Possible Packers: UW-Whitewater OL Quinn Meinerz
By Parker Moes
The Green Bay Packers will enter the 2021 NFL draft with 10 total picks. They have their normal picks in the full seven rounds along with three more selections in the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds.
This begs the question of who will the Packers end up choosing in each?
Well, one prospect that can’t be overlooked is UW-Whitewater offensive lineman Quinn Meinerz. Let’s take a closer look at his collegiate career and what makes him one of the more solid prospects in this year’s draft, even at the D-3 level.
Meinerz’s positives
Meinerz possesses heavy hands as an offensive lineman and gets off the ball at the snap fairly quickly. He also has very strong hips with sharp movement on block attempts, both running and passing.
He tends to control himself very well mid-block, often gaining an athletic advantage right away. During his Senior Bowl invite, he posted a 58 percent pass-block win rate; which was second among all interior lineman. Keep in mind, he was doing that against D-I level, draft-ready competition.
Meinerz’s negatives
There really aren’t many negatives to critique about when it comes to him. His level of competition would be of concern but along with that comes the realization that most of his competition faced were going to be D-I level athletes but just missed out due to academics and/or being an inch or two too short height wise when it came to recruitment. Meinerz sometimes is slow to get off of blocks, but it’s on very rare occasions that it happens.
Meinerz’s overall analysis:
Overall, I see Meinerz as a day two prospect. He has tremendous upside and could become a legitimate NFL starter if fitted with the right team and scheme. He shows immediate power with his blocks along with quick, sharp hands to get on and off blocks quickly.
His hip speed and movement is also a very important aspect to his success as an offensive lineman. With the right coach and team, he could definitely be in for a great career at the next level. With the departure of center Corey Linsley, the Packers should definitely have him on their radar on day two of the draft.