. (Plus, weren't both Bakh and MVS injured in that game and thus unavailable against the 49ers in the playoffs?)
Ah, the experts: You can't live without 'em, and you can't live with 'em.
One doctor tells you that an operation is urgent; another that the same operation is unnecessary and actually dangerous. They're both M.D.s with the appropriate diplomas and certifications and perhaps even honors.
Even in the less important realm of football, the experts are frail and fallible human beings prone to bouts of incompetence and temptations to corruption.
I'm not saying the fans should run the Packers; what I'm saying is that the fans have a perspective that is important to consider. We're not as knowledgeable and not as close to the situation, granted, but it seems essential to get outside views from avid onlookers of common sense and common goodness.
We the people are indeed a necessary element for a football team, or a society, to maintain its balance and to keep its sanity (or so it seems to me).
P.S. Please excuse the length of this post, which has seemed appropriate for ample explanation and minimal misunderstanding.
Leatherhead
April 01, 2022 at 01:48 pm
Long, but you're excused, you had a lot to say.
LLCHESTY
April 02, 2022 at 02:28 am
He could play every position on the OL AND TE, if he can't make his reach blocks on outside zone runs he's no good to the Packers. I've seen nothing to indicate he's hurt so not hard to guess he didn't test for a reason. No way this guy goes on day 2 unless it's to Baltimore or another power team and there's not a lot of them left.
greengold
April 01, 2022 at 12:36 pm
Look at my above notes. Zach Tom plays all 5 OL positions, with insane physical gifts…
jannesbjornson
April 02, 2022 at 11:46 am
Maybe LaFleur plays more power sets and his inside zone works for this type of guy. They like taller people at the OT spots, but he has long arms. I would pass.
BirdDogUni
April 01, 2022 at 10:54 am
If Gutey takes him in the 3rd round, he'll be a total bust.
If Gutey waits, and takes him in the 4th round, he'll be the greatest pick since Bakh...
Just saying.
stockholder
April 01, 2022 at 11:26 am
No Thanks- Looks like another OL waste to me. What we've seen, is versatility along our OL. This guys a Beached whale.
MarkinMadison
April 01, 2022 at 11:50 am
Why so few snaps? Injury history? Buried on the depth chart? Couldn't find his spot?
ricky
April 01, 2022 at 12:13 pm
Let the games begin. There will be a lot of rumors floating out there, as teams say they're interested in some guy, but are simply putting up a smoke screen to hide their true intentions. It happens every year.
BirdDogUni
April 01, 2022 at 02:03 pm
Sorry, I can't pass on Jordan Davis when he falls to 22. Just can't do it.
22: R1 P22 DL Jordan Davis - Georgia
28: R1 P28 WR Treylon Burks - Arkansas
53: R2 P21 EDGE Logan Hall - Houston
59: R2 P27 LB Leo Chenal - Wisconsin
92: R3 P28 TE Greg Dulcich - UCLA
132: R4 P27 EDGE Alex Wright - UAB
140: R4 P35 WR Romeo Doubs - Nevada
171: R5 P28 WR Danny Gray - SMU
228: R7 P7 S Sterling Weatherford - Miami (OH)
249: R7 P28 TE Austin Allen - Nebraska
258: R7 P37 OT Myron Cunningham - Arkansas
PatrickGB
April 01, 2022 at 02:15 pm
I agree that drafting a lineman is a good idea. It’s his position in the draft that is a concern. Drafting is always a risk. And the higher the position in the draft order the greater the gamble. I see a greater need at other positions. That’s why I shy away from wanting an offensive lineman too early in the draft. Good guys can be had later. Back when MM was coach linemen seemed to hold their block forever. They don’t need to do that anymore.
BirdDogUni
April 01, 2022 at 02:46 pm
Offensive line is not a worry for at least 4 years. Penning, Lucas, Tom, and Van Demark provide all the protection Rodgers and Love will ever need.
22. Trevor Penning OT Northern Iowa 6' 7" 325 LBS RAS: 9.96
28. Drake London WR USC 6' 5" 219 LBS RAS: Not Available Drake London, a great, big, tall, possession WR.
53. Sam Williams EDGE Mississippi 6' 4" 265 LBS RAS: 9.66 Will be great depth and provide additional Pass Rush.
59. Alec Pierce WR Cincinnati 6' 3" 211 LBS RAS: 9.8 I see great body control and plenty of speed. Great #2 WR for Packers Offense.
92. Abraham Lucas OT Washington State 6' 6" 315 LBS RAS: 9.72
132. Jelani Woods TE Virginia 6' 7" 253 LBS RAS: 10 HUGE... If MaLF can utilize his size in the Red Zone, scoring shouldn't be a problem.
140. Tyquan Thornton WR Baylor 6' 2" 181 LBS RAS: 9.77 Good height, needs to fill out a bit, but has the speed to blow the top off any defense.
171. Zach Tom OT Wake Forest 6' 4" 304 LBS RAS: 9.71
228. Velus Jones Jr. WR Tennessee 5' 11" 204 LBS RAS: 9.05 Speed, returner abilities, (Irvin role in offense, but with blazing speed.)
249. Ryan Van Demark OT Connecticut 6' 5" 304 LBS RAS: 9.49
258. Noah Elliss DT Idaho 6' 4" 346 LBS RAS: Not Available Big Man for the middle of the defense.
BirdDogUni
April 01, 2022 at 04:32 pm
22: R1 P22 EDGE Jermaine Johnson - Florida State
28: R1 P28 WR Christian Watson - NDSU
53: R2 P21 WR Alec Pierce - Cincinnati
59: R2 P27 DL Travis Jones - UConn
92: R3 P28 LB Troy Andersen - Montana State
132: R4 P27 OT Zach Tom - Wake Forest
140: R4 P35 OT Matt Waletzko - UND
171: R5 P28 WR Tyquan Thornton - Baylor
228: R7 P7 TE Austin Allen - Nebraska
249: R7 P28 S JT Woods - Baylor
258: R7 P37 WR Danny Gray - SMU
BirdDogUni
April 01, 2022 at 05:03 pm
22: R1 P22 DL Jordan Davis - Georgia
28: R1 P28 WR Treylon Burks - Arkansas
53: R2 P21 TE Trey McBride - Colorado State
59: R2 P27 LB Leo Chenal - Wisconsin
92: R3 P28 EDGE Sam Williams - Ole Miss
132: R4 P27 WR Danny Gray - SMU
140: R4 P35 WR Tyquan Thornton - Baylor
171: R5 P28 OT Rasheed Walker - Penn State
228: R7 P7 TE Trae Berry - Boston College
249: R7 P28 TE Austin Allen - Nebraska
258: R7 P37 S Sterling Weatherford - Miami-Ohio
greengold
April 01, 2022 at 08:42 pm
At least he doesn’t have this going on along with a 7.70 three cone:
Weaknesses
——————-
* Not an ideal build for an offensive lineman, thin in the arms
* Many difficulties arise form pass blocking on an island
* Beaten around the edge without slowing the rusher down and can lose face up against stiff contact due to not having the ability to stop backwards momentum
* Move to guard is likely in his future
* Deep drop steps aren't natural and stiff contact jolts him mid-stride
* Loses on counter moves, thrown to the side when top heavy or leaning too far over, specifically when run blocking
* Whiffs on cut blocks
From #69’s draft profile… 2013. Selected R4 #109 David Bakhtiari
PackEyedOptimist
April 05, 2022 at 04:09 pm
:-D