Round 6 (192) - Jon Runyan, OT/OG Michigan

[TheSkeptic]

RG of the future. Definite improvement over Turner by midseason. I do not see him playing RT though.

[go pak go]

Gutey said he's starting outside at OT and may experiment with him inside. MLF said sliding him inside suits his skillset. So... versatility!

I’d love to see Runyon trying outside!

Okay I am confused.

So the guy played really well at LT at Michigan. The guy has the same same arm length as Bryan Bulaga at 33.25 inches. Short for sure, but certainly not an indictment short. The guy in every category destroyed Bryan Bulaga at the combine for the exception of 2 less reps.

Why are not we not possibly looking at the potential future right tackle of the Green Bay Packers?

[TheSkeptic]

Gutey said he's starting outside at OT and may experiment with him inside. MLF said sliding him inside suits his skillset. So... versatility!

I’d love to see Runyon trying outside!

Okay I am confused.

So the guy played really well at LT at Michigan. The guy has the same same arm length as Bryan Bulaga at 33.25 inches. Short for sure, but certainly not an indictment short. The guy in every category destroyed Bryan Bulaga at the combine for the exception of 2 less reps.

Why are not we not possibly looking at the potential future right tackle of the Green Bay Packers?

Because RG is a bigger need. Because Alex Light is probably better than we think

[go pak go]

I’d love to see Runyon trying outside!

Okay I am confused.

So the guy played really well at LT at Michigan. The guy has the same same arm length as Bryan Bulaga at 33.25 inches. Short for sure, but certainly not an indictment short. The guy in every category destroyed Bryan Bulaga at the combine for the exception of 2 less reps.

Why are not we not possibly looking at the potential future right tackle of the Green Bay Packers?

Because RG is a bigger need

By 2021 both RG and RT will likely need the future. But we have lots and lots of players in 2021 who could step in at RG now. Especially Stefaniak or Lucas Patrick.

[TheSkeptic]

Okay I am confused.

So the guy played really well at LT at Michigan. The guy has the same same arm length as Bryan Bulaga at 33.25 inches. Short for sure, but certainly not an indictment short. The guy in every category destroyed Bryan Bulaga at the combine for the exception of 2 less reps.

Why are not we not possibly looking at the potential future right tackle of the Green Bay Packers?

Because RG is a bigger need

By 2021 both RG and RT will likely need the future. But we have lots and lots of players in 2021 who could step in at RG now. Especially Stefaniak or Lucas Patrick.

IMO Patrick is going to be our future center. I have no confidence in this center the Packers just drafted. Stefaniak tore his ACL at the end of the season and probably will spend the entire year on IR.

[Pugger]

I like this pick. He should have a chance to unseat Turner (which would in turn give Turner a chance to compete with Wagner at RT).

I don't see Turner beating out Wagner at RT.

[go pak go]

Because RG is a bigger need

By 2021 both RG and RT will likely need the future. But we have lots and lots of players in 2021 who could step in at RG now. Especially Stefaniak or Lucas Patrick.

IMO Patrick is going to be our future center. I have no confidence in this center the Packers just drafted. Stefaniak tore his ACL at the end of the season and probably will spend the entire year on IR.

Right. And this year is 2020. And who cares if the starting C is Patrick or Hansen in 2021. That means we still have Stepaniak and another draft or Billy Turner being our RG in 2021.

Again. There is no reason Runyan should be placed at RG because "need". The need is at RG and RT for 2021.

[YoHoChecko]

Runyan is Bakhtiari's exact height, with Bulaga's exact arm length. He weighs 2 pounds less than rookie Wagner and 7 pounds more than rookie Baktiari. He ran the 40 0.01 seconds faster than Bakhtiari. His 3-cone is 0.13 faster than Bulaga and Bakhtiari's (they had the same time) and his short shuttle is 0.06 second faster than Bulaga and Bakhtiari's (they had the same time here, too). He benched 2 reps fewer than Bulaga and 4 more than Wagner. His vertical is 3 inches higher than Bulaga's and 1 inch shorter than Wagner's.

Bakhtiari was thought to be a C prospect when we drafted him (I'm not kidding, read the draft reports). People thought he couldn't hold up on the outside. Bulaga was questioned whether he could be a LT, or "only a RT," or even if he would have to move inside to OG consistently throughout his draft evaluations.

My point is that there is no reason to think we can predict right now where Runyan will settle in.

Right now, in my view, Runyan and Njimen are competing to be the RT of the future (Light isn't going to cut it). Runyan and Stefanik will compete to be the RG who replaces Turner (and maybe Cole Madison has a say). And Patrick and Hansen are now competing to be the C who replaces Linsley, though Runyan may get a go there eventually, as well. If no one "wins" these competitions, then we'll have to draft at those positions again.

