Green Bay Packers: Staying offensive with WR DeAngelo Yancey pick

DeAngelo Yancey: Though you may have never heard of the wide receiver from Purdue University, the Green Bay Packers have.

That’s why Packers GM Ted Thompson made Yancey the team’s 31st pick of the fifth round and the 175th of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Because you don’t know much about Yancey, we’ll take a stab here at why Thompson used his first fifth round pick to bring him to Packers News.

Thompson traded down two spots from the 29th pick of the fifth round with the Denver Broncos – not a huge trade – but one where Thompson still got the guy he targeted.

At 6-2, 201 pounds, Yancey isn’t the tall, well-built wide receiver teams like to see and NFL.com says that he has been running a bit under the radar because of the lack of attention Purdue football has had over the past few years.

That said, the positives for Yancey are that if he gets space to get moving in his routes he can use his length to an advantage.

The main disadvantage in his game is that he has slow feet off the line of scrimmage and has had trouble in the past breaking free of man-to-man coverage.

Statistically, Yancey’s numbers are respectable considering he played on a team that just has not been very good.

“As a true freshman, he started five games, catching 32 passes for 546 yards and two touchdowns,” NFL.com says on its website. “He was a part-time starter again in 2014 (seven starts, 12-147, three TDs) before hitting his stride as a junior. Yancey led the Boilermakers with 700 yards on 48 receptions, scoring five times in the process. For the second year in the row, he paced the squad with 951 yards on 49 catches and 10 touchdowns, earning third-team All-Big Ten accolades in the process.”

Those numbers were probably enough to make the Packers’ draft board, and for a sixth-rounder were probably enough for Green Bay to take a chance. Given that Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback of record in Green Bay, Yancey might have a chance to succeed – that is if he makes the team’s roster. That’s the challenge that he most likely will have in front of him.

Making the Packers team will mean he will have to shine on special teams and sparkle in preseason – a long shot is probably his best moniker at this point, but his talents on the field were enough to turn Ted Thompson’s head – at least for today. Where and how he fits into the Packers’ future plans will be dependent solely on how he produces in the coming months.

Here are his strengths, according to NFL.com: “Good size with sturdy frame. Averaged 19.4 yards per touch his senior season. Has build up speed and can climb over top if his runway is long enough. Active hands on vertical routes to create late separation. Can extend frame to pluck the high throw. Can track throws over his shoulder and watch them all the way in. Works away from cornerbacks on comebacks and hitch throws to create a cleaner window for quarterback. Will get in the way and run interference as a blocker.”

In contrast, here are the weaknesses NFL.com sees in Yancey: “Short stepper missing quick feet to shake press coverage off the snap. Upright and slow into his routes. Stiff into his breaks with prolonged gear down. Lacks burst out of breaks and double moves aren’t quick enough to create the easy throwing window. Quality man coverage can smother him. Failed to catch at least 50 percent of targeted throws in any season at Purdue. Vertical sell to setup short and intermediate is unconvincing. Drops have been an issue throughout his career.”