What positions will be the focus in the 2013 draft?

[rodell330]

1st rd. Barret Jones C Alabama would be the most logical pick here and probably penciled in as the starter the moment he hears his name called. I like this dude, i hate Alabama but Jones is a football player and he brings toughness which is something we need to see on our o-line. I love the fact that this guy can be a standout at Tackle or center. The more versatility the better.

2nd rd. I'd trade up for this guy in a heart beat. John Simon DE Ohio State. Hey call me bias but i love everything about Simon. He is the toughest guy in college football imo and is a gym rat. Any guy who can go from being a stud on the d-line to an even bigger stud playing in space as a backer has major upside. Relentless motor and is a sure tackler with good speed (4.7 4o) and knack for the football. Could take reps from AJ Hawk as a middle lb or give us flexibility to use him as a rush end on passing downs. This guy could be the next JJ Watt and that is no exaggeration.

3rd rd. Deandre Hopkins Wr Clemson. With Driver and Jennings both likely gone after this year we need to add some depth at wr. Hopkins could leap frog Boykin and whoever else will be fighting for that 4th wr spot. Heres a guy who is as productive as they come, Great route runner who can make things happen once he gets the ball in his hands as he has 16 tochdowns. Just another weapon for Rodgers.

4th rd. Stepfan Taylor Rb Stanford. I see Starks, and Grant gone for sure but Benson is still a question mark as he did only sign for one year but will TT Tag him or bring him back?e he was on pace for a great year before he got hurt. Taylor is a smart durable, and productive back who could possibly the "guy" one day in Green Bay. Reminds me of Doug Martin.

5th Rd. Colin Klein Qb Kansas State. Anyone is better than Graham Harell as Rodgers backup but Klein is an interesting player because most people have him going in the fifth or 4th round but you would think a guy who got as much hype as he did would go earlier right? Is it his funky throwing style that scares GM's away? could be... because the guy is a winner and he can put a team on his back.

To lazy to do the other slections but i think the first five spots could be huge for us as we have really no glaring weakness but do need some depth and upgrade the o-line.

 

[ivo610]

WR in the 2nd.

MLB in the 1st.

Maybe a safety in the 3rd.

Agree on a back up QB.

Picking so late it's hard to know what to expect. This early makes it even harder.

 

[Jordyruns]

These next couple games (or more) will be very telling of what we will draft.

If EDS looks good at OC I could see TT not drafting an OC, or maybe picking one up in a late round instead.

I wanted a DE for the longest time, but if Neal and Raji (especially Neal) keep playing the way they have been then I see no need to pick one up in an early round.

If Finley continues to look like the Finley of old then maybe we do end up keeping him one more year so a TE becomes less of an early need, especially with Quarless hopefully coming back.

We don't know if Sherrod or Bulaga have serious injuries that would warrant an early round OT to be picked.

Too early to say for sure IMO but going by dream pick I still want either a stud OC (Cooper or Jones, I'll let TT decide) to keep Rodgers safe, or Eifert from ND.

ILB is an interesting idea.

 

[Aaron rodgers is god]

Our main needs are Center, Tackle, Runningback, Tight End
Minor Needs- Wide receiver, Safety, OLB, Back up QB. Then just allow TT to fill these needs with best player available.

 

[rodell330]

These next couple games (or more) will be very telling of what we will draft.

If EDS looks good at OC I could see TT not drafting an OC, or maybe picking one up in a late round instead.

I wanted a DE for the longest time, but if Neal and Raji (especially Neal) keep playing the way they have been then I see no need to pick one up in an early round.

If Finley continues to look like the Finley of old then maybe we do end up keeping him one more year so a TE becomes less of an early need, especially with Quarless hopefully coming back.

We don't know if Sherrod or Bulaga have serious injuries that would warrant an early round OT to be picked.

Too early to say for sure IMO but going by dream pick I still want either a stud OC (Cooper or Jones, I'll let TT decide) to keep Rodgers safe, or Eifert from ND.

ILB is an interesting idea.

