Rounds 1-7 Position Needs

R1 - OT - Clifton's Replacement
R2 - OLB - Compliment Mathews on the other side
R3 - DE - Jenkins is likely to be leaving
R4 - WR - Driver is getting older, Jones is a FA
R4 - CB - Woodson is getting older
R5 - (Kick Returner) - Field advantage/Returns for TD's
R6 - ILB - Barnett might be leaving, but Bishop and Hawk should be solid in the middle
R7 - OG - Never hurts to add to the line


This is my opinion on the needs for the Packers in the up and coming season.. if there is a season. What do you guys think?


:chisux:

Barring something stupid like AJ Green or Prince Amukamara plummeting down to us, all I'd adjust on your list is flip-flopping 1 and 2.

Great list, agree with it.

Not all players have good value at those picks remember. Position lists are oversimplifying the draft. Good list but I highly doubt we'll follow that.

Looks good, but maybe switch #1 and #2 around, depending on who's on the board still. I'd like to get Brooks Reed with the 32nd pick.

The return game is ganna be different now...

I cannot believe any proposed draft list that does not include at least 1or 2 WRs and at least 1 QB.

The need at LLB, RDE and T may only be illusory. Only Thompson and McCarthy know whether or not there are needs there. Roster might step up and fill in very well.

I suspect thst the actual draft will look mych diferent than any of the proposals. We know that a replacement for Flynn is necessary and Jones/Driver/Swain situation could present a need for building two new WRs.

Like you said, need at QB and WR may be illusionary as well.
We don't know how Graham Harrell will fare now with 3 years under the scheme. And we don't know how Jermichael being healthy will impact the WRs, as well as Brett Swain's progresss.

My list would look like:

1. BPA
2. BPA
3. BPA
etc.

What is looking good right now, is there is a good chance BPA is OL and DL for the Packer first two or three picks. Packers should be able to get a player or two who can help right away.

I certainly agree with the BPA philosophy and, fortunately, Thompson adheres closely to that.

However, the idea of having a list fine enough to clearly delinineate the value of over 300 players is not possible. A good GM lumps players into groups of roughly equivalent talent. In each grouping are players at several positions. You pick the one you need most in each grouping.

Wolf and Thompson have both insisted on drafting at least on QB each year. When Flynn leaves after this year who are the backups? Even if Harrel develops well (which I doubt) you still need competition to choose between him and another QB.

Same general comments for WR. Driver is on the way out. McCarthy would love to have a WR to replace Jones who can catch most of the passes thrown to him. Swain has been around long enough to prove he is a #5 (partly due to his value on STs). I certainly don't expect him to be anything higher.

Packers is the name and passing is the game. It's the bread and butter of the team

1 - olb
2 - wr
3 - qb
4 - de
4 - t
5 - s
6 - dl
7 - k

I think OL should be our highest priority. I know we might be weaker at our olb opposite clay than our o line, but nothing scares me more than losing Rodgers and if we can keep him healthy for 8+ more years we will be a contender every year. And that starts with the o linemen...

This. You cannot expect to be drafting starters / replacements in the mid / later rounds. You hope that you get 1 or 2 keepers out of picks 4-7. I do agree with your positional assessments though.

Spending the first 2 picks on some combination of CB / OT / OLB seems logical. The problem for me is I'm just not liking any of the players likely to be available at those positions.

OT
Castonzo(Bears fan) and Carimi will be gone. Tyron Smith is a bit of a mystery but I don't see us taking him if he's available. Injuries.
Very skeptical of Solder and Sherrod.

CB
Peterson and Amukamara will be gone. The best prospect for me after those two is Davon House, ranked as th 7th best CB by CBSsports. Any 1st round CB pick will have high bust potential.

OLB
Von Miller will be gone. The Pack could have their pick of Akeem Ayers, Justin Houston, or Brooks Reed. Not sure what to make of Ayers, he very likely will be gone before 32. Brooks Reed looks an exciting player but also looks to be a very one dimensional. As much as I dislike Georgia and most everything that comes from GA, Justin Houston could be the best of that bunch, although there are questions about him as well being that he is more of a natural DE.

I agree with Kiper that although this is a deep draft, many of the projected 1st round talent is "iffy".

I see this as a very important draft for the packers to solidify depth, and add at least one key player at OT / CB / OLB. We have an excellent GM and top notch scouting dept. There will no doubt be surprises. Lets hope we get it right.

I like the list and ideas. Although it is merely just stating it, we all know that the draft cannot nor will work our according to plan. Do a fantasy football draft and you just kinda have to roll with what you got. I am excited (and nervous) because although I do not think to many of these guys will make an impact this year, the draft is still vital to win MORE Super Bowls in the years to come.

BTW - the next person who says we should draft a QB should be slapped. LOL. McCarthy is one of, if not the greatest "QB Coaches" in the game. We need solid guys who can manage a game, not draft a guy who will end up being Rodger's shadow.

I dont think there is anything wrong with planning ahead for when Flynn leaves the Packers and nothing wrong with drafting a QB, with the idea of trading him for a higher pick in the future.

You mean like Rodgers was Favre's "shadow"?

