Packers Conclude Draft By Picking Nebraska WR Samori Toure

The Green Bay Packers used a third pick on a receiver, going with Nebraska's Samori Toure, a deep threat who worked a lot in the slot.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ 11th and final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft was used on Nebraska receiver Samori Toure.

Toure was the fourth of the team’s seventh-round picks and the seventh pick on Saturday. No. 258 overall selection was the compensatory draft pick received for losing Jamaal Williams to the Lions in free agency last offseason.

Toure opened his career at Montana. He redshirted in 2016, scored 20 touchdowns from 2017 through 2019, and didn’t play in 2020 as the FCS season was canceled by COVID. He transferred to Nebraska for his super-senior season. He caught 46 passes for 898 yards (19.5 average) and five touchdowns. In total, he caught 201 passes for 3,386 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Measureables: 6-0 7/8, 191. 9 1/2 hands. 4.44 40, 4.22 shuttle, 34.5 vertical.

Analytical stats: Of 46 receivers in Sports Info Solutions’ draft guide, Toure ranked third with 11.8 yards per route. He went deep on 55 percent of his routes, the second-highest rate in the class. He ranked 34th with 11 missed tackles for every 100 touches. According to Pro Football Focus, he was tied for 10th in the draft class with 13 receptions on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield. He dropped only two passes.

Said offensive coordinator Matt Lubick to Omaha.com: “He can go up and attack a ball in the air. 50/50 balls aren't 50/50 with him. He goes up and gets them.”

Personal touch: With COVID wiping out 2020, Toure went 625 days between games. It was “torture,” he said. “I’m super-excited,” he told 406 MT Sports. “Can’t even really put it into words. Not even necessarily because of the difference from FCS to FBS, but just because of how long it’s been since I’ve been in a game environment — I had to sit out last year. So I’ve kind of been just counting down the days, and the fact that it’s a Big Ten game that matters, that just takes it to that next level.”

Of his 46 receptions, 33 came in the slot. His 2.77 yards per slot snap ranked ninth in the draft class. “I feel like I have a really good feel for defenses, and that’s a lot of what the slot is — finding holes, finding space, and just kind of having that feel for it,” Toure said. “And I think my experience gives me the opportunity to feel the defense and feel where I’m supposed to be.”

The transfer was done in part to get him to the NFL. “Every game it’s either making money or losing money,” Touré told Omaha.com. “Obviously I’m trying to make money, so I want to do the best I can in these last two games.”

Toure was one of the bigger Scouting Combine snubs. As he told Niners Nation: “It definitely gave me some extra motivation. I felt like I deserved to be at the combine, but that’s just not how it shook out, and that’s fine by me. It definitely gave me some extra motivation, knowing that pro day was my one shot. It was like pro day is my one opportunity to show the scouts what I can do, so I’ve got to leave it all on the field.”

NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Toure displays solid height and athleticism with good play speed. He shows an advanced understanding of leverage and runs routes with good pace. He displays good spatial manipulation to move DB’s off their spot using pace and leverage. Toure displays twitch getting in and out of breaks. Solid hands and downfield tracking catching the ball over his shoulder. Excels getting free releases off of motion using momentum on his routes. He is solid after the catch.