Green Bay Packers 2016 Draft: Interview with Washington wide receiver Jaydon Mickens
Q: What is your biggest strength and your biggest weakness?
A: My biggest strength? My quickness, my speed, my football IQ and what I can do with the ball especially in the open field, but also one-on-one against a defender and also my heart and my integrity off the field.
My biggest weakness is wanting the ball too much. But other than that, there are a lot of other things I want to get better at. The sharpness in and out of my routes and at the catch point. I want to get better at plucking the ball out of the sky and I, of course, want to be one of the best kick returners and punt returners in the National Football League this year and in years ahead.
Q: I remember one game where you dropped a couple of passes. In the postgame, you pointed out that those drops weren’t due to you having bad hands, but rather it was just a case of you running with the ball before you were able to tuck it away. Can you explain?
A: Exactly right. That’s the case with a lot of pass catchers in the National Football League. You know, Demaryius Thomas, I‘ve seen him drop a lot of passes last year because he was trying to make a play. He understands where the yard marker is and that this play is going to be a touchdown, but you have to be disciplined enough to really look the ball in and then catch that ball, tuck it in; tuck it and run. Working on that with the excitement of, “Oh, I’m about to get this thing,” that’s really what we call focus drops. It’s not the case of not being able to catch the ball. I’ve made 203 catches at a 70-percent rate.
Q: You’ve mentioned leadership skills. Can you give me an example of something you did that exemplifies this part of your character?
A: When we were down 31 points against Stanford going into the third quarter. I was out there and everybody was down. A lot of people are fighting, but I’m up there like we’re up by 30. My attitude was we weren’t going to give up no matter if we were winning or losing. The people around me see that. You know, because once you give it all you got, but then give it away, that means you’re losing your heart. So heart is something I take pride in and it’s something I exemplified in that game and throughout my career.
Q: Are there any players you enjoy watching on the Packers?
A: For sure. I love watching Jordy Nelson. I love watching Randall Cobb because he’s a smaller guy and the way he runs the curl. I enjoy watching Aaron Rodgers and the way he takes things so seriously. The way he really takes command of the field and gets so much out of the cast around him and how much he’s respected. Now that’s a player I really admire. I also used to enjoy watching Jonathan Franklin in a Packers uniform. You know, that’s a Dorsey alum right there from East LA. When I saw him go down, I was shocked and hurt.
Q: Are you close with Jonathan Franklin?
A: On yeah, I did know him on a personal level, but I haven’t talked to him in a while. I’m sure we’ll reconnect.
Q: You mentioned Randall Cobb and how you both share similar traits. Is he someone you try to pick up things from or is there someone else you like to study?
A: Somebody I studied a lot when I was younger was Reggie Bush and that’s why I feel like I have a very high level of open-field running and the ability to make big plays. But also Tavon Austin, he’s someone I really pattern my game after whether he’s getting an end-around or whether he’s returning a punt or kick or being used a receiver. He has explosiveness. Also, Antonio Brown’s route running and the way he plays at a high and confident level. Those three guys are the ones I really look at.
Q: You played ball in Seattle, a beautiful city. How would you feel about playing your home games in places where it gets frigid like Chicago or Green Bay?
A: It wouldn’t be an adjustment at all. I played in many games where it was tsunami-like with rain storms. I’m talking about crazy ice on the field in late November. In Seattle it gets cold and rains a lot. In the summer, it has the best view of any city I’ve ever seen in my life. But during football season in the fall… it’s not a problem playing in cold weather because I’ve already played in it at a high level.
Q: What do you like to do off the field?
A: I just like to chill with my family and being around positive vibes at all times. They understand what I do and how hard I work. I really don’t have time to go jet skiing or mountain biking or things like that. Right now, I just chill with my family and have a great time with them whether it’s going to a pool, to an amusement park, going to a lake or just relaxing at somebody’s house and catching up. It’s just the little things that count.
Q: What movie have you seen recently that you truly enjoyed?
A: Deadpool is a good movie and I can’t wait until Deadpool 2 comes out.
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Ralph: Thanks for giving me a few minutes. I wish you all the best next week.
Jaydon: I appreciate it. God bless you.