2012 - Who do you Like? - NFL Draft

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bjkrautk

2012 - Who do you Like?

Posted: April 24, 2012, 1:19 PM

Posts: 959

As always, doing my due dilligence before the draft, reading up on players at need positions for Green Bay.

Most years, I fall into a guy (or a short list of guys) that I would really like to see play for GB. I say 'most years,' since this year....nobody really stands out as a great fit for the Packers needs. Part of that is where they're drafting, but in most years I can still find a player or two that would be available right around Green Bay's projected pick.

As a bit of a turn on the recent trend, most of the good edge rushing players seem to project better to the 4-3 than the 3-4. (Clinton Jones of Syracuse is the one player who I keep coming back to, even though I don't know how well he would fit the Packers' scheme. Upshaw, Mercilus, etc. -- most of the players projected to fall into the late first round are divisive from one scouting report to another.) Perry seems like one of the few DE / OLB types who fit the more traditional mold for the Packers defense.

There don't seem to be many corners with first-round grades (meaning they're likely to be over-drafted before Green Bay picks).
While there are guys at other positions -- I have half a mind to still say Konz (or Zeitler, moving Bulaga to LT and Lang to RT in the process) as the long-term replacement to Saturday, and Harrison Smith is the safe-but-not-spectacular guy at safety) -- any first round pick that fails to address the pass rush 'feels' like a missed opportunity.

Barring an obvious choice falling to Green Bay's pick, or a move up/down in the first round, the players I've named are the ones I'm most interested in....or at the least, the ones I'm paying the most attention to. Barring someone projected much higher falling to 28 (Brockers, Hightower to name a pair of possible fallers), I can't find a player I can lock-in on. Anyone else having the same troubles?

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PeaveyFury

Re: 2012 - Who do you Like?

Posted: April 24, 2012, 4:59 PM

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I'd love for Barron to be there somehow, but since that seems exceptionally unlikely, I guess the Badger homer in me probably says Konz. Fills a future need and a top interior lineman, and I can't imagine many people would have a problem with that. The ones that do will correctly claim that an outside rusher is more important to the 2012-2013 Packers than a guy like Konz will be.

The lack of a consistent name at 28 for DE or LB leads me to believe that if the Packers go that route, it will be whichever one they've graded highest and that will probably be different than who the 'experts' have on the top of their board. That basically tells me that we'll be surprised by a Sherrod-type name that is just off the radar.

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Godspeed

Re: 2012 - Who do you Like?

Posted: April 24, 2012, 7:13 PM

Posts: 2583

I guess the Badger homer in me probably says Konz. Fills a future need and a top interior lineman, and I can't imagine many people would have a problem with that.

*Raises hand*. I don't mean to underestimate the importance of the o-line, but we're set there for at least this season, if not the next one too.

Anyways, this franchise absolutely cannot weather another defense performance that we saw in 2011. I think two of their most obvious defensive shortcomings, pass rush and running game edge protection, would be solved via Courtney Upshaw.

I think the Sherrod surprise, which I take to mean player not position since OT was still a need last year, would be Chandler Jones as an OLB. He appears to be rising pretty fast as of late though. Shea McClellin just seems too obvious as a CMIII-lite for TT to take, but then again.

I don't really see a 3-4 DE being worthy of a 1st round pick. Seems like the pluses/minuses of those with a late 1st grade are no different from those with a late 2nd grade.

My assumption if no OLBs are available that they go for help in the secondary over o-line. You hear Harrison Smith as a candidate, but I'd rather go with Janoris Jenkins, turd-sandwhich inevitability aside. Reason being is I'm not sure what help a rookie would be at safety paired with Burnett, unless Burnett matures leaps and bounds over last year. I think now would be the time to move Woodson to safety and draft a CB instead. Jenkins has all the talent in the world, and Green Bay might be good environment for him. But his character concerns render him about a 1% chance of being drafted if he's available.

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jazzytrav

Re: 2012 - Who do you Like?

Posted: April 24, 2012, 8:19 PM

Posts: 5851

I really like McClellin. I could see TT taking any one of five DE/OLB that none of us would expect. It's hard to mock a DE/OLB to the Packers because there could easily be a run on them in the 20s that wouldn't leave much left.

I would only be okay with Konz if the next three picks are defense. I think there are some very good rush LBs that can be had in the 2nd/3rd that would be better than anything we have.

