Packers Undrafted Rookies: Schneider, Moore Ready to Grapple for Roster Spot

Cole Schneider was a dominant pass protector UCF. George Moore started at left tackle and left guard as a seventh-year senior at Oregon.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
May 3, 2022 2:40 PM EDT

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In 2016, the Green Bay Packers drafted two offensive linemen. They also signed an undrafted lineman named Lucas Patrick. After toiling on the practice squad as a rookie, he emerged as a valuable and versatile member of the team with 28 starts at the three interior positions the past two seasons.

With Patrick signing with Chicago in free agency, the Packers drafted three offensive linemen last weekend. They also signed undrafted free agent Cole Schneider of Central Florida. He started 47 games in four seasons, with 46 of those appearances at guard. As a senior, he started one game at center – the position at which he’s listed by the Packers.

“He can play any of the inside positions whether it be right guard, left guard, or center,” UCF offensive line coach Herb Hand told The News-Press. “I think that's been invaluable, that's going to pay dividends because you're bringing great value to an organization to be able to play multiple positions.”

Schneider was a two-time heavyweight champion at Riverdale High School in Palm Beach, Fla. After redshirting in 2017, he embarked on a career in which he earned all-conference accolades all four seasons. As a senior, he did not allow a sack, according to Pro Football Focus, and ranked No. 1 among guards in its pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. He even lined up at fullback and rushed for a touchdown.

Physicality is the bedrock of his game.

“He pulls with ill intentions and tries to kill people,” UCF right tackle Marcus Tatum, who signed with the Jaguars, told The News-Press at pro day. “You couldn’t ask for a better guard than that. I knew when he was pulling in front of me that the (defender) was going to get moved. He’s willing to put his body on the line for anybody and is an all-around good person. He’s always been there for me, always helped me. He let me lean on him the moment I got here.”

Including Schneider, the Packers signed four undrafted blockers. The other interior lineman, at least according to the Packers’ roster, is Oregon’s George Moore.

The top-ranked junior-college offensive tackle following the 2016 season at The College of San Mateo, Moore redshirted in 2017 and played a total of 69 snaps from scrimmage in 2018 and 2019 behind Penei Sewell and Tyrell Crosby. In 2020, he started all seven games at left tackle during the Ducks’ pandemic-shortened season. In 2021, he started 13 games – the first six at left tackle and the final seven at left guard.

According to PFF, he allowed six sacks – three at each position. He’ll be ready for the NFL thanks to regular practice-field battles with Kaylon Thibodeaux, who was the fifth overall pick in the draft by the Giants.

“Coach (Mario) Cristobal is a big believer in the whole ‘iron sharpens iron’ mentality,” Moore told SI.com’s The Spun. “Our front seven was amazing with Kayvon Thibodeaux and several others. All those guys are amazing football players, have high IQs, and made practices tough. We would go head-to-head every single day because we knew that’s what we needed to do to give ourself an opportunity on Saturdays. We knew that we’d need to be physical throughout the week to make sure it helps us have success during games.”

Moore’s college odyssey started in 2015 with a torn ACL and ended last year with his seventh collegiate season.

He will turn 26 on July 31.

“That year I came back from my ACL taught me that you can overcome so much,” Moore told The Athletic. “It just showed me that with time anything can happen, because it was going from sitting in bed every day and not being able to walk, to learning how to walk again and getting range of motion back in my knee and leg. One of my best years was coming back from that.”

On the interior, young starters Jon Runyan, Josh Myers and Royce Newman are back. So, too, are Jake Hanson, a sixth-round pick in 2020 and a former teammate of Moore at Oregon, Cole Van Lanen, a sixth-round pick in 2020 with guard-tackle versatility, and Michal Menet, a seventh-round pick in 2021 by Arizona who the Packers signed in January. One of the draft picks, third-rounder Sean Rhyan, was a three-year starting left tackle at UCLA but could wind up at guard. And that doesn’t include 2020 Pro Bowl guard Elgton Jenkins, who could be back at his customary spot at left guard or swing out to right tackle once he’s beyond his torn ACL.

So, it won’t be easy. But nothing in life that’s worth having is easy.

“I told some of the guys that cage fighting would be the next thing I’m on,” Schneider told The Daily News. “I might want to be a chiropractor, as well. My head’s in a lot of different places. But right now, it’s straight-shot. It’s football.”

Introducing the Packers' Undrafted Free Agents

RB B.J. Baylor, Oregon State

Measurables: 5-10, 202. 4.52 40.

Collegiate resume: Baylor redshirted in 2017 and was used sparingly the next three seasons before leading the Pac-12 with 1,337 rushing yards (5.9 average) in 2021. He scored 13 times in 2021 but had only 16 career receptions. Click here for more on Baylor.

