The Green Bay Packers must use the 2020 NFL Draft to provide the finishing touches on a team that won 13 regular-season games and got within one game of the Super Bowl during Matt LaFleur’s first season as head coach.
Between now and the draft, Packers Wire will periodically break down one top prospect fitting the Packers’ roster needs.
Up next is Temple interior offensive lineman Matt Hennessy:
What he can do
– Stands almost 6-4 but is a little lean and has short arms. Could use extra mass, especially if he wants to have center-guard versatility
– Started 35 games at center the last three years. Rimington Award finalist in 2019. Limited collegiate experience at guard
– Smooth-moving athlete and a potentially ideal fit in the outside zone blocking scheme. Can get off the ball, execute reach blocks, advance to the second level and get it done on the move horizontally. Looked great in the short shuttle, three cone and 40-yard dash, posting good times in all three. Timed measurements match what he put on tape
– Athletic profile looks more like an offensive tackle than center
– Excellent pass-blocking potential on the inside. Allowed zero sacks and just six total pressures the last two years and 875 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF
– Power could give him trouble. Can hold ground but isn’t going to generate a ton of movement against NFL-caliber defensive tackles
– Had best snaps in the run game on reach blocks on zone runs
– Can get out in front of a play and execute a block in space. Plus athleticism shows up here
– Looks like a smart player. Picks up defenders and identifies danger easily, both in pass pro and when on the move in the run game. High awareness
– Considered one of the toughest players in the Temple program, per Lance Zierlein of NFL.com
How he fits
Hennessy fits many of the Packers’ assumed athletic thresholds along the offensive line and looks like a strong fit in the outside zone run scheme at the next level. He’s a good player on the move and can handle business in the passing game in the middle. There are question marks about his size, ability to handle power and positional versatility, and the Packers might not be willing to use an early pick on a player who can only play center, but Hennessy’s athletic profile suggests guard is a future possibility if he can get a little bigger and strong. Of course, the Packers could easily have a future need at center if Corey Linsley, a free agent following the 2020 season, departs. Taking Hennessy in the middle rounds could prepare the Packers for the future at center.
NFL comp
Dan Connolly. Like Hennessy, Connolly didn’t have great size or length entering the NFL, but he got by at guard and center with short-area athleticism and toughness. In the right scheme, Hennessy could do the same.
Where Packers could get him
Hennessy looks like a future starting center in a zone scheme. He’s certainly not a can’t miss prospect, and not every team will covet his combination of size and skill set, but there’s a good chance a team will snag him in the third or fourth round.
Previous Prospects for the Pack
WR Tee Higgins
LB Kenneth Murray
LB Patrick Queen
WR Jalen Reagor
WR Justin Jefferson
TE Harrison Bryant
WR Denzel Mims
WR Brandon Aiyuk
WR/TE Chase Claypool
LB Zack Baun
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither
OT Josh Jones
OT Austin Jackson
S Antoine Winfield Jr.
DL Raekwon Davis
DB Xavier McKinney
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
DL A.J. Epenesa
TE Hunter Bryant
RB Jonathan Taylor
RB Zack Moss
WR Michael Pittman
WR K.J. Hamler
WR John Hightower
LB Jordyn Brooks
LB Troy Dye
LB Willie Gay Jr.
OT Jack Driscoll
WR Devin Duvernay
OT Ezra Cleveland
WR Van Jefferson
OT Andrew Thomas
S Grant Delpit
TE Cole Kmet
OT Tristan Wirfs
QB Jordan Love
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
DB Jeremy Chinn
RB/WR Antonio Gibson
DL Jordan Elliott
DB K’Von Wallace
WR Bryan Edwards
DL Ross Blacklock
LB Logan Wilson
DL Justin Madubuike
RB Cam Akers
LB Malik Harrison
RB Darrynton Evans
WR Lynn Bowden Jr.
WR Gabriel Davis
LB Josh Uche
CB Trevon Diggs
DB Terrell Burgess
OLB Terrell Lewis
CB A.J. Terrell
WR Quintez Cephus
TE Albert Okwuegbunam
QB Jalen Hurts
WR Tyler Johnson
IOL Cesar Ruiz
DB Ashtyn Davis
WR Quez Watkins
OT Ben Bartch
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