The Super Bowl is just a week away and college all-star games are in full swing. NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper has come out of his hibernation which could only mean one thing, the draft is right around the corner. The Green Bay Packers have had extra time to prepare for this year’s draft with missing the playoffs this season. Although that came as a major disappointment for the Packers and their fans, there is a silver lining. The Packers own the 14th overall pick, the highest they have selected in the first round in many years.
Running the Packers draft this season will be new head of personnel Brian Gutekunst who has replaced former general manager Ted Thompson. Although Gutekunst holds the title of general manager, he actually isn’t a true general manager. But still, he has full control of the Packers roster and it will be up to him to not only draft players he sees fit to help the Packers, but also do what Thompson failed to do, sign free agents who can bolster the Packers roster. Even though Thompson is no longer in charge, his belief of using the draft to build the core of the Packers roster will be left in check. But before we start to speculate on who the Packers might lock in on in this year’s draft, we will take a look at their needs. Taking an in depth look into the Green Bay Packers top draft needs.
An In-Depth Look at the Green Bay Packers Top Draft Needs
A major reason the Packers finished 7-9 this season was the lack of depth they had throughout their roster. Head coach Mike McCarthy is hoping that Gutekunst will utilize free agency more than his predecessor, but he still understands that the Packers are built around the draft. There are some positions that will be replenished through free agency, but for the most part, the Packers roster will be built back up through the draft. Here is a list of the Green Bay Packers top draft needs for this year’s draft.
Pass Rusher
Mike Pettine has taken over for Dom Capers as the new defensive coordinator. Pettine’s history has shown that he is looking for players who are versatile and that can help out in more than just one facet of the defense. One position that is vital is pass rusher. Pettine already has two veterans at that position with Nick Perry and Clay Matthews. Although both have shown they are able to get to the quarterback throughout their careers, they both come with baggage.
Perry had a career season in 2016 when he registered 11 sacks. That season earned him a new big money deal with the Packers. But once again, Perry dealt with injuries in 2017 and only played in 12 regular season games. In his career, Perry has yet to play a full 16 game regular season schedule. Still, Perry added seven sacks in 2017 and was stout against the run. If the Packers can get some depth behind Perry, there is a chance that Pettine can cut back on Perry’s workload and take away the chance of injury.
For Matthews, it appears going up against 300-pound offensive linemen throughout his career is starting to take a toll on his 31-year-old body. Like with Perry, Matthews missed time last season due to injury. He did chalk up 8.5 sacks last season, but his play ran hot and cold. When discussing Matthews at his opening press conference, Pettine talked about Matthews’s versatility. That could mean that he has a plan for Matthews to play more inside linebacker next season and just use him to rush the passer in obvious passing situations. But to do that, the Packers will need for somebody to step in when Matthews is shifted inside. The draft is deep with pass rushers this season and the Packers might look at this position in the first round.
Cornerback
Last year’s top draft pick Kevin King showed some glimpses into his potential last season. However, like with most of the Packers roster, his season was cut short due to injury. Still, when he was healthy, King showed why the Packers took him with their top pick. There is no doubt that if he comes back at full strength, he will be one of the Packers starting boundary cornerbacks next season. But the cornerback opposite of him is still up for grabs.
The Packers signed veteran cornerback Davon House last off-season. House, who started his career in Green Bay, provided a big body cornerback that Capers desired. But he too was hit by the injury bug and even when he was healthy, he lacked the catch-up speed needed to be a starting cornerback. With being a free agent this off-season, it isn’t a lock he will return to Green Bay.
After a rocky start to last season, Damarious Randall bounced back and proved to be the Packers top playmaker in the secondary. Randall not only thrived at the “star” defensive back position, but he also stepped into the boundary cornerback position when injuries forced him to. Still, Randall is best suited to play on the inside and that is where he should stay.
The depth behind King and Randall is questionable. Former second-round pick Quinten Rollins is expected to return from injury but where he will fit into Pettine’s defense is unknown. The Packers once again find cornerback as a need going into this year’s draft. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Packers once again spent a top round pick on the position.
Offensive Tackle
The Packers are set at left offensive tackle with David Bakhtiari. Bakhtiari, a former fourth-round selection, has become one of the top left tackles in the NFL. There weren’t many doubts going into this season that Bakhtiari was an elite pass protector. But this season, with the Packers having to depend more on the running game when quarterback Aaron Rodgers was lost to a broken collarbone, Bakhtiari showed that he is also an above average run blocker. If he can stay healthy, Bakhtiari should be a mainstay on the left side for many seasons to come.
However, the same can’t be said about the right side. Once again starting right offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga was lost to injury. In his past six seasons, not including 2013 when he was unable to play the whole season due to a knee injury, Bulaga has only played a full 16 game regular season just once. Bulaga’s injuries have hindered his career and they don’t appear to be getting any better. It wouldn’t come as a shock if the Packers parted ways with him, especially considering how much he is getting paid.
The Packers don’t have a backup plan behind Bulaga though. The Packers traded up in the second round of the 2016 draft to select Indiana tackle Jason Spriggs, with hopes Spriggs could back up both Bakhtiari and Bulaga. But Spriggs has struggled in all facets of the game. On top of his struggles, Spriggs too was lost to an injury this past season. Along with Spriggs, fellow tackle Kyle Murphy was also lost to injury. The Packers are in dire need of depth at tackle. They possibly could look for a veteran tackle in free agency, who can backup both tackle positions, but most likely depth will come through the draft.
Wide Receiver
The Packers depth at wide receiver was once considered the gold standard of the NFL. But it appears that has changed. Davante Adams has emerged as the Packers new number one wide receiver. Even with having Brett Hundley as his quarterback for most of this past season, Adams was productive. He did suffer two concussions this season, but that didn’t stop the Packers from giving Adams a new deal. Adams has one of the starting wide receiver positions locked up, but behind him, there are some questions.
Jordy Nelson was the Packers top receiver going into this past season. But his production suffered, some of that could be pointed to playing with Hundley. Still, Nelson appears to have slowed down considerably. And at 32 years old, the speed looks like it won’t be coming back. Nelson still has a place on this team, but he isn’t the same receiver he once was.
Randall Cobb hasn’t lived up to the four-year $40 million dollar deal he signed back in 2015. His production has dropped since signing that deal and isn’t the same type of weapon he once was out of the slot. The Packers could replace him with wide receiver turned running back Ty Montgomery if they decided to part ways with Cobb. If not, they could look to the draft to find a speedy wide receiver to replace Cobb. The Packers hoped that former fifth-round pick Trevor Davis would bring the type of speed their offense has been lacking, but it appears that Davis’ best position is as a return specialist. The Packers offense needs more speed at wide receiver and it could force Gutekunst to spend a higher round draft pick on getting one.