Runyan will use his time as a backup well--the team will likely not shift him around a ton early on, like they didn't for Jenkins--to give him the best chance to succeed. I don't envision him playing any C this year. But he has the traits that leaves RT and OG as legitimate possibilities. And despite what one scout said in McGinn's write-ups about him not having his father's toughness, the rest seem to think he does. So I think we're going to find a nice spot for him, and it's going to be a great addition.

[YoHoChecko]

Okay I am confused.

So the guy played really well at LT at Michigan. The guy has the same same arm length as Bryan Bulaga at 33.25 inches. Short for sure, but certainly not an indictment short. The guy in every category destroyed Bryan Bulaga at the combine for the exception of 2 less reps.

Why are not we not possibly looking at the potential future right tackle of the Green Bay Packers?

I mean Gutey seemed to indicate that we are

[go pak go]

Okay I am confused.

So the guy played really well at LT at Michigan. The guy has the same same arm length as Bryan Bulaga at 33.25 inches. Short for sure, but certainly not an indictment short. The guy in every category destroyed Bryan Bulaga at the combine for the exception of 2 less reps.

Why are not we not possibly looking at the potential future right tackle of the Green Bay Packers?

I mean Gutey seemed to indicate that we are

Did Bulaga ever play guard his rookie year? I know he played RT once Tauscher went down but when he was a backup tackle, did they place him at guard during camp?

[YoHoChecko]

Did Bulaga ever play guard his rookie year? I know he played RT once Tauscher went down but when he was a backup tackle, did they place him at guard during camp?

That's an interesting question to which I don't recall the answer. I do remember that being covered fairly intently even in his first few years. I think Campen and MM almost always cross-trained their OL, though. It was their thing. An OL who was not starting had to play two positions, basically. So it would surprise me if he never got any OG reps.

MLF, meanwhile, wen tout of his way to avoid cross-training Jenkins; even when Linsley was out at C and all sorts of other guys rotated through 2nd and 3rd team C reps, Jenkins did not. They may cross train him more now that he has his legs under him, but I thought working not to overwhelm rookies with too much info and letting them focus on one position, while asking more experienced players to handle moving around was a pretty smart approach, and it seemed to work out nicely. I wonder if the same approach will be used for the later-round guys who have less expectations to be competing for a starting job right away. I sort of doubt it. Versatility is too valuable for reserve OL.

[go pak go]

Did Bulaga ever play guard his rookie year? I know he played RT once Tauscher went down but when he was a backup tackle, did they place him at guard during camp?

That's an interesting question to which I don't recall the answer. I do remember that being covered fairly intently even in his first few years. I think Campen and MM almost always cross-trained their OL, though. It was their thing. An OL who was not starting had to play two positions, basically. So it would surprise me if he never got any OG reps.

MLF, meanwhile, wen tout of his way to avoid cross-training Jenkins; even when Linsley was out at C and all sorts of other guys rotated through 2nd and 3rd team C reps, Jenkins did not. They may cross train him more now that he has his legs under him, but I thought working not to overwhelm rookies with too much info and letting them focus on one position, while asking more experienced players to handle moving around was a pretty smart approach, and it seemed to work out nicely. I wonder if the same approach will be used for the later-round guys who have less expectations to be competing for a starting job right away. I sort of doubt it. Versatility is too valuable for reserve OL.

I think this roster is setting up where we can have the backup interior and backup tackle. Rather than your 6th OL being the jack of all trades. I think the hope is Runyan can be your swing tackle and Patrick can be your swing IOL with Hanson probably getting time at both guard and center during camp and center with the 3rd squad in preseason to start.

Where things could get really awesome is if then your 8th OL could be Alex Light or especially Nijman who you would feel comfortable actually playing at left tackle and not needing to sign Veldheer again.

[YoHoChecko]

Where things could get really awesome is if then your 8th OL could be Alex Light or especially Nijman who you would feel comfortable actually playing at left tackle and not needing to sign Veldheer again.

I know I have a reputation for rooting for longshots, but MAN, Njimen's athetic profile and some of the flashes he showed in camp last year have me excited about his making the roster and pushing Alex Light aside. Light isn't nearly a good enough athlete to be more than a spot-duty sub. He did his best when we needed him, but his best isn't good enough, hence signing Veldheer. Njimen is EXACTLY what the practice squad is for.

