NFL Draft: Q&A with Draft Guru Tony Pauline

Rashad Thornton Sr., of New Orleans, jumps into the air at the Under Armour scouting combine. Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

Here at Lombardi Ave we try to bring you the latest updates and analysis on the upcoming NFL Draft, specifically what affects the Green Bay Packers. However, sometimes it’s good to hear from a true draft expert. A guy that scouts NFL prospects for a living.

I’m talking about NFL draft scout Tony Pauline. You may know Pauline from his tremendous work over at draftinsider.net. You may also know Pauline from the draft specials he does in the offseason for packers.com and philadelphiaeagles.com.

Pauline knows his stuff, and he’s a guy many members of the media consult when they need an expert’s opinion on players in the NFL Draft. Pauline has been scouting players since the mid-90s when he first started feeding New York area reporters information on potential NFL prospects, and he’s been doing it ever since.

As a former decathlete, Pauline knows how to identify great athletes and is one of the best in the business in analyzing players coming out of college. Player analysis is a year-round process for Pauline and his vast knowledge about each draft prospect reflects this.

I recently had the privilege to speak with Pauline over the phone about the draft. In this extensive interview, I asked Pauline everything from who he believes the Green Bay Packers could select in the first round to his take on some of the top draft prospects at each major position of need on the Packers roster.

Some of the things Pauline says about these players may surprise you, but in the very least, Pauline sheds a little more light on the potential draft picture for the Packers come May.