For some, the annual NFL Draft is a time to speculate on which player will be taken by which team and to criticize their favorite team for not taking the player they thought they would.
For the months and weeks leading up to the draft, sports talk shows on radio and TV air segments dedicated to speculation and their guesses on who is going where, but as former Green Bay Packer O-Lineman Evan Smith said on the latest episode of the On The Line Podcast, it’s all a show.
“It’s reality. It’s TV. People need some kinda controversy, something to yell about,” he said. “At the end of the day, nobody is really going to know until the guys step onto the field.”
While Evan did not want to make any player predictions, based on his experience in the Packer organization, he said he is seeing some eerie similarities to when he entered the league.
“When they took BJ (Raji) and Clay (Matthews) in the first round. Fast forward, a year after that, they take (Brian) Bulaga, and win a super bowl,” he recalled.
He also noted that the Packers are in a very good position “to add a lot of depth and a lot of really good players at a lot of spots on the offense. They could go after offensive linemen because I think skill-wise, they are pretty good.”
Smith also pointed to who he believes will be the dark horse this year.
“I think Micheal Penix Jr. is going to be the sleeper quarterback in the draft,” he said. “I think, what’s going to translate into how the game is played in the NFL, that guy has it.”
The first round of the 2024 NFL Draft will be aired on various TV stations starting at 7:00 p.m., with the Packers currently holding 11 picks, including number 25.
You can hear the full episode of the On The Line Podcast, including Evan’s story of waiting for a call on draft night and a discussion with Luna Tic and Just The Hip from Fox Cities Roller Derby, on Spotify, the PodBean App, Apple Podcasts, or on the On The Line Podcast website.
