2025 NFL Draft - Who's Going?

[RingoCStarrQB]

For the guys there what’s the atmosphere like? My opinion was the draft wouldn’t do well in GB because there was a lack of hotel space and restaurants for such a mass gathering. Games pull in 80K but the draft they’re expecting to pull 250K.

Wish I could have made it but I don’t regret getting the best assignment orders of all time.

Things were low key yesterday afternoon and evening. Bars were quiet. This morning before heading home I drove around the entire perimeter of the Draft Zone and things were still quiet. I'm pretty sure the place will be amped up on Wednesday night. It'll be a rock party blast. I talked to a Green Bay Alderman and he seemed confident that the show would be OK (no emotion).

[Bogey]

For the guys there what’s the atmosphere like? My opinion was the draft wouldn’t do well in GB because there was a lack of hotel space and restaurants for such a mass gathering. Games pull in 80K but the draft they’re expecting to pull 250K.

Wish I could have made it but I don’t regret getting the best assignment orders of all time.

Amping up a bit this evening. Tomorrow should be bigger.

[Bogey]

for @RingoCStarrQB, @BF004, @NCF, @APB

Great honor for Vainisi. Ted should get one too.

IMG_0418(1).jpg (5.79 MiB) Viewed 235 times

[RingoCStarrQB]

for @RingoCStarrQB, @BF004, @NCF, @APB

Great honor for Vainisi. Ted should get one too.

IMG_0418(1).jpg

Worthy of a genuflect whenever I see it. Still a damn shame more accolades haven't come his way.

Maybe Policy will make something happen after Murphy departs the pattern. Not holding my breath though.

At least Sterling got in.

[Yoop]

for @RingoCStarrQB, @BF004, @NCF, @APB

Great honor for Vainisi. Ted should get one too.

IMG_0418(1).jpg

awesome, finally some accolades long overdue Jack was never given the title of General manager, maybe his age played a part in that, he was only 23 when hired as personal director, and in 10 years drafted more HOF players than any GM in that short time span, awesome.

thanks for the pic Bogey

a little more about his legacy, I don't think I've seen this article here before.

By Jeff Alexander
Published: Jul. 10, 2024 at 7:35 PM EDT
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - When it comes to some of the most important figures in Packers history, his name is not often mentioned.

But after Curly Lambeau and Vince Lombardi, it’s hard to find anyone who left a bigger mark on the franchise, especially when it comes to the draft

in this edition of Countdown 2 The Draft, Jack Vainisi’s lasting legacy.

Just across from Lambeau Field stands a monument with a name many Packers fans today likely won’t recognize.

But in the storied history of the Green Bay Packers, very few people have had more of an impact than Jack Vainisi.

Dr. Sam Vainisi, a retired, world-renowned veterinary ophthalmologist, remembers his older brother as a football star growing up in Chicago.

”Jack was a tackle, as a junior he made All-Illinois first team, that’s how good he was,” said Sam.

Jack’s talent led to a scholarship at Notre Dame, where he played one year before being drafted into the Army and sent to Japan just after the end of World War Two.

While playing on General MacArthur’s football team, Jack contracted rheumatic fever, and after becoming seriously ill, he was sent back to Chicago where he spent a year in the hospital.

After recovering in 1950, his freshman coach at Notre Dame, Gene Ronzani, was now the coach of the Packers.

“Ronzani knew Jack, he knew how good of a football player he was and he knew he had a good football mind, so he asked Jack to come up here and be his scout,” said Sam.

The 1950s proved to be lean years for the Pack, though, as coaches were fired and hired.

Despite the team’s futility on the field, the board was impressed by the players their head scout and personnel director was drafting, players like Jim Ringo in 1953, Forest Gregg and Bart Starr in ’56, Paul Hornung in ’57 and Jim Taylor, Ray Nitschke and Jerry Kramer in ’58. He also signed Willie Wood and made trades for Willie Davis and Henry Jordan.

“He’s got 13 guys in the Hall of Fame that he’s responsible for in 10 years, nobody’s done that,” said Sam.

Sam says his brother was ahead of his time, even compiling information on players before they entered college.

“He knew every kid in high school, he had a number of coaches that we would be in contact with a couple times a year,” said Sam.