Njimen, for context, is the tallest OL on our roster, the 3rd heaviest at draft time (a pound lighter than Billy Turner and way behind Lane Taylor). He has the longest arms of any OL on our roster. He has the fastest 40-time of any OL on our roster. He has by far the fastest 3-cone of any OL on our roster. He is a second in short shuttle only to Linsley, who was 4" shorter and 18 pounds lighter when he recorded that time. He has the second-highest vertical of any OL on our roster (1" behind Wagner, tied with Runyan).

Take that athleticism, the fact that he actually played pretty well at Virginia Tech, and give him a year or two in an NFL strength program and with NFL technique coaching? He could easily become a starting-level player. Have an 8-man gameday roster with 5 starters, Njimen at swing OT, Patrick at G/C backup, and Runyan as RG/RT backup? We're in pretty good shape there.

[Waldo]

Okay I am confused.

So the guy played really well at LT at Michigan. The guy has the same same arm length as Bryan Bulaga at 33.25 inches. Short for sure, but certainly not an indictment short. The guy in every category destroyed Bryan Bulaga at the combine for the exception of 2 less reps.

Why are not we not possibly looking at the potential future right tackle of the Green Bay Packers?

I mean Gutey seemed to indicate that we are

Did Bulaga ever play guard his rookie year? I know he played RT once Tauscher went down but when he was a backup tackle, did they place him at guard during camp?

Yes. In fact he opened his first camp as LG backing up Daryn College. College was set to be a FA after the season, and he kinda sucked, so there was actually a legit competition in camp. He did get some LT work as well behind Clifton. People were hoping we didn't have to kick out Colledge anymore, because he was really bad at LT. But going into the season, Colledge was still the starting LG and backup LT. But then Tausher got hurt and the rest is history. Most though Bulaga would move to the left side after Clifton retired, but that never happened, because the Sitton-Bulaga right side was so strong.

[YoHoChecko]

Yes. In fact he opened his first camp as LG backing up Daryn College. College was set to be a FA after the season, and he kinda sucked, so there was actually a legit competition in camp. He did get some LT work as well behind Clifton. People were glad we didn't have to kick out Colledge anymore, because he was really bad at LT. But going into the season, Colledge was still the starting LG and backup LT. But then Tausher got hurt and the rest is history. Most though Bulaga would move to the left side after Clifton retired, but that never happened, because the Sitton-Bulaga right side was so strong.

Awesome, thanks for the recollection! That sounds very right now that you spell it out for us.

[Cdragon]

Yes. In fact he opened his first camp as LG backing up Daryn College. College was set to be a FA after the season, and he kinda sucked, so there was actually a legit competition in camp. He did get some LT work as well behind Clifton. People were glad we didn't have to kick out Colledge anymore, because he was really bad at LT. But going into the season, Colledge was still the starting LG and backup LT. But then Tausher got hurt and the rest is history. Most though Bulaga would move to the left side after Clifton retired, but that never happened, because the Sitton-Bulaga right side was so strong.

Awesome, thanks for the recollection! That sounds very right now that you spell it out for us.

BB was moved to LT 2013 but while he was kicking ass in TC he got injured and was out for the year.

[Chilli]

Most though Bulaga would move to the left side after Clifton retired, but that never happened, because the Sitton-Bulaga right side was so strong.

My memory is different. Bulaga was supposed to be the left tackle after Clifton retired, even switched Sitton and Lang around so that Sitton would be next to Bulaga.

But Bulaga suffered a season ending injury and his spot was given to Bakhtiari. Sitton and Lang never reverted back to their old positions and when Bulaga returned he went straight to right tackle and never looked back.

[Scott4Pack]

Gutey said he's starting outside at OT and may experiment with him inside. MLF said sliding him inside suits his skillset. So... versatility!

I’d love to see Runyon trying outside!

Okay I am confused.

So the guy played really well at LT at Michigan. The guy has the same same arm length as Bryan Bulaga at 33.25 inches. Short for sure, but certainly not an indictment short. The guy in every category destroyed Bryan Bulaga at the combine for the exception of 2 less reps.

Why are not we not possibly looking at the potential future right tackle of the Green Bay Packers?

Has Guty or MLF not spoken to that question yet?

[YoHoChecko]

Most though Bulaga would move to the left side after Clifton retired, but that never happened, because the Sitton-Bulaga right side was so strong.

My memory is different. Bulaga was supposed to be the left tackle after Clifton retired, even switched Sitton and Lang around so that Sitton would be next to Bulaga.

But Bulaga suffered a season ending injury and his spot was given to Bakhtiari. Sitton and Lang never reverted back to their old positions and when Bulaga returned he went straight to right tackle and never looked back.

You're condensing and conflating the 2010 and 2013 offseason timelines.