Yes, Green Bay does need to pick an OL in the draft. Hell, maybe two. I don't think it NEEDS to be in the first round. Yet if there is a run on the quarterbacks early like I hope there will be, the Pack might have a shot at one of the really good big guys they normally wouldn't have had a shot at.
OL is one of three positions that I feel a team cannot have enough depth at, and one of 2 positions I feel can always improve. It is also in my mind, the most critical of positions in all of football.
Skill positions are easy. Once a team has 1 or 2 good backs, that team is pretty much set at that position until injuries, age, or pay vs cap becomes a problem. It is the same thing for QBs, WRs, LBers, and Saftey. Once a team gets 'set' at these positions with proven, established starters, and a reliable/serviceable backup, the need is only to provide competition or to weed out a number 2 guy for a better and cheaper one. Now before everyone screams for my blood, let me explain. I don't feel the other positions aren't important overall, I just have reasons to value OL/DL/CB slightly more and OL above all else.
As for OL, DL, and CB, things are a bit different in my mind. An OL and DL can never be too good or too dominant. They can be too expensive however. They also can be too injured. Most SB winning teams, and most perennial postseason contending teams have shown that depth in at least one of these 3 positions is critical to success. Look at the Pack last year. Our depth heading into the season was pretty good at OL and CB, and very good at DL. I think the Packer's ability to overcome all of those injuries was nothing short of amazing and really points to the coaching staff's ability to coach and game plan. Yet the depth at those positions was critical.
OL and DL are the most physically intensive and demanding positions in all of football. Nearly every person who has played positions both on the line and off the line will agree, as well as anybody who has wrestled or trained in any kind of grappling. Every down these guys go full bore into each other and battle to control the line. Injuries are commonplace on the line. Depth at defensive line allows teams to have multiple defensive line packages and line rotations which adds complexity and keeps the lineman fresher into the 4th quarter respectively.
As for the OL, things are even harder. Nearly every team asks their 5 guys to play just about every offensive snap and play each one of those snaps as hard as they can. Most OL don't have the added benefit of rotations and subs. Sure different formations may add TEs or FBs to help out, but not really sub in for them to give them a breather. This is compounded by the fact that the more a team's offense is on the field, the fewer chances their opponent is getting to score. They are at a considerable disadvantage when it comes to their assignment during a possession. For example, when the Pack are playing the Bears, on 1st and 2nd down Chad Clifton has to block any of the Bears DEs, DTs, or LBs depending on the offensive play and the defensive front. Yet on 3rd down, Clifton is almost always going to be the guy keeping Peppers off of Rodgers. As the game goes on both the Bears D and the Packers O get breaks with changes is possession, yet the BEars D rotates lineman and uses blitzes. So Clifton, who is playing every offensive snap, has to deal with fresh pass rushers either in the form of LBs who are faster or fresher Dlineman who had the last few snaps off in order to catch their breath and have a gatorade. So these 5 men have to be durable, smart, tough, agressive, and possess both great mental fortitude and physical endurance.
This is why I think that a team can never be 100% set at OL. Sure a team can have the 5 guys who have great chemistry, skill, strength, and all the other intangibles to make up the starting 5. Yet if one guy goes down, the team needs to have at least one guy at each position who is at least serviceable, so the drop off in production isn't insane. If a teams backup at tackle can't pass block, then once one of the starters goes down, the QB probably will sooner or later.
Now look at where the Packers are right now with their OL. The Packers don't even have every one of the starting 5 guys who can come out and dominate the entire game. Sure, GB won the SB, but how many multiple concussion season can Rodgers have before it effects his play or even his health after football? For this next season, the Packers are set at both Tackles, Center, and one of the Guard positions. Yet, long term, its only one tackle, one guard, and the center. The Packers need a long term solution at left tackle and at the other guard position.
Pats picking at #31.
