Packers Boast One of NFL’s Highest RAS

By Relative Athletic Score, the Green Bay Packers have assembled one of the most athletic rosters in the NFL.

Edgerrin Cooper does the broad jump at the Combine. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – During NFL Draft season, there might not be a more used acronym than RAS.

RAS is short for Relative Athletic Score. Developed by self-described math junkie and football nut Kent Lee Platte, RAS takes all of a player’s key measurables – height, weight, 40-yard time and the like – and boils them all down into one position-specific score that’s placed on a 0 to 10 spectrum, with 0.0 being the worst prospect in the history of mankind and 10.0 being the best of the best.

Platte recently created an X thread detailing the cumulative RAS for every team in the NFL. The Packers ranked seventh with an average RAS of 7.69.

“The Packers have been one of the highest RAS drafting teams for some time, so it was a bit surprising to see them ‘only’ seventh in the NFL for their roster,” Platte wrote in an e-mail to Packer Central. “However, the averages are quite close, and the Packers have been doing this for a while, so it really makes sense that a few teams would jump them for their roster average because of team retooling with a new GM or just other teams with an extreme focus on athleticism (Colts and Eagles for example).

“By comparison, Packers have been very focused on top-tier athletes, but they've been willing to take a few swings in the draft, as well, and this actually shows up even more frequently in free agency, where the testing data seems to mean a lot less (as it should, once players have established themselves).”

Even with the additions of Xavier McKinney, whose all-time RAS is 6.24, and Josh Jacobs, whose all-time RAS is 5.87, it is notable that their last six rosters have been their most athletic since 2010. Those rosters were assembled by general manager Brian Gutekunst, who is in Year 7 on the job. While there have been outliers in every draft, it’s clear Gutekunst values bigger, faster and stronger.

“I think first of all, most importantly, you’ve got to be able to play this game,” Gutekunst said before the draft. “But I do think there’s certain athletic traits that you have to have to be able to compete at the level we want to compete at, and I do think guys that have those have a tendency to be able to have higher ceilings and get better because, if you’re lacking in certain areas, there’s going to be a ceiling.

“So, again, the most important thing is how you play the game – whether you can play it a high level or not. But having certain athletic attributes I think allows you to improve and get better and maybe have a little bit of a higher ceiling at times.”

In the 2024 draft, Gutekunst selected 11 players. Eight not only beat the Green Bay average but had a RAS of at least 8.18. The exceptions? Third-round linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper (7.42), seventh-round cornerback Kalen King (6.68) and sixth-round offensive lineman Travis Glover (4.72).

The two highest scores were first-round offensive lineman Jordan Morgan (9.25) and fifth-round offensive lineman Jacob Monk (9.73).

“Bigger, faster, stronger is always something that’s enticing to us,” Gutekunst said at the end of the draft.

They fit right in on a line that includes Zach Tom (9.59) at right tackle, Sean Rhyan (8.17) at right guard and Elgton Jenkins (9.32) at left guard. (Left tackle Rasheed Walker and center Josh Myers did not go through predraft testing due to injuries so do not have a RAS.)

“I think you’re always looking for athletic linemen, especially when you consider who they’re going up against every play,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “The athleticism on the defensive lines around the league is typically superior to the athleticism of the offensive line, so you want to have big guys that can anchor and move their feet and stay in front of people.”

The Packers selected six players on defense this year. Their RAS: second-round linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (9.13), second-round safety Javon Bullard (8.25), Hopper (7.42), fourth-round safety Evan Williams (8.20), fifth-round safety Kitan Oladapo (8.18) and King (6.68).

“Obviously, a lot of speed. They bring a lot of speed,” Gutekunst said after selecting Cooper and Bullad. “These guys are really good football players. They run and hit. I think with Bullard, he’s very versatile. He can play the nickel, he can play safety, he’s done a lot of things. He’s a big-time leader for that football team at Georgia, which has been very, very good. And then obviously, Cooper, the speed that he brings to the table at the linebacker position is rare.

“So, I think we got a lot faster, which I wanted to do this weekend.”

The Packers are the only NFC North team in the Top 10. The Detroit Lions are 12th but have improved significantly over the last few years.

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