Instant analysis of Packers taking WR Romeo Doubs and OL Zach Tom in fourth round of 2022 draft

Breaking down the Packers selecting WR Romeo Doubs and OL Zach Tom in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers added potential future starters at wide receiver and the offensive line during the fourth round of the 2022 NFL draft. The team selected Nevada’s Romeo Doubs at No. 132 overall and Wake Forest’s Zach Tom at No. 140 overall on Saturday.

Doubs is a legitimate deep threat with a James Jones-like body type and punt return potential. He produced back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2020 and 2021 (in just 20 games) and left Nevada as one of the most productive pass-catchers in school history. His athletic profile and receiving talent give him a real chance of developing into a quality No. 2 or No. 3 option in the Packers passing game.

“We liked his play speed. We thought he played fast on tape,” director of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan said. “He’s a fairly big kid…we thought he was very intriguing. Good value where we got him. Good week at the Senior Bowl. We think he’s got some upside to grow into a player.”

While a little raw as a route runner, he was terrific as a deep threat at Nevada and was consistently open on vertical routes for quarterback Carson Strong. The Packers think he has the natural quickness and athleticism to develop into an excellent all-around route runner.

Doubs, Christian Watson and 2021 third-round pick Amari Rodgers could establish the long-term foundation at wide receiver in Green Bay.

The offensive line also got help.

Tom is highly athletic and might be the most versatile offensive lineman in the draft. He started 23 games at left tackle, including 14 during an All-American season in 2021, and 14 more at center. Given how well he handled reps at left tackle in the ACC, there’s a chance he could be capable of playing all three interior spots and both tackle positions at the next level.

“We think he can help us at a bunch of different spots,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan compared Tom to Billy Turner, given his ability to play tackle, his size and his overall versatility.

According to Pro Football Focus, Tom allowed only 13 total pressures over 633 total pass-blocking snaps last season. Overall, he gave up just four sacks in over 1,000 pass-blocking snaps at left tackle in 2020 and 2021.

Tom and third-round pick Sean Rhyan give the Packers excellent depth up front on offense, checking a box on the needs list after losing Turner and Lucas Patrick. The Packers think Rhyan is big and athletic enough to play guard and tackle. Tom might be able to play everywhere.

The Packers hosted a Top 30 visit with Doubs and met virtually multiple times with Tom.

Both Doubs and Tom look like classic Day 3 picks for the Packers. Doubs likely would have tested like a top athlete at the combine. He’ll get a chance to develop behind veterans and contribute on special teams, likely as a punt returner. Tom has left tackle experience, top-tier athleticism and positional versatility, which checks all the boxes for what the Packers typically look for mid-round offensive linemen. The team’s hit rate at both positions – receiver and offensive line – suggests the franchise knows what to look for at both spots on Day 3.

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Packers met virtually with ultra-versatile Wake Forest OL Zach Tom

The Packers were one of many NFL teams to meet virtually with Zach Tom, the ultra-versatile offensive line prospect from Wake Forest.

The Green Bay Packers were one of several teams to meet virtually with Wake Forest offensive lineman Zach Tom, according to Justin Melo of The Draft Network.

Tom, a mock-draft favorite for the Packers, was a three-year starter (34 games) for Wake Forest, including each of the last two seasons at left tackle. Some believe Tom may need to move inside, possibly to center. Others think Tom has the athleticism and pass-blocking ability to survive on the edges at offensive tackle. Either way, Tom may enter the NFL with five-position versatility – making him a highly attractive option for the Packers after losing both Billy Turner and Lucas Patrick this offseason.

He could be a late Day 2 or early Day 3 selection in the draft. Given his multi-position potential and excellent athleticism, he looks like a terrific option for the Packers, who need to add depth along the offensive line over the next few days.

Tom (6-4, 304) did exceedingly well at the NFL Scouting Combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.94 seconds, hitting 33″ in the vertical leap, covering 118″ in the broad jump and completing the short shuttle in 4.47 seconds and three-cone drill in 7.32 seconds – hitting all the preferred measurements for the Packers in offensive linemen. His Relative Athletic Score was 9.59 out of 10.0 as an offensive tackle prospect. He has the top RAS among center prospects.

Tom doesn’t have ideal size but he does possess long arms (33 1/4″) and big hands (10 3/8″).

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com said Tom was “extremely impressive” as a pass-blocker at left tackle despite his lack of prototypical tackle size. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed only 13 total pressures over 633 pass-blocking snaps in 2021 and produced elite grades as a pass-blocker overall and in true pass sets.

Could Tom be the Packers’ next great find along the offensive line in the middle rounds?

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SKOL Search: The ‘What I Would Do’ 7-round mock draft edition

If you like trades, you’ll love this.

We are just days away from the NFL Draft kicking off on a man-made island platform in the heart of Las Vegas.

The Vikings are in a unique position to project out. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell are each in their first year at their respective positions, and the only data we can go off of is that of their superiors. How they will build the team moving forward has been a fascinating talking point.

