Bombers draft pick Geoff Gray impresses in first preseason game with Packers

CheeseheadTV.com has released its player grades from Green Bay’s preseason-opening 24-9 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles with rookie guard Geoff Gray earning rave reviews.

Gray, selected eighth overall in May’s CFL draft by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, was the third-ranked prospect on the league’s final Scouting Bureau report. It’s likely Gray would have been the draft’s first overall pick had he not signed with Green Bay as an undrafted free agent on April 29.

The University of Manitoba product was the Packers’ top-rated guard in last week’s preseason contest, earning a +0.9 grade. Gray has three main competitors for a roster spot in Green Bay: Justin McCray, a former Tennessee Titan and Arena League player; Kofi Amichia, the Packers’ sixth-round selection of this year’s draft; and Thomas Evans, an undrafted rookie and college teammate of Eskimo offensive lineman Jacob Ruby.

“Geoff Gray was the player that jumped off the tape the most,” wrote Andrew Herman, who performed the player grades.

Gray, a native of Winnipeg, issued a statement after the CFL draft saying he “would be extremely grateful to be a member of the Blue Bombers” should his football path bring him back to Winnipeg.

Statement from @umbisons OL Geoff Gray on being selected by the #Bombers: pic.twitter.com/6ZXYdT3Sdv

— Ed Tait (@EdTaitWFC) May 7, 2017

Green Bay’s second preseason game will be played on Saturday at 7:30 PM ET in Washington.