The thing with Neal is he's a chop block away from being on IR...with his injury history that's fair to say. I think John Simon is one of the more interesting picks in the entire draft and should be able to contribute right away wherever he goes. When my Buckeyes had issues with injuries at Lb and took our best d-linemen and converted him to a lb i nearly lost it...until he became our best lb. I think if you add a guy like this to go along with Matthews? we could become a great defense and stay great for a long time.

 

[rodell330]

Our main needs are Center, Tackle, Runningback, Tight End
Minor Needs- Wide receiver, Safety, OLB, Back up QB. Then just allow TT to fill these needs with best player available.

If i'm TT i'm eyeing Barret Jones. Taking an o-linemen in the 1st round isn't **** but it shows we are committed to protecting our elite qb. The best attribute about Jones is he can play tackle or Center. Kills two birds with one stone.

 

[ExpatPacker]

If i'm TT i'm eyeing Barret Jones. Taking an o-linemen in the 1st round isn't **** but it shows we are committed to protecting our elite qb. The best attribute about Jones is he can play tackle or Center. Kills two birds with one stone.

I agree that Barrett Jones would be an excellent fit for the Packers, and if he's available late in the 1st TT should very seriously considering taking him.

I don't know much about John Simon. He's rated as the #4 DE in the draft who can also play OLB. Seems to me like he may be a bit small to play DE in a 3-4.

Not sure that Deandre Hopkins would be available late in the 3rd, but if he was he'd be a good pick.

 

[rodell330]

I agree that Barrett Jones would be an excellent fit for the Packers, and if he's available late in the 1st TT should very seriously considering taking him.

I don't know much about John Simon. He's rated as the #4 DE in the draft who can also play OLB. Seems to me like he may be a bit small to play DE in a 3-4.

Not sure that Deandre Hopkins would be available late in the 3rd, but if he was he'd be a good pick.

I like Hopkins as well...i'd honestly be shocked if he was still around in the third but one can hope. As far as Simon? we can move him to a standup spot and let him rush the qb, i think he's a bit small for a 3-4 DE but he's strong as a bull and rock solid. He may be a olb/mlb in the NFL.

 

[Aaron rodgers is god]

If i'm TT i'm eyeing Barret Jones. Taking an o-linemen in the 1st round isn't **** but it shows we are committed to protecting our elite qb. The best attribute about Jones is he can play tackle or Center. Kills two birds with one stone.

You have to get the big guys early but the draft is so far away and people are going to be moving up and down draft boards all year, so i'm not that concerned right now

 

[TJV]

Even if EDS does well at OC I consider that a top need because there's no clear backup there once Saturday departs. I'd be thrilled if they pick the top rated OC in the first round, but they may find a viable option there in the 3rd round if they think EDS is the OC of the future.

One of their top needs IMO is a NT type run stopper. After Pickett (listed at 338 lbs.) and Raji (337) the next heaviest DL is the newly added Jordan Miller at 309. All the rest are around 300 pounds. Of course weight alone isn't enough and if a lighter DL is really special he can be a legit run stopper. But I don't see that player on the Packers (if Neal continues to improve he'd come the closest). Pickett is often the unsung hero of the DL and I really appreciate his contribution to the team. But he turned 33 last October so the end of his career is definitely in sight. I'm certainly not saying they'll look for one in the first round, but if a talented big man available slides down the draft board, I won't be surprised to see them take him in round one. The surprise will be one of them is available at the end of the first round.

With Bulaga and Sherrod returning I wonder how Thompson and his staff are viewing OT. Fans may be more anxious about the position than the Packers.

I think there's a good chance Thompson and staff won't see a huge need on the team which will free them up more than usual - even for them - to pick the player at one of several positions who they have at the top of their board. For example: If they're more comfortable than many of us are with Bulaga, Sherrod, Newhouse, and Barclay coming back at OT, with EDS as the likely starter at OC, with Nelson, Cobb, Jones and the youngsters at WR, with Green and Harris (and perhaps one old vet - Grant or Benson) at RB, with the TE group with the return of Quarless, with the relatively deep DL, LB corp (they may be sold on Perry's return and starting status), and DBs…

What I'm saying is they may not see one or two positions they "have" to fill in the first round. And that is a great position for a GM and personnel staff that excels at evaluating talent. So IMO the pick in the first round could be any level of the D - I think another need on D is safety opposite Burnett. I think it could be anything on offense except for QB and FB.