All I know is..we have a lot of other problems than drafting a QB in the 3rd round. You must be out your damn mind. And a WR in the 2nd? I don't know about that considering OLB and OL is two of three of your main concerns for the draft, the other being DL. There is no way that those two spots will be taken up by a WR and QB.

With all the guys coming back from IR, I don't care if the best player available at the end of round 1 is a running back. Take him. Grant needs to prove he can still play after the injury, and Starks needs to prove he can play full time and be productive on a consistant basis. We already know Brandon Jackson won't cut it.

A lot of you guys make some valid points and have pretty cogent arguments but I see the Pack's needs a little differently.

Most needed- DE/OL: I think that Jenkins and Jolly are both going to be gone. This draft has a lot of First Round Worthy talent on the defensive line. Many have some risk but thats expected in the first round. If he falls to us, I really like Muhammad Wilkerson from Temple. As for OL, its a need. We are going to lose Colledge to FA, Clifton is not getting any younger, and as much as it pains me to say, I think Tauscher is done. Bulaga played well and will get better but we need a replacement for Clifton. OL is also pretty stacked for First Round Worthy talent in this years draft.

Needed but not critical- OLB/WR/CB: Talent worthy to start at these positions would be great. Unfortunately, I don't really see all that many this year, and I don't think any will fall to the 32nd pick. I think Von Miller is the only OLB worthy of a first round look. The rest are a reach if taken before mid-second round. Brooks Reed is a good player but until his flashy workout numbers he was a mid-late second round pick. Yet just like every year, analysts fall in love with 40 times or bench reps and guys start to climb. Brooks Reed is one of these guys. I love Brooks Reed at 64, not at 32.

WR is also a need I feel. I don't think it's critical, but the need is there. James Jones might leave. Driver, as amazing as he is, is not a young guy anymore, and his style of play is going to land him into injury land more often now. That leaves Jennings and Nelson. I have no issue with those 2 and a healthy Driver, yet if Green Bay is going to spread defenses out and use those 4 and 5 wide formations, we will need another guy. I also think it would make sense to find a WR who has good return skills so the Pack doesn't risk injury to Williams and Woodson by using them as return guys.

CB is a position that is always as need in my mind. I think good depth of quality corners is a big part of a playoff run. Williams is a beast and should be for a long time. Shields came from nowhere to be very good, and he will only get better. Woodson is still the man but we should be looking for his replacement or the new nickelback if Shields makes the jump from good rookie to great second year man.

As for most of the other positions, I don't see a need for them. There are still a lot of unanswered questions due to the CBA/Lockout stuff, and the guys coming back from injuries. As in everything, the more info we have, the better we know whats going on.

There are a few other things to consider as well. I can see TT trading up or trading back in the draft, depending on the CBA stuff and how the first few picks go. I could see them trading back with a team like Carolina, who has multiple drastic needs. I could see Carolina taking AJ Green or maybe one of the big defensive studs, then trading for the 32nd pick in order to draft Locker or one of the higher rated QBs if they are still on the board.

As far as picks go, this is my best case scenario for the first 3 rounds.
1. Muhammad Wilkerson or Carimi/Sherrod/Tyron Smith
2. Brooks Reed or Torrey Smith
3. Dontay Moch

In the later rounds I really like Owen Marecic and Zach Hurd. I think they are both underrated, and the type of players that will flourish in Green Bay.

Best thing I have heard all day........lol. He needs to be replaced anyhow!

Guess in your opinion I am out of my damn mind.

Go look at Teds history of drafting a WR. Then tell me im out of my mind. James Jones 3rd, Jordy Nelson 2nd, Greg Jennings 2nd. Yeah its completely crazy to think that based on previous drafts TT could take a WR early LOL

I would like to see them look at QB in round 3 or 4 just based off of the fact that Flynn is gone next season and we need to get a back up QB up to speed in 1 year. I would rather not try and bottom feed for that in this draft if they feel their is someone out there they like.

I'm with you IVO. I also think that if the CBA is done before the draft, Green Bay could trade Flynn and their first or second round pick to one of the QB desperate teams like Carolina, Cinci, or San Francisco, for their first round pick this year or next year and maybe next year's second. Something along those lines. It would be a positive for both sides.

Green Bay would get a shot at the handfull of prospects who can be legitimate starters from day one, and/or 1 or 2 good picks in a future draft. Or if for example, they got Cinci's first round pick next year and their second round pick this year, they would easily have a shot in the second round at any 2 players they like who are on the board still in an area of need or many other options. Cinci would get a young quaterback who has shown in NFL games that he has the ability to lead an offense and be successful. Matt Flynn the proven backup is a lot less risky than Newton/Locker/Gabbert/etc-the unproven rookies. Hell, depending on how the picks went, Green Bay could take Muhammad Wilkerson at 32 if he was there and Brooks Reed at 35 if he was there. Or maybe one of those two second round picks could be used in another trade.

I feel it in my bones that Flynn won't resign. He will go to another team where he can have a shot to start. I don't blame him. I think that it gives the Packers a very unique opportunity given this draft class, the amount of teams who need a qb, and how the Packers' roster sits as of now.

I called it back in Early March....