Continuing the off-season review of the Green Bay Packers, we now look at the team’s draft needs. Rather than focusing on specific players that the Packers draft needs to target, this is a review of the positional needs and the likely prioritizing of roster spots. This is not meant to be a draft order because clearly, the available players might not line up well with the needs. Regardless of the way the draft falls, here are the positions the Packers should address and the weight that should be applied to the positions.
Prioritizing the 2017 Green Bay Packers Draft by Position
1. Cornerback
The Packers gave up 12.4 yards per reception. No one gave up more yards through the air than the Packers. Part of this was due to injuries to Sam Shields, Damarious Randall, and Quinten Rollins which forced the Packers to play off the line more and play more zone. Morgan Burnett was forced into playing up in coverage as well.
The Packers’ safeties are fine. Burnett is great in the run support and ranges well. Also, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix just had his first Pro Bowl season. After going big and getting Randall and Rollins at the top of the 2014 draft, the Packers have been filling in with a lot of undrafted players. LaDarius Gunter did well, but behind him were Josh Hawkins, Makinton Dorleant and Herb Waters. The pass rush was harmed by the inability to maintain extended coverage.
There should be several players available around where the Packers are picking. The Packers have been looking for physical players with decent height. Both Rollins and Randall are 5’11” and Gunter is 6’2″. The Packers will want someone close to 6’0″, but should be looking to add some speed. This should be the priority.
2. Inside Linebacker
Blake Martinez and Jake Ryan are nice inside linebackers. They are solid tacklers and have decent speed. Both are NFL-caliber players, but neither is the guy you hope to have in the middle of your defense. In a defense built to have the inside linebackers attacking and moving laterally, an athletic player can make a world of difference.
The Packers were eighth in the league in rushing yards per game, but only five teams faced fewer rushing attempts. The Packers gave up 4.0 yards per carry on the season. Also, Ryan and Martinez had difficulty covering tight ends down the field. Joe Thomas was the pass coverage linebacker, but he is a sub-package guy at best. All these players are young (Thomas and Ryan in their second seasons and Martinez was a rookie). Plenty of room to grow, but there has been little to suggest their have a higher ceiling ahead.
3. Outside Linebacker
Yes, there are names here. Nick Perry continued to grow and led the team in sacks this year, even playing through injury some. Clay Matthews has been far more useful in drawing blocking schemes away from others than he has been as a playmaker. Julius Peppers has finally reached the end it seems. Behind this, the Packers have young hope in Jayron Elliott and Kyler Fackrell. Fackrell is pretty old for a rookie and did not show much this year. Elliott has shown some flashes as a rush specialist.
If Peppers is actually retiring, the Packers will need a more solid rotational player to spell Matthews and Perry. Also, both Matthews and Perry have had injuries throughout their careers and seem to miss time. Packers did have a good pass rush this year, finishing sixth in sacks (40.0) and 13th in hurries (104). There needs to be a re-tooling of this position. Also, Perry is a free agent and there is no guarantee just yet that he comes back. If he leaves, that would change the math around this subject.
4. Running Back
Ty Montgomery was a very interesting story this year, as he had a very good yards per carry, but he was often hurt and had only three games with 10 or more carries. However, he is clearly staying at running back. Montgomery allows McCarthy to be more creative in designing match-up problems, but he is not the full time answer. Eddie Lacy is the battering ram. Lacy was looking very good in the beginning of the season, but then was lost for the season. Lacy is a free agent and the situation is not set just yet. Add to that the aging James Starks.
Running back careers are not as long as others. Lacy has some injuries now and he is four years into his career, having carried a heavy load in that time as well. There is no guarantee of longevity at the position. The biggest issue is the Packers just do not know who they are at running back, and do not have a multi-tiered answer to the position. They need options.
5. Tight End
Sure, re-signing Jared Cook gives the Packers a very solid answer to the position. Getting this low on the priority list means there are some answers already on the roster. Richard Rodgers is a stable, though uninspiring player. Rodgers has very good hands, but he lacks the speed and athleticism to truly stretch the field. An athletic tight end could really boost this offense and draw more safeties away from the deep throws Aaron Rodgers really wants to attempt.
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