I'm not sure why Sherrod is considered a surprise pick. I seem to remember a chat room full of people excited that Sherrod was still there and hoping Ted would take him. I believe we had it narrowed down to Sherrod, Bowers, or Cobb (wow, did that ever turn out well!), so Sherrod wasn't all that surprising.

I also still like Devon Still. If we can get a big guy in the 1st round and a rush LB in the 2nd, this draft could do a lot to pump the defense up quickly.

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CheezWizHed

Re: 2012 - Who do you Like?

Posted: April 25, 2012, 7:34 AM

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Posts: 1981

I'm expecting the Packers to trade the pick. Could be up, but more likely down. As others have said, there aren't many "good fits" for DE/OLB in the late 1st.

I'm guessing the Packers have a few personal favorites that won't be drafted until later and will drop back to pick up a 3rd or 4th.

But if someone really caught his eye higher up, we have lots of picks this year to move up.

If we do actually pick instead of trade, I'd guess Perry.

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jazzytrav

Re: 2012 - Who do you Like?

Posted: April 25, 2012, 10:27 AM

Posts: 5851

Something about Perry bothers me. His measurables are ridiculous, but the biggest question about him has always been whether he actually wants to play football. I can't imagine Greene would appreciate a player like that.

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LouisEly

Re: 2012 - Who do you Like?

Posted: April 25, 2012, 8:41 PM

Posts: 1105

The guy I'm starting to lean towards, because no one is talking much about him, is Vinny Curry of Marshall. He posted ~170 tackles over the last two seasons, which for a DE is an incredibly high number. Think about that; teams know how good he is, so they probably don't run at him much and also likely have him covered by both an OT and a TE. That shows how non-stop his motor is, and his ability to shed blockers and run down ball carriers. Not the most athletic player, but his intangibles are off the charts and he's athletic enough where I think he will be a very good football player for a long time, kind of like LaMarr Woodley. Then again, two years ago I initially predicted Bulaga but eventually talked myself out of him thinking he would no longer be available when the Packers picked. So maybe it will be Nick Perry, and his former teammate Clay Matthews will light the fire under his behind.

In light of recent events, a guy in the later rounds that seems to be underrated is Tramain Thomas, S, Arkansas. 6', 200, ran a 4.51, 12 career INTs, started in the SEC, but most draftnicks have him as a UFA. Unless I'm missing a serious injury or major character concern, that seems really low for a guy with a resume like that. Another one is Neiko Thorpe, S, Auburn - three year starter (plus played a lot as a freshman) in the SEC, 7 career INTs for ~190 return yards, ran a 4.40 at their pro day. A little light at 6'1", 198, but could easliy put on 10 lbs and with ~280 career tackles he isn't afraid to hit, and generally regarded as a late-round pick/UFA.

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jazzytrav

Re: 2012 - Who do you Like?

Posted: April 25, 2012, 9:33 PM

Posts: 5851

I made no secret that I would LOVE to get Vinny Curry, but if that's the case, I'm guessing Ted trades down. After his combine, I don't know that he'll find his way any higher than mid-2nd round at best. But I also would not be disappointed if he was the 1st round pick. Kiper would tell us how much of a reach it is, and we would spend the next 10 years watching him and CMIII terrorize Stafford and Cutler. Fine by me.

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PeaveyFury

Re: 2012 - Who do you Like?

Posted: April 26, 2012, 6:22 AM

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McClellin keeps coming up linked to the Packers in many mocks, as the JS notes:

http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/149009435.html

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CheezWizHed

Re: 2012 - Who do you Like?

#10

Posted: April 26, 2012, 7:53 AM

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Posts: 1981

I forgot about McClellin when I made my prediction. Originally, I was thinking he might be a trade down candidate, but seems like he is a riser and now GBP Gazette is saying the Pack might need to trade ahead of the Patriots to get him...

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jazzytrav

Re: 2012 - Who do you Like?

#11

Posted: April 26, 2012, 10:09 AM

Posts: 5851

Mayock says McClellin in his mock fwiw.

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dlk9s

Re: 2012 - Who do you Like?

#12

Posted: April 26, 2012, 5:45 PM

GIF Master

Posts: 1624

This is a homer pick, but I've always liked Chase Minnifield. He's not the most physical of corners, but he has a nose for the ball, is a smart player, and always plays to the whistle. He saved the game for Virginia versus FSU this past season, catching a WR at the 1 yard line when it looked like an obvious breakaway TD. Virginia held FSU to a FG and ended up winning by 1.

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