The only real data point I’m going off of is this: Adofo-Mensah will maximize the market. Coming from Wall Street and having spent the last eight years in the NFL, he has a good understanding of what the market will look like, and he will find ways to maximize and manipulate it.

This mock, however, won’t be done from the lens of what Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell might do. It’s coming from my perspective. How would I maximize the board and the Vikings draft class.

I used The Draft Network’s mock draft simulator for this exercise and believe this would go a long way in fixing the Vikings.

Report: Dolphins bringing in Wake Forest OL Zach Tom for meeting

This is the first lineman they’ve brought in.

In the last week, the Miami Dolphins have brought in Baylor safety JT Woods, Georgia linebacker Channing Tindall and California linebacker Cameron Goode for pre-draft visits.

According to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson, the Dolphins are bringing in their first offensive player for a top 30 meeting on Wednesday – Wake Forest offensive lineman Zach Tom.

Tom has shown the versatility to play both center and left tackle at the collegiate level, but he’s being projected as a center in the NFL.

At 6-foot-5 and 312 pounds, the Demon Deacon took part in the NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran a 4.94-second 40-yard dash and a 7.32-second three-cone drill. However, he didn’t participate in the bench press.

In his career at Wake Forest, Tom played in 48 games, starting 34, and in those opportunities, he allowed just two sacks.

Here’s what NFL analyst Lance Zierlein wrote about Tom:

“Center prospect who spent the last two seasons at left tackle. Tom was extremely impressive in pass protection at tackle despite a lack of desired size or length, but he’s likely headed back to center in the pros. He plays with technique and plus body control, but his aggression level is a little lacking in the run game and his mass is below average. Tom could be a priority for teams with leaky interior protection. He has Day 3 value as an above-average backup with eventual starting potential.”

Center is one of the few positions where the Dolphins still have a need. Michael Deiter currently has the job with no one pressuring him for it, but Miami should at least bring someone in to compete for the job. If Deiter were to win out, then they could have a developmental backup that would certainly still serve a purpose to the team.

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2022 NFL draft: The top 11 interior offensive linemen

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar breaks down the 11 best interior offensive linemen in the 2022 NFL draft class.

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Since 2000, there have been 35 interior offensive linemen selected in the first round of any draft. And generally speaking, if you’re going to select a guard or a center in the first round, you’d better be pretty sure — the player had better be not only ding-proof, but he’d also better have some serious upside. Not only must he have near-total command at the position; he’d also better be able to clearly demonstrate the ability to take the unfinished parts of his game and take them to an NFL-acceptable level.

Of the 35 first-rounders among guards and centers since 2000, there’s one Hall of Famer (Steve Hutchinson, selected by the Seattle Seahawks with the 17th overall pick in 2000), a few now-retired players who could see themselves enshrined over time (Logan Mankins, Maurkice Pouncey, Nick Mangold), and current players who are now on a Canton track (Quenton Nelson, Zack Martin, Alex Mack).

The first-round guards and centers who don’t work out are generally the ones whose athletic traits are overcooked by evaluators at the expense of the nuances of the positions. At any position, you don’t want to talk yourself into the idea that you can take a “raw clay” player and turn him into something he never was in college. It’s a dangerous idea, especially when every position is harder to master at the NFL level.

In the 2022 class of interior offensive linemen, there are two or three I could see going in the first round, because they have the attributes you want at the position, and they’ve developed those attributes to the point where you can see it on tape over and over. Then, you can look at the things that don’t quite work yet and make your own calculations as to whether he fits what your head coach, offensive coordinator, and position coaches want to do schematically. The players further down the list may have more glaring weaknesses, or they’re less scheme-transcendent, but they’re still good enough to make their offensive lines better.

Depth at these positions is key, because guard and center aren’t positions where you’re going to overdraft guys a lot. So, you can get a Wyatt Teller or a Corey Linsley in the fifth round, a Shaq Mason in the fourth round, and you can get a David Andrews as a priority free agent.

The Miami Dolphins of the early 1970s had among the greatest offensive lines in pro football history, and only one player on those lines (right tackle Norm Evans) was drafted — by the Houston Oilers in the 14th round of the 1965 American Football League draft. But two guys from those lines (center Jim Langer and right guard Larry Little) are now in the Hall of Fame.

These are the positions where the names at the bottom of the list might wind up outperforming the names up top, so it’s crucial to scout it all the way down.

Here are our top 11 interior offensive linemen in the 2022 NFL draft.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions unless otherwise indicated. All testing data comes from the 2022 scouting combine, with percentile per position, courtesy of MockDraftable.com). 

2022 NFL draft: The top 11 offensive tackles

2022 NFL draft: The top 11 tight ends

2022 NFL draft: The top 16 receivers

2022 NFL draft: The top 11 running backs

2022 NFL draft: The top 11 quarterbacks

Rams 2022 Draft Prospect Profile: Zach Tom (T/C, Wake Forest)

The Rams could look to add a versatile offensive lineman in the 2022 NFL draft and Zach Tom out of Wake Forest fits the bill.

