Facts you may have missed about each Packers draft choice in 2018

After nearly a week of draft grades, analyses and learning how to pronounce “Equanimeious,” Packers fans will now get to learn a little more about the newcomers to the team when rookie mini-camp gets under way this weekend.

There are 11 new draft picks coming to Green Bay. Here are some facts you may have missed about the draftees:

Jaire Alexander, CB, Louisville

He has a connection to Terrell Buckley. Packers fans may have strong feelings about Buckley, the 1992 first-round draft choice that compares to Alexander as an undersized cornerback and also as the first draft choice by a new Packers GM. The two also worked together when Buckley was the cornerbacks' coach at Louisville. Today, Buckley is a coach for Mississippi State.

Probably the best Alexander moment from the draft came when Louisville teammate Lamar Jackson was selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the final pick of the first round, and Alexander started celebrating mid-interview.

Josh Jackson, CB, Iowa

He was Iowa’s entire offense – while playing defense – against Wisconsin. Badgers fans will remember this one, when Jackson returned two interceptions to the house against the Badgers on Nov. 11, a 43-yard and 52- yard return that accounted for all of Iowa’s points in a 38-14 UW victory.

Perhaps more interesting is that Jackson was just a backup in 2016 but improved his attention to detail and, coupled with his considerable physical gifts, built himself into a player who was seeing his name in the first round of many mock drafts. Two seasons ago at Iowa, he played behind Desmond King, who had a solid rookie year with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017.

Oren Burks, LB, Vanderbilt

He’s been deeply involved in his community at Vanderbilt. Burks is the great-nephew of Andrew Jackson White, a pastor and Civil Rights leader in Virginia, and the sense of civic involvement has trickled down to Burks.

He served as president of Vanderbilt’s Student-Athlete Advisory Council and co-founded REVAMP (Revitalizing, Empowering Vanderbilt’s African American Male Population), a mentoring organization for black males on campus.

J’Mon Moore, WR, Missouri

His family was impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Moore played at Missorui but is a Houston native, and his family was in the crosshairs of Hurricane Harvey last year.

Though his family’s home was not damaged as badly as others in the neighborhood, it was a tense time for Moore. In the team’s season opener, he carried the Texas state flag onto the field as a tribute to his family and neighbors back home

Cole Madison, OL, Washington State

He has glorious hair. Madison’s long mane is probably something that already caught the attention of Packers fans, and it’s going to give him some resemblance on the field to Pro Bowl left tackle David Bakhtiari.

That’s not where the resemblance stops. At Washington State, Madison was second-team All Conference in the Pac-12, which is exactly what Bakhtiari was before leaving after his junior season for the draft.

Also – buckle up for this – Madison is not on social media.

JK Scott, P, Alabama

His dad was a Badgers track and field standout. This is another detail that hasn’t escaped the draft post-mortems. Scott may hail from Denver, Colorado, and Alabama’s football team, but his father grew up in Wisconsin and competed in the pole vault at the University of Wisconsin. In fact, Kim Scott was a record-holder in his event at UW after a standout career at Madison West.

His family still owns a lake house in Hayward. He said his entire family grew up Packers fans, particularly of former quarterback Brett Favre.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling, WR, South Florida

His back is a remarkable tattoo honoring his roots. Valdes-Scantling recently turned his back into a canvas, with an elaborate back tattoo that recognizes his South Florida roots. The image features the skyline of St. Petersburg, and below that is an image of Raymond James Stadium and the USF logo.

He said the stadium alone took five hours to complete.

Equanimeous St. Brown, WR, Notre Dame

His dad was Mr. Universe, and his mom only speaks to her children in German. Father John Brown is basically a bodybuilding legend, having won two Mr. Universe titles and three Mr. World crowns. In September, Sports Illustrated produced a fascinating portrayal of the family that discusses the unconventional naming convention used for his three sons, all of whom are elite wide receiver talents.

The name “Equanimeous” stems from a novel written by a friend of John’s, but his full name, as well as those of brothers Osiris and Amon-Ra, stem from Egyptian, among other sources. Mother Miriam, a native of Germany, only texts and speaks to her children in German, and all three are versed in several languages.

James Looney, DE, California

He has Looney Tunes tattoos and an older brother who is a Cowboy. Older brother Joe Looney has been in the NFL since 2012 and seen action in 59 games (13 starts). For the past two seasons, he’s been an offensive lineman with the Dallas Cowboys.

Looney is a personable guy, also with notable hair and a litany of tattoos. Riffing on his own last name, he has several “Looney Tunes” tattoos, including images of Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, the Tasmanian Devil and Tweety on his arm.

Hunter Bradley, LS, Mississippi State

He almost quit football before latching on as long snapper. The Packers opened some eyes when they drafted a long snapper, but they picked one who has worked hard to get to this point in his career.

After four knee surgeries appeared to put Bradley on a path out of football, he began trying the art of snapping, following in the footsteps of his father, a former college long snapper. A teammate’s comment, inquiring why the walk-on would keep giving it a go when it was clear his career was going nowhere, also served as fuel to the fire.

Kendall Donnerson, OLB, Southeast Missouri State

Last year, pro day at his school was canceled because of lack of interest. Donnerson is a bit of an unknown commodity, hailing from Southeast Missouri State. He was one of five players at the school’s Pro Day, attended by five NFL teams (the Packers weren’t one of them, though Donnerson came to Green Bay for a pre-draft visit). Last year, the school canceled the Pro Day when it was clear no NFL teams were interested.