As we are quickly approaching the draft, it is important to take a brief moment and view the Packers pre-draft situation in context. Every fanbase seems to go through the offseason looking at all the things their own team did, but all the other teams in the division had changes too. Just as a football game is like a game of chess, so too is the offseason. Each move is done with an internal look and an external look. Here is a review of how the Packers should feel about the current state heading into the Draft. The Pre-Draft Packers situation is not just good, it holds up well against the division rivals.
Green Bay Packers Pre-Draft Review
Detroit Lions (2017: 9-7, 3-3 in NFC North)
The Lions have some names Packers fans should recognize. Jared Abbrederis, T.J. Lang, Khyri Thornton and Kennard Backman are all wearing Honolulu Blue these days. The offense should be roughly what it was last year. The Lions lost Riley Reiff, but then signed Ricky Wagner. They also added some depth at running back with Mike James, but the single biggest upgrade was the addition of Lang. It will help strengthen a line that ranked 21st in sacks surrendered last year. Still, the Lions were 21st in total yards and 20th in points scored. Without major changes this is still a team that had a -1 turnover differential last year and gave up sacks.
On defense, the Lions did add Paul Worrilow and D.J. Hayden. These should bolster a weak defense. The Lions were 18th in overall yards, but ranked 23rd in interceptions. Hayden is a solid corner and should make it a little harder to throw the ball. Still, the Packers additions at tight end should help attack the Lions’ linebacking corps. Yes, the Lions added Worrilow, but they also released DeAndre Levy. The Lions were also the 30th ranked team in sacks and have not added anyone in the pass rush. While the Lions will have better coverage, if Aaron Rodgers is safe in the pocket it should still be a good scenario for the Packers. Considering the Packers swept the Lions last year, this bodes well for the current status quo.
Minnesota Vikings (2017: 8-8, 2-4 in NFC North)
The Vikings started off very hot last year, but everyone figured them out as the season went on. They were swept by the Lions and split with the Bear and Packers. The single greatest hole on this team was the offensive line. The Vikings ranked dead last in rushing yards per game last year. Also, do not kid yourself into thinking it would have been fine if Adrian Peterson were only healthy. Over his last ten starts, AP had two 100+ yard games and averaged just 3.52 yards per carry. Matt Asiata had 3.3 yards per carry last year with the same offensive line. Vikings added Latavius Murray and upgraded their line by adding Riley Reiff and Mike Remmers. They did lose Matt Kalil, but he will not be missed. The offense should be better, but it was the 28th offense in yards and 23rd offense in points scored.
Sam Bradford set an NFL record for completion percentage, but failed to throw for 4,000 yards. It was a meaningless stat. His QB rating was just 99.3 and he had 20 touchdowns to five interceptions. Just half the touchdowns of Aaron Rodgers. Bradford’s average depth of target (aDOT) was just 6.6 yards. That was the lowest in the league. Showing a receiving corps best suited for underneath routes and nothing deep. Vikings did re-sign Adam Thielen, but there were no other notable additions. It looks like the Vikings are content to sit on their great defense and hoping to get a “good enough” rushing attack to keep things close.
That defense has not improved in free agency. They just re-signed Terrance Newman and added Datone Jones for depth. Still, that defense was the third overall defense in yards (third in passing and 20th in rushing). This defense definitely hurt Rodgers in the first matchup (the first home game in the new stadium), but they did nothing to slow him down the second go around. Vikings might pass up the Lions this year, but the added offense might only balance out the fact their defense did not improve while the Packers added Martellus Bennett and Lance Kendricks. It remains to be seen what the loss of Chad Greenway will do as well.
Chicago Bears (2017: 3-13, 2-4 in NFC North)
The most interesting move from the Bears was the release of Jay Cutler. This led to the signing of Mark Sanchez and Mike Glennon. Neither player scares anyone, but the Bears were the worst team in turnover ratio. The Bears were -20 in turnovers last year. A lot of that was Cutler’s reckless passing. It seems the Bears are looking for stability over pure talent. The rest of the offense will be basically the same. There is the additional depth of Benny Cunningham in the backfield. Markus Wheaton is going to be filling the spot vacated by Alshon Jeffery. Last year, the offense got yards, but rarely got points.
The defense was pretty decent. Bears ranked 12th in sacks, seventh against the pass, and 15th in total yards. The problem was they were often behind and it led to being ranked 27th against the run. The Bears sought to boost the defensive backfield by adding Prince Amukamara and Quintin Demps. It should help some for a defense that was 29th in interceptions last year. Bears are in for a long rebuild and the free agent market did not do much to build this team. Bears should still be a work in progress this year.
Overall
The Packers improved their offense by adding two of the best tight ends available. This should allow them to play several new sets and be more varied in their attacks. The movement away from the power running game of Eddie Lacy and toward the more athletic, pass catchers of Christine Michael and Ty Montgomery. The offense was already fourth in points scored last year and looks improved. The defense was weak, but it added Ricky Jean Francois up front and Davon House in the backfield. The Packers not only improved against themselves, but they made more improvements against their opponents’ strengths.
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