RB Tyler Goodson, Iowa

Measurables: 5-9, 197. 4.42 40.

Collegiate resume: Goodson rushed for 2,551 yards and added 70 receptions in three seasons. He was first-team all-Big Ten in 2020, with 762 rushing yards in eight games, and added career highs of 1,151 rushing yards (4.5 average) and 31 receptions in 2021. Click here for more on Goodson.

C Cole Schneider, Central Florida

Measurables: 6-3 1/8, 309. 31 5/8 arms. 5.22 40.

Collegiate resume: Schneider was a four-year starter, with 46 starts at guard and one as a senior. According to Pro Football Focus, he did not allow a sack and was penalized three times as a senior. Among guards with 250 pass-protecting snaps, Schneider ranked No. 1 in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap.

G George Moore, Oregon

Measurables: 6-5 3/4, 312. 33 7/8 arms. 5.25 40.

Collegiate resume: Moore spent two years in junior college before redshirting with the Ducks in 2017. After playing off the bench for two seasons, he started seven games at left tackle in 2020. As a sixth-year senior in 2021, he started six games at left tackle and seven at left guard. According to PFF, he allowed zero sacks in 2020 but six in 2021.

OT Jahmir Johnson, Texas A&M

Measurables: 6-4 3/8, 290. 33 7/8 arms. DNP testing.

Collegiate resume: A graduate transfer, Johnson started 11 games at left tackle for the Aggies in 2021. He started his career at Rhode Island in 2016 and Arizona Western in 2017 before spending three years at Tennessee. With the Vols, he started 11 games at left guard in 2018 and five games at left tackle in 2020. According to PFF, he allowed one sack but was penalized 10 times in 2021.

OT Caleb Jones, Indiana

Measurables: 6-8 7/8, 370. 36 arms. 5.59 40.

Collegiate resume: The enormous Jones was a three-year starter at the offensive tackle slots, including 12 games at right tackle as a senior. He allowed seven sacks, according to PFF.

WR Danny Davis, Wisconsin

Measurables: 6-0 3/8, 188. 4.59 40.

Collegiate resume: Davis caught 131 passes for 1,642 yards and 14 touchdowns during his Badgers career. As a senior, he caught 32 balls for 478 yards (14.9 average) and a pair of scores with just one drop, according to PFF.

DL Akial Byers, Missouri

Measurables: 6-2 3/4, 308. 34 arms. 5.66 40.

Collegiate resume: A full-time starter for the first time in 2021, Byers had 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for losses among his 23 total tackles during his super-senior season. He had nine tackles for losses in 52 career appearances. PFF credited him with 17 pressures but eight missed tackles.

DL Hauati Pututau, Utah

Measurables: 6-3 1/8, 306. 32 1/4 arms. 5.21 40.

Collegiate resume: Pututau started 12 times in 57 career games. During his super-senior season, he had three sacks and 4.5 TFLs among 18 stops in 14 games (eight starts). Two of his brothers play on the team. PFF credited him with 20 pressures but 10 missed tackles.

LB Caliph Brice, Florida Atlantic

Measurables: 6-1 1/2, 233. 4.50 40.

Collegiate resume: In nine games, Brice had 58 tackles, including 3.5 for losses. He broke up one pass and forced one fumble. A junior-college transfer, his only interception with FAU came in 2019. He missed nine tackles (14.8 percent), according to PFF.

LB Ellis Brooks, Penn State

Measurables: 6-1 3/8, 226. 4.77 40.

Collegiate resume: Brooks broke 100 tackles for the 2021 season (the 23rd player in school history) en route to second-team all-Big Ten and 200 for his career. During his final season, he missed 14 tackles (11.7 percent), according to PFF.

OLB Chauncey Manac, Louisiana

Measurables: 6-2 7/8, 246. 34 1/8 arms. 4.77 40.

Collegiate resume: Manac had a big-time super-senior season with 10.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for losses in 2021. Among edge rushers in this draft class, he ranked 41st with 40 pressures (only two fewer than Boye Mafe and David Ojabo).

CB Raleigh Texada, Baylor

Measurables: 5-10 1/4, 191. 4.40 40.

Collegiate resume: Texada started 37 games during his four seasons. He had one interception and three passes defensed in 2021. According to PFF, he gave up a 63.4 percent completion rate and three touchdowns and was guilty of five penalties. He missed a total of seven tackles the last three seasons.

S Tre Sterling, Oklahoma State

Measurables: 5-11 5/8, 205. 4.70 40

Collegiate resume: Sterling was an honorable mention on the all-Big 12 team as a sophomore and junior. He missed most of his senior season due to injury. In 40 games (22 starts), he finished with 161 tackles, including 22.5 for losses, three sacks and three interceptions. His career missed-tackle rate was 14.3 percent, according to PFF.