 

[rodell330]

Hopefully Bulaga doesn't have as serious of an injury as Bo Jackson did with his hip. The thing about Sherrod and Bulaga that is most disheartening is those two were both drafted in the first round to be the right and left tackle for years to come. We barely have seen Sherrod and bulaga was struggling before he went down.

 

[ivo610]

Hopefully Bulaga doesn't have as serious of an injury as Bo Jackson did with his hip. The thing about Sherrod and Bulaga that is most disheartening is those two were both drafted in the first round to be the right and left tackle for years to come. We barely have seen Sherrod and bulaga was struggling before he went down.

Its a fracture in the hip capsule not a dislocation. Doctors expect him to be ready for training camp.

 

[Jordyruns]

People are very quick to discount how well Bulaga improved his rookie season, played like champion his second season, and looked better as the 2012 season progressed. He was awful at the beginning of this season, no one is denying that. He had a rough 4-6 games to start the season off (not the first person to struggle for a stretch of a season) but he looked similar to his old self the few games before he went down. If he was still around I would feel much better when Rodgers drops back. Barclay may be good at run blocking but he is our worst pass blocker now that Saturday is out.

I also still have faith in Sherrod after all there is nothing in terms of game play to say differently, right.

The only line position I would want drafted early is an OC.

 

[13 Times Champs]

Tackle 1st . This could either be addressed through free agency or the draft. There's a lot of free agent OT's going to be available. Neither Newsome or Bulaga have proven themselves. Both struggled. I still think Newsome would be better at guard. Lang is also not solid at guard. The jury is still out on Sherrod but even if he develops that still leaves us a man short. Then RB, DL, WR, backup QB, kicker, and center. Hopeful here that EDS plays well the remainder of the season. We have Bishop coming back so we don't need a ILB(there's no MLB in the 3-4 set btw). Hawk has been solid this year.

 

[BorderRivals.com]

I'd absolutely love the Packers to take a shot at Marcus Lattimore in the 2nd rd. I know he's got knee injuries and, as a result, it's questionable whether he'd have the same effectiveness when he's healthy. But, the guy was a flat-out stud when he played, even following his first knee injury. Remember, McGahee returned to have a long and successful career following a devastating knee injury late in his college career. Given our need at RB, I think it would be worth the risk for a 2nd rd. pick to get a potential stud like that.

 

[rodell330]

I'd absolutely love the Packers to take a shot at Marcus Lattimore in the 2nd rd. I know he's got knee injuries and, as a result, it's questionable whether he'd have the same effectiveness when he's healthy. But, the guy was a flat-out stud when he played, even following his first knee injury. Remember, McGahee returned to have a long and successful career following a devastating knee injury late in his college career. Given our need at RB, I think it would be worth the risk for a 2nd rd. pick to get a potential stud like that.

To risky imo..i was going to say him as well but idk. 2nd may be to high for him. Mcgahee had 1 major knee injury this guy has had two.

 

[jaybadger82]

2nd rd. I'd trade up for this guy in a heart beat. John Simon DE Ohio State. Hey call me bias but i love everything about Simon. He is the toughest guy in college football imo and is a gym rat. Any guy who can go from being a stud on the d-line to an even bigger stud playing in space as a backer has major upside. Relentless motor and is a sure tackler with good speed (4.7 4o) and knack for the football. Could take reps from AJ Hawk as a middle lb or give us flexibility to use him as a rush end on passing downs. This guy could be the next JJ Watt and that is no exaggeration.

Your ******** is showing.

Wisconsin fan speaking here: let's dial back the Watt comparisons a bit. Simon's measurables don't approach Watt's and the former Badger has more diesel than Simon will ever boast. Ryan Kerrigan is a much better comparison but if we could add a Ryan Kerrigan in the second round of the draft, I would be ecstatic.

 

[rodell330]

I bet simon has the better rookie season -_-

 

[jaybadger82]

I bet simon has the better rookie season -_-

Better than Watt or Kerrigan?

...And if you're going to compare Simon to JJ, I think the more pertinent question is whether he puts up a second season like Watt's.

