Packers meet with Northwestern WR Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman

#Northwestern WR Ramaud Bowman led the Wildcats in receiving yards and touchdowns in 2020. Bowman has met virtually with the #Colts, #Packers and #Cowboys. The #Saints and #Dolphins are among the other teams that have also shown interest. – Justin M …

The Green Bay Packers held a virtual pre-draft meeting with Northwestern receiver Ramaud Chiaokhiao-Bowman, according to Justin Melo of The Draft Network.

Bowman, a Minneapolis native, played in 47 career games at Northwestern, catching 82 passes for 986 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2020, Bowman led the team in receiving yards (508) and receiving touchdowns (five), set a new career-high in catches (41) and earned All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition.

In the Big Ten Championship Game against Ohio State, he caught eight passes for a career-best 103 receiving yards. He also caught a touchdown pass against Wisconsin and during Northwestern’s bowl game against Auburn.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst was in attendance to see Bowman at Northwestern’s pro day last month.

Bowman (6-1, 204) ran a slow 40-yard dash but was quick in the three-cone drill, making him a potential late-round or undrafted free agent option for the Packers.

The Packers hold 10 picks in the 2021 NFL draft.

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Packers meet virtually with Notre Dame TE Tommy Tremble

The Packers held a virtual pre-draft meeting with Notre Dame TE Tommy Tremble.

The Green Bay Packers met with a tight end prospect that looks like an ideal fit in Matt LaFleur’s offense.

According to Justin Melo of The Draft Network, the Packers met virtually with Notre Dame tight end Tommy Tremble, who fits the “F” tight end mold that LaFleur and the Packers offense prefer.

Over the last two seasons, Tremble caught 35 passes for 401 yards and four touchdowns, and he was widely praised for his work as a blocker in Notre Dame’s scheme.

Pro Football Focus considers Tremble to be a Kyle Juszcyzk-like player, with versatile blocking ability and untapped potential as a receiver. In fact, his breakdown sounds a lot like Josiah Deguara, the Packers’ third-round pick in 2020.

From PFF: “Standing a meager 6-foot-4 and 242 pounds, there was not a better run-blocking tight end in all of football last year. He blocks like his life depends on it snap after snap. Notre Dame used him all over the formation, and he continuously got the job done. Pair that with legit speed and you’ve got the makings of an interesting prospect. Because of that athletic combination, any team that uses a fullback in its offense should have him right at the top of their fullback rankings.”

The Packers have drafted a tight end in the third round of each of the last two drafts, first with Jace Sternberger in 2019 and again with Deguara last year. Tremble might be redundant on the Packers roster, especially with Deguara coming back from a knee injury and the late-season emergence of Dominique Dafney, but the Packers clearly value having as much versatile talent at tight end as possible, given the importance of tight ends in LaFleur’s scheme.

Tremble might be the next tight end the Packers target in the draft.

From his profile at The Draft Network: “Tremble is a plus athlete who offers the long speed and agility to be dynamic as a pass-catcher, but his production to this point has yet to make the leap that you’d want to see to feel confident that he’s going to develop into an upper-level tight end at some point.”

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Packers hold virtual pre-draft meeting with Portland State TE Charlie Taumoepeau

The Packers held a pre-draft meeting with H-back prospect from Portland State.

The Green Bay Packers met with a potential H-back prospect ahead of the 2020 NFL draft.

According to Justin Melo of The Draft Wire, the Packers were one of four teams to recently hold a virtual pre-draft meeting with Portland State tight end Charlie Taumoepeau.

A three-year starter and three-year All-Big Sky selection, Taumoepeau (6-2, 240) caught 117 passes for 1,876 yards and 11 touchdowns over 41 games and 28 starts. He played both tight end and H-back for Portland State.

Taumoepeau put up good numbers at the combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds, finishing the three-cone drill in 7.0 seconds and hitting 36.5″ in the vertical.

The Packers have done homework on H-back types ahead of the draft, likely in an effort to find a replacement for Danny Vitale in the offense.

Dane Brugler of The Athletic considers Taumoepeau to be a late-round pick or priority free agent.

From Brugler’s draft guide: “Taumoepeau is an efficient receiver and try-hard blocker who is willing to run through a wall for his team, but his pedestrian athleticism might make it tough for him to stand out during camp.”

Taumoepeau, who was invited to the Senior Bowl, averaged 16 yards per catch during his collegiate career. He caught five passes for 125 yards and a pair of scores during a blowout loss to Oregon in 2018.

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Packers to hold virtual pre-draft meeting with Ohio State RB J.K. Dobbins

The Packers will host or have hosted a pre-draft video meeting with Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins.

The Green Bay Packers are one of the teams to meet with Ohio State running back J.K. Dobbins before the 2020 draft.

According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the Packers will hold or have hosted a video conference with Dobbins, the second-leading rusher in Ohio State history.

Teams have to meet with prospects virtually instead of face-to-face at team facilities due to the coronavirus pandemic. Other teams to meet with Dobbins include the Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins, per Wilson.

Dobbins (5-9, 209) rushed for 4,459 yards and 38 touchdowns over three seasons at Ohio State, including a school-record 2,003 rushing yards and 23 total touchdowns during the 2019 season. He caught 71 career passes and scored five receiving touchdowns, highlighting three-down potential.

Dobbins didn’t run or jump at the NFL Scouting Combine but put up 23 reps on the bench.

The Packers don’t have an immediate need at running back, but Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams and Tyler Ervin are all free agents following the 2020 season, creating a future need if the Packers lose Jones or Williams after next year.

Projections for Dobbins vary, but many draft analysts consider him to be a top-50 to top-75 player in the draft class. It will likely take a Day 2 pick to acquire him next week. The Packers hold late picks in the second (No. 62) and third round (No. 94).

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Tracking Chargers’ pre-draft visits ahead of 2020 NFL Draft

11 prospects have been noted that have had a pre-draft meeting or workout with the Los Angeles Chargers.

The Chargers can officially meet with 30 prospects before the start of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Here’s a look at who the Bolts have met with before the draft:

Player Position School
Justin Herbert QB Oregon
Jordan Love QB Utah State
Nick Harris OL Washington
Josh Jones OT Houston
Sewo Olonilua RB TCU
Chris Orr LB Wisconsin
Leki Fotu DT Utah
Dallas Warmack OL Oregon
Tristan Wirfs OT Iowa
James Smith-Williams EDGE North Carolina State
Kevin Dotson OL Lousiana-Lafayette