The offensive line of the Los Angeles Rams had multiple question marks entering the 2021 season. Could Brian Allen prove himself to be the team’s starting center for Matthew Stafford? Would Austin Corbett and David Edwards be able to create a formidable interior duo at guard?

Those questions quickly evaporated as the offensive line of the Rams was dominant for the majority of the season en route to a Super Bowl victory. Following the team’s Super Bowl win, there will be a couple more uncertainties surrounding the offensive line with Andrew Whitworth now retired and Corbett departing in free agency.

Entering the 2022 NFL draft, Los Angeles could find themselves looking to bolster their offensive line unit for next season. At the offensive tackle position, the Rams could express interest in Zach Tom out of Wake Forest.

7-Round mock draft 5.0: Vikings trade up for elite talent

The Vikings come out swinging aggressively in this week’s 7-round mock draft

Mock drafts are such a fun exercise because they give you an opportunity to explore different and unique scenarios. The NFL Draft isn’t as cut and dry as most mock drafts will lead you to believe.

In the first four drafts, we took different approaches. From trading down for a receiver to taking an edge rusher, there is are myriad of options for the Vikings.

This week’s seven-round mock draft continues to shake things up a bit, while answering one question: What happens if Kyle Hamilton falls?

7-Round mock draft 4.0: Vikings make pass rush central focus

Vikings 7-round mock draft 3.0: Za’Darius Smith signing changes things

Vikings 7-round mock draft 2.0: Kirk Cousins’ extension changes things

Vikings 7-round mock draft: Will Minnesota take a different approach?

2022 Carolina Panthers mock draft 5.0: End of March edition

In a scenario becoming a little likelier by the week, the Panthers nab a dream left tackle in our fifth mock draft of the offseason.

Things have changed a bit for the Carolina Panthers since our last go at a mock.

New names have been signed, familiar faces have come (back) and gone and a fresh set of youngsters are getting closer to breaking in. So, it’s about time we take another swing at this.

With a chunk of free agency now in the bag and the draft less than a month away, here’s our fifth set of seven-round projections for the 2022 draft.

Texans should target Wake Forest OL Zach Tom to help the interior

The Houston Texans can find a decent day two prospect to help with the interior offensive line in Wake Forest’s Zach Tom.

Draft analysts are on the right track when they mock Evan Neal and Ikem Ekwonu to the Houston Texans. However, the specifics are still in need of fine-tuning as the Texans already have their bookends solved with Laremy Tunsil and Tytus Howard, who isn’t going back inside to play guard.

If Houston wants to get younger along their interior offensive line, there is a Wake Forest product who may be able to help.

According to Anthony Treash from Pro Football Focus, Zach Tom is a possible day two prospect in the 2022 NFL draft who has the potential to develop into a dependable starting guard.

Tom was quietly one of the best pass-protectors in college football last season. As a matter of fact, the Wake Forest Demon Deacon led all FBS tackles in pass-block grade for the season, allowing just 13 pressures in 14 starts, including zero to Jermaine Johnson II in their Week 3 showdown.

Tom is going to end up on the interior at the NFL level where he spent his first few years on campus before moving to left tackle in 2020. He’s already an advanced pass-protector and is a natural at using his hands independently. After a stellar collegiate career, Tom proceeded to light up the Scouting Combine. Don’t be surprised if he becomes a high-quality starter at the NFL level despite likely ending up a late Day 2 prospect.

Tom would be going against the likes of Max Scharping, Carson Green, Justin McCray, and A.J. Cann for a starting job. Even if Tom weren’t able to wrest a starting job in his rookie season, he would be able to develop to provide Houston a replacement for Scharping, who enters the last year of his rookie deal in 2022.

The Texans have three picks on day two with Nos. 37 (Round 2), 68 (Round 3), and 80 (Round 3) overall.

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2022 scouting combine: Who stood out among the offensive linemen in Friday’s drills?

Friday was the day for the offensive linemen to get on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. Which linemen stood out at the scouting combine?

Remember Thursday night at the scouting combine, when the receivers were running all kinds of crazy 40 times, and it held up fairly well even when the times were made official? That extended to Friday’s offensive line drills, when we saw a display of pure speed from the big men we’ve never seen before.

There were six linemen with official sub-5.0 40-yard dash times in the first group, and six in the second. The previous record was six, and there were 11 sub-4.5 40-yard dashes overall in the last three combines.

The 10-yard splits were just as impressive, meaning that we have a group of offensive linemen who can get on the hoof to a highly impressive degree. Many of those linemen also looked great in the position drills, with natural movement and agility.

NFL teams should be going away from these drills excited about the talent available in the 2022 draft, and that’s without two of the best linemen — Alabama offensive tackle Evan Neal and Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum — choosing to pass on the activities for now.