 

[jaybadger82]

With regards to the original topic, I would like to see the Packer's look for a slot corner/dime safety to replace Woodson over the next year or two. They should look for a bigger, longer guy (6'+) that is a tough as nails tackler. Football intelligence necessary. I think this type offers major utility in today's NFL. (Doesn't have to be a top pick. Just a project to look for in the later rounds.)

 

[HyponGrey]

1st rd. Barret Jones C Alabama would be the most logical pick here and probably penciled in as the starter the moment he hears his name called. I like this dude, i hate Alabama but Jones is a football player and he brings toughness which is something we need to see on our o-line. I love the fact that this guy can be a standout at Tackle or center. The more versatility the better.

2nd rd. I'd trade up for this guy in a heart beat. John Simon DE Ohio State. Hey call me bias but i love everything about Simon. He is the toughest guy in college football imo and is a gym rat. Any guy who can go from being a stud on the d-line to an even bigger stud playing in space as a backer has major upside. Relentless motor and is a sure tackler with good speed (4.7 4o) and knack for the football. Could take reps from AJ Hawk as a middle lb or give us flexibility to use him as a rush end on passing downs. This guy could be the next JJ Watt and that is no exaggeration.

3rd rd. Deandre Hopkins Wr Clemson.

4th rd. Stepfan Taylor Rb Stanford.

5th Rd. Colin Klein Qb Kansas State. Anyone is better than Graham Harell as Rodgers backup but Klein is an interesting player because most people have him going in the fifth or 4th round but you would think a guy who got as much hype as he did would go earlier right? Is it his funky throwing style that scares GM's away? could be... because the guy is a winner and he can put a team on his back.

To lazy to do the other slections but i think the first five spots could be huge for us as we have really no glaring weakness but do need some depth and upgrade the o-line.

Simon is a bit slow, Would rather get Nate Williams in the later rounds. Hopkins will be gone in the 2, Taylor in 3 at least more likely 2. Klein... No. Just no. I'd take Harrell AND Coleman over him.

 

[Einstein McFly]

We'll have to see if people think Jones can actually play tackle in the pros folks. Plenty of guys who play tackle their whole college career can't hack it in the pros, so a guy that's been moved to center isn't a shoe-in to be able to play any position on the line in the pros just because he did in college. Either way though, I'm not sold on EDS as the long term solution at center, so I'm hoping that they draft someone in the first three that can be really solid (or they can develop Van Roten or someone else to take the job).

In terms of other positions, it's really kinda tough right now because we still don't know what we have with Perry (he seems to be good against the run but showed nothing rushing the passer) and we don't know if Worthy will every be more than a one move and stop guy. Honestly, I've been pretty disappointed in him after seeing him take over against the Badgers last year. He just hasn't done much at all this year. Of course, Cullen Jenkins wasn't much for the first couple years he was in the league either.

It seems like drafting run stuffers is a lot safer to do than pass rushers, and making sure that CM3 gets lots of favorable down/distance to get after it could help the team almost as much as getting another mediocre pass rusher. We'll see. Lots of football to be played, and I'm not going to start doubting TT now.

 

[HyponGrey]

In terms of other positions, it's really kinda tough right now because we still don't know what we have with Perry (he seems to be good against the run but showed nothing rushing the passer) and we don't know if Worthy will every be more than a one move and stop guy. Honestly, I've been pretty disappointed in him after seeing him take over against the Badgers last year. He just hasn't done much at all this year. Of course, Cullen Jenkins wasn't much for the first couple years he was in the league either.

It seems like drafting run stuffers is a lot safer to do than pass rushers, and making sure that CM3 gets lots of favorable down/distance to get after it could help the team almost as much as getting another mediocre pass rusher. We'll see. Lots of football to be played, and I'm not going to start doubting TT now.

One of the best analysis I've seen. Finally somebody gets it. Also, we typically haven't done real well developing rushers, Trgovac is great at teaching run support, even though it takes a year or two, but rush technique is apparently not his forte.

 

[Wood Chipper]

On offense we need (in order of importance)
linemen
rb
wr

 

[Wood Chipper]

For defense we just need people who can plug into our system and work well