I should have posted my predictions for the Packers draft BEFORE the draft but I’ll tell you all what I thought we’d do… Initially we had 8 picks so I’m basing my predictions on that…
1) We would trade out of the first round because the value at that spot for positions we really wanted was slim.
*Results – correct
2) We would pick a wide receiver first because that’s what we needed the least (this tends to be how Ted Thompson works… ie last year we picked a DT despite that being our strongest position).
*Results – correct
3) Overall I figured we’d take the aforementioned receiver, 1 QB, 2 Offensive linemen, 1 TE, 1 RB or FB, 1 DB, and either another DB or a LB.
*Results – 2 WRs, 2 QBs, 1 TE, 1 DB, 1 DE, 2 OL…. So 6 out of 8 correct… or I could say 5.5 out of 8 as there were actually 9 picks.
Now I think the draft was ok. My major complaints are the Wide Receivers, the DE and 2 QBs. Now I knew we would take 1 WR & QB, but we hardly needed 2. Hell we didn’t even need one wide receiver, but if we were going to take one high we might as well have taken one that was regarded as top 5. Instead we traded down away from having our pick of TEs and WRs and chose one that wasn’t that great. It seems to me we did this same thing a few years ago passing up Chris Chambers for Robert Ferguson. If memory servers Chambers was largely thought by most to be the better of the two and we reached with Fergy whom really never turned out to be very good where as at least Chambers had some fairly decent years (and was likely stifled by lack of a QB). Still maybe Nelson will work out better.
Second was really that DE. I didn’t mind us picking a DE, but to trade up for one I thought was a little weird. Defensive Line is one of our stronger positions, and while KGB is getting old and our ends aren’t as strong as our tackles, I think trading up for it was a bit of a reach. I think a trade up for a linebacker would be much more appropriate as two of our starters are great, the other is questionable and the depth is near non-existent.
The rest of the guys seem fairly solid and fill needs pretty well. Ya know I really don’t buy into Ted Thompson’s draft for quality not need. He only seems to do this when there is nothing worth taking at our need positions. I have a feeling what he does is he ranks everyone and then gives kind of bonuses based on needs. Therefore we will rate people higher based on our needs and thus we WILL take people that aren’t a need if they seriously out rank other people, but usually we will just draft for need.