NEWSLETTER
The latest page in this particular chapter of football’s most storied rivalry takes us north of the border to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and straight to offensive line prospect Nathan Trewyn.
Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com highlights small-school standouts who are garnering attention from teams ahead of the NFL Draft. Pauline notes that Trewyn is “presently drawing a lot of interest” from the Chicago Bears and Green Packers. RIVALRY ALERT!!!
Here is what Pauline had to say about this potential under-the-radar draft possibility:
“Trewyn had the benefit of participating in the NFLPA Game, but he deserves mention. He’s a tough, wide-bodied blocker at the pivot who plays with terrific fundamentals. Depending on who you speak with, there are as few as seven draftable centers available this year, and a few of them are guards who project to center. The result is that Trewyn could land in the seventh round.”
Trewyn checks in at 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds, which is considerable size for a small-school prospect. He earned the Rimington Award winner (given to Division III’s best center) and a first-team All-American, as voted on by the Associated Press and D3football.com. And as Pauline noted, Trewyn was the only Division III player to play in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl. So while small-school prospects scare some fans off, a prospect with NFL caliber size who proved to be a dominant force is worth keeping an eye on.
The Bears seem set at center with Cody Whitehair or James Daniels, but the team could further bolster the interior line with a seventh-round pick like Trewyn who could provide some depth and bring some new options to the table. And with Kyle Long’s injury history being what it is, having a reserve center who could take over in the middle while moving Whitehair (or Daniels) out to guard isn’t the worst idea.
The long-standing rivalry between the teams was given new life last year, in part because it has extended beyond the field of play. Green Bay had rumored interest in Vic Fangio and Allen Robinson last year, then signed safety Adrian Amos in March. Chicago was rumored to be intrigued by Jimmy Graham before he signed with the Packers last offseason, was connected to Morgan Burnett on the rumor mill, and eventually snagged long-time Green Bay standout safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix as a free agent this offseason.
As someone who watched the Cubs swipe John Lackey and Jason Heyward from the Cardinals, then saw those birds lure away fan favorite Dexter Fowler, I know how much fun an arms race between rivals can be.
And we’re starting to see it with the Bears and Packers. Bring it on, cheeseballs!