In 1959, believing the team needed a disciplinarian, Jack convinced the team to pursue someone he knew: Giants offensive coordinator Vince Lombardi.

Lombardi agreed to come to Green Bay, under one stipulation.

“There was a million guys on the board of directors, you got to get that board of directors down and the only one I’m going to deal with is Jack Vainisi, so literally Jack brought him here, he wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t for Jack,” said Sam.

Sadly, the partnership between Lombardi and Vainisi didn’t last long.

Just after Thanksgiving in 1960, Jack suffered a massive heart attack and died from complications of rheumatic fever. He was just 33 years old, and Vince Lombardi was crushed.

“They loved each other, they really did,” said Sam.

The following year, when the draft rolled around, Lombardi again tapped into Jack’s expertise. Sam only learned about it years later when he attended a book signing for Hall of Famer Herb Adderly.

“He said I never got to thank your brother so I want to thank his brother and we shook hands and I almost cried, and he signed it,” said Sam. “He said your brother told me when I was a junior at Michigan State you’re going to be my number one draft pick, he said when Lombardi drafted me he said dammit you better be good because I’m going on Vainisi’s word.”

In 1982, the Packers inducted Jack Vainisi into their Hall of Fame. A few years ago, he was up for consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a contributor but fell short of the votes needed.

“Vince would turn over in his grave if he knew Jack wasn’t in the Hall of Fame,” said Sam.

But Sam’s hoping next spring will shed some light on those Hall of Fame voters.

“I think a lot of those guys are going to be here for the draft and a lot of them are going to read that monument and hopefully, just hopefully, they might get a call,” said Sam.

And Sam says there’s no doubt what hosting the draft in Green Bay would mean to Jack.

“He would’ve just loved to have been here, just loved it, been part of it,” said Sam.

In many ways, he will be. After all, it’s being held in the Titletown he helped build.

On the night before the NFL draft in Green Bay next spring, many more people will learn about Jack Vainisi.

The Jack Vainisi Memorial Award will be presented to the NFL’s top scout and personnel director during a banquet at the Riverside Ballroom.

https://www.wbay.com/2024/07/10/countdo ... t-dynasty/

[YoHoChecko]

So of the people going.... how will you feel if the Packers trade out of the first round and don't make a pick in the home draft first round?

[NCF]

You know me, I’d love it.

[lupedafiasco]

I think it would be unwise to trade out of the 1st unless you have a doomsday scenario with nothing left at Edge, DT, or WR. Even then I think the 5th year option is such a powerful means of control. It only really loses its value when you do stupid things like taking a teams 2nd best CB, or a 24 year old DT, or a way down the consensus board ILB, or a QB where you got no evaluation on during his rookie deal to make the 5th year option evaluation. But outside of that its extremely helpful especially in a small market where you risk players that just want to go to a warmer climate or more exciting area.

[BF004]

So of the people going.... how will you feel if the Packers trade out of the first round and don't make a pick in the home draft first round?

I’ll be there Thursday and Friday, so wouldn’t bother me at all

[Yoop]

So of the people going.... how will you feel if the Packers trade out of the first round and don't make a pick in the home draft first round?

I’ll be there Thursday and Friday, so wouldn’t bother me at all

I hope not, I purposely bought some no dose so I can stay awake for our pick

[YoHoChecko]

I think it would be unwise to trade out of the 1st unless you have a doomsday scenario with nothing left at Edge, DT, or WR. Even then I think the 5th year option is such a powerful means of control. It only really loses its value when you do stupid things like taking a teams 2nd best CB, or a 24 year old DT, or a way down the consensus board ILB, or a QB where you got no evaluation on during his rookie deal to make the 5th year option evaluation. But outside of that its extremely helpful especially in a small market where you risk players that just want to go to a warmer climate or more exciting area.

I think 5th year options are HUGELY overrated. They're great for QB and probably at this point at WR given the way those guys are getting paid. But it's only a bargain when the player really shows out. I don't think the control is that useful for most guys. It was HUGELY useful when exercising it wasn't binding. You could tap it just in case and then let them walk anyway. THAT was control. Horrifically unfair to the players, but control. This? It's like "hey, you can pay this guy about as much as he's worth a year early, but it's guaranteed the moment you say so." Ok? Cool.

