Today’s Green Bay Packers surprise draft pick: Deone Bucannon
Auburn Tigers running back Tre Mason (21) is tackled by Washington State Cougars safety Deone Bucannon (20) at Jordan Hare Stadium. Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
Most folks feel that if Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson doesn’t take a defensive player – a lineman, inside linebacker or safety with the team’s first round selection in this year’s draft, that he will be deemed certifiably crazy.
The Packers defense was atrocious this year, most notably at the safety position. That’s why many feel that Alabama Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is the best – and the safest – of the picks for the Green Bay Packers.
But Clinton-Dix will probably be off the board when the Packers 21st selection comes around, so others, such as Mel Kiper, feel that the Packers will turn to Louisville’s Calvin Pryor as their pick. Since declaring for the draft, Pryor has been moving up draft boards across the league and no doubt the Packers probably have high interest.
However, tonight when conducting my first round draft utilizing the computer-generated draft board over at fanspeak.com, there was one safety that popped onto my draft board – Washington State safety Deone Bucannon.
Though he hasn’t hit the field yet at the Senior Bowl, he at least wowed those attending the weigh-ins. While that’s a far cry from deserving a first round selection, Bucannon is an intriguing specimen who is known for his hard hits.
The 6-1. 215-pound senior picked off six passes this season and was a tackling machine. Four times this past season he registered double-digit tackles, with the high being 14 total and 12 solo. His “teeth rattling” hits on the field contrast with his soft-spoken nature off the field. In a story published in the Spokane Spokesman Review, here is what his defensive coordinator Mike Breske had to say:
"“Statistically what’s he done, he’s had a tremendous year, and (is) one of our leaders on defense and has to be,” defensive coordinator Mike Breske said. “A lot of his leadership is through his play, especially for the young guys to see. And we ask more of him, more of him, more of him.”"
So as a leader on the field for his college team, this is a player who could mature into the type of player … the darkhorse … who could mature into a superior player in the NFL. That’s why I’ve taken the leap tonight and selected him with this mock draft.
Whether Ted Thompson agrees with me come May, is to be determined. But for tonight, he is the guy.
Here is the full draft generated over at fanspeak.com, followed by some film of Bucannon:
1
QB BLAKE BORTLES
HOUSTON TEXANS
2
OT JAKE MATTHEWS
ST. LOUIS RAMS
3
DE JADEVEON CLOWNEY
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
4
WR SAMMY WATKINS
CLEVELAND BROWNS
5
QB TEDDY BRIDGEWATER
OAKLAND RAIDERS
6
OLB ANTHONY BARR
ATLANTA FALCONS
7
DE TRENT MURPHY
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
8
QB JOHNNY MANZIEL
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
9
OT GREG ROBINSON
BUFFALO BILLS
10
WR MIKE EVANS
DETROIT LIONS
11
OLB KHALIL MACK
TENNESSEE TITANS
12
CB DARQUEZE DENNARD
NEW YORK GIANTS
13
OLB KYLE VAN NOY
ST. LOUIS RAMS
14
DT RA’SHEDE HAGEMAN
CHICAGO BEARS
15
OT CYRUS KOUANDJIO
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
16
DT LOUIS NIX III
DALLAS COWBOYS
17
WR KELVIN BENJAMIN
BALTIMORE RAVENS
18
WR MARQISE LEE
NEW YORK JETS
19
OT TAYLOR LEWAN
MIAMI DOLPHINS
20
OLB RYAN SHAZIER
ARIZONA CARDINALS
21
S DEONE BUCANNON
GREEN BAY PACKERS
22
ILB C.J. MOSLEY
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
23
TE ERIC EBRON
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
24
ILB SHAYNE SKOV
CINCINNATI BENGALS
25
DE KONY EALY
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
26
QB DEREK CARR
CLEVELAND BROWNS
27
CB JASON VERRETT
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
28
WR JORDAN MATTHEWS
CAROLINA PANTHERS
29
DT TIMMY JERNIGAN
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
30
WR ALLEN ROBINSON
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
31
CB BRADLEY ROBY
DENVER BRONCOS
32
G DAVID YANKEY
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS