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“QB1 Calling Signals — Bobby Cooper of S” (CC BY 2.0) by Ron Cogswell
From draft and develop to their loyal fan base, the Green Bay Packers have a reputation for more than just winning. Not the least of these things is their desire and ability to turn undrafted players into starters. As a result, Packers fans have more than just 7 or 8 drafted players to be excited about. For that reason, we’ll take several days to outline each of the Packers current UFA players. What are the pros, cons, and chances of making the team?
To see other UDFA write-ups, click here.
Overview
The third and final offensive lineman in the series, Adam Pankey played (and played well) at both guard and tackle for the West Virginia Mountaineers. Pankey played 45 games over 4 years, his final 2 years at left guard.
Pankey’s offensive line paved the way for an offense averaging 479.7 yards per game, 34.0 points per game, 228.2 yards rushing per game and 251.5 passing yards per game.
Pankey is listed right now as a G/T on the Packers roster. He is listed at 6’5 313 pounds, roughly the same as Bulaga. At his Pro Day, Pankey ran the 40 in 5.31 seconds.
Pros/Cons
His versatility is an asset. The only other player to be listed as a G/T is Lane Taylor. Although not anyones favorite lineman, Taylor has been a staple of the line for a reason and it’s because he can be trusted to fill in just about anywhere along the line. If Pankey can prove himself as a versatile reserve, he might be able to take Taylor’s spot as the backup nobody wants to play.
The negatives were sort of stated in my backhanded compliments above. Pankey is said to lack the athleticism required for the tackle position and his height and weight aren’t great for a guard. Ultimately it comes down to ability, if the guy can play he can play, but on paper he doesn’t really fit.
Chances of making the team
I’m torn on Pankey. The guy just looks like a road grader, he’s versatile, he played for a big program, everything about him seems like a great fit.
Still, the question of where he fits best and does he fit anywhere is hard to get around. Is he the type of guy like Morgan Burnett that can play well in multiple positions or is he a tweener, a guy that can play multiple positions but none of them very well.
Ultimately that’s the question. He can play guard and tackle but can he play both at an NFL level? Is he athletic enough to play tackle? Can he play with leverage on the inside against Mike Daniels type players?
It’ll be fun to watch.