And I think there is a very good chance that EDGE is worn out and 2 DTs have gone and maybe that both round one WRs are gone.

It's also a draft where the tiers are CROWDED from like 20 through 50/60. It's an ideal draft to trade back, but the thought is not many teams want to move up. We might benefit from being right after the Steelers if they pass on QB and right before Minnesota who is actively shopping to trade back. If two teams want Jaxon Dart, one may try to move up to 24 and the other needs to move to 23 to get him. Now, I think Dart will go in the second, but it's a scenario that is out there (Saints and Giants, specifically)

[Crazylegs Starks]

So of the people going.... how will you feel if the Packers trade out of the first round and don't make a pick in the home draft first round?

Not going, but I'm a big proponent of trading back when it makes sense. More than that though, I just think it would be a very funny thing to do after so many years of waiting to host the draft.

[Bogey]

So of the people going.... how will you feel if the Packers trade out of the first round and don't make a pick in the home draft first round?

I’m good with that.

[lupedafiasco]

Im not a fan of this team hoarding picks again. We had 11 last year. 13 the year before. 11 the year before that. The rebuild has already taken place. We have the quantity onthe roster. Now we need to start looking for the quality. Its part of the reason we have a lack of impact players that have been drafted by this team. Moving down just decreases your chances of doing that. Especially when falling talent at positions of need that should be gone but the perpetual &%$@ teams skip out of for god knows what reason. Under no circumstances should Quinyon Mitchell, Jalen Carter, or Justin Jefferson not be on this team. Thats not including just blatantly skipping over top 10 talents like Jeffery Simmons or Christian Gonzalez.

[Labrev]

I really think our best bet is to stay pat and make the pick at 23. Nobody in the tier or two (at most) ahead of us is so good as to warrant giving up a lot to go get them, and the next tier of players, while not dramatically worse, are still a clear step down from the legit 1st Round-caliber guys we will have a shot at at 23.

I tried to construct a doomsday scenario on PFF and, if it were to happen, I would be okay with trading down, but I give it a ~1% chance of happening. An even worse scenario, ~0.2% chance. Even then, there were still some guys there who I'd have been very happy to take.

Take your pick at 23, IMO. There is no great value to be gained in moving from there at all.

[Labrev]

If we should move from anywhere, it should be Round 3 IMO, be that up or down. In the mock draft sims, that has always been the area of the draft where the board really leaves wanting for me, like all the guys available are solidly mid-rounders. We are ass in that round anyway, Kraft and Rhyan notwithstanding.

Round 2 is still quite good, you often have a shot at guys who get mocked into late Round 1. I honestly think you should just go pure BPA there, then either trade up from 3 for the best guy at an unfilled need before a major talent drop-off, or trade back from 3 and try to take several swings at it filling it.

[RingoCStarrQB]

I've seen 3 mock drafts this morning showing the Pack taking a CB in Round 1. So I vote for doing whatever it takes to remove Stokes and Jaire from my memory. Another Gutey induced cluster for a Rodney Dangerfield type to rip in to.
Where is DrJ?

[YoHoChecko]

My concern is if the guys at positions we value are falling because of injury/personal red flags that have them removed from our board.

Mike Green (sexual assault), James Pearce (headcase, immaturity), John Simmons (knee, immaturity whispers), Walter Nolan (headcase, some stuff I haven't bothered to look into yet), Luther Burden (headcase, quitter), Max Hairston (sexual assault), and Will Johnson (knee--degenerative?) could feasibly all be off our boards or significantly discounted; whether you believe that is good or not, it very well may be the case.

If those aren't options, the likelihood that our options dry up early are significantly increased.

[lupedafiasco]

I think Mykell Williams has the highest potential to be a star for the guys falling. I think McMillain offers the most improvement any position in this draft can offer and still be great. Outside I’m of that I would be worried to move up for anyone else unless someone odd falls out of the top 10.

The Michigan CB whose name is escaping me right now I have junk is a really good player but I can see what’s scaring everyone. There’s some Okudah vibes there with the lack of athleticism. He could have tested and ran a 4.5 and gone top 10. That leads me to believe he was scared he couldn’t even make that.

[mnkcarp]

Is it ever going to happen or is it always going to be about to happen?