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Green Bay Packers: Ten first-round options in 2017 NFL Draft
The Green Bay Packers have strung together a four-game winning streak to keep their playoff hopes alive. With only have two games left in their regular season, the Packers now control their own destiny. If they just win out, they’ll take the division.
The Packers have managed to turn things around on offense, and in large part due to the emergence of Ty Montgomery in the backfield. The converted wideout showed what he can really do in a starting role with a 162-yard and two-touchdown day in Green Bay’s win over the Chicago Bears this past week.
It seems evident Montgomery will change his jersey number and make the full-time switch to running back next season. If the Packers bring back Eddie Lacy in the offseason for a reasonable price, running back may no longer be a major weakness on the Packers roster.
Jared Cook‘s resent rise could also bring him back for the foreseeable future, which would make tight end less of a need in the offseason as well.
As the season progresses, the major needs on the roster continue to be on the defensive side of the ball. Without Sam Shields, the cornerback position has fallen apart. Injuries to Clay Matthews and Nick Perry have also highlighted the Packers’ lack of depth at outside linebacker.
However, the Packers could still use more playmakers at wide receiver, tight end, and running back.
With the draft evaluation process about to start in a month with the college all-star games, here are ten possible prospects the Packers could target in the first round.
Florida Gators defensive back Quincy Wilson (6) intercepted the ball and ran it back for a touchdown against the Missouri Tigers eduring the second quarter at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
1. Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
It’s clear at this point the Packers can’t rely on what they have at the cornerback position. Second-year players Damarious Randall and Quentin Rollins are too up and down. They at least don’t show the consistency necessary to depend on them each week.
Green Bay could use an elite cover corner who can match up against the opponent’s top receiver. If Shields doesn’t return after this season, cornerback should absolutely be a position the Packers consider addressing in the first round.
Wilson would give the Packers another tall corner with good size and physicality to go along with LaDarius Gunter on the boundary. Wilson is an excellent press-man cornerback, and he can match up against a top receiver and hold his own without constant safety help over the top.
This would be a very valuable asset on the Packers defense. It would really free up Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Morgan Burnett to roam the field and make plays. It would also allow Randall to play more nickel corner, which would allow him to make more plays instead of being matched up against the opponent’s top receiver.
Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Carl Lawson (55) sacks Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Kyle Shurmur (14) during the fourth quarter at Jordan Hare Stadium. Auburn won 23-16. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports
2. Carl Lawson, Edge, Auburn
If the Packers decided not to go cornerback in round one, then another position on defense they could address is outside linebacker.
Heading into the 2016 season, outside linebacker seemed like one of the deepest positions on the roster. However, as the season has worn on, it’s apparent Green Bay needs some new ascending talent at the position.
Matthews continues to battle injuries, and at age 30, he doesn’t quite seem like the same impact player we’ve come accustomed to seeing on Sundays. It would also be good to find a replacement for Julius Peppers, even if the 36-year-old veteran returns for one more season.
Perry may very well be the future at outside linebacker, but he’s going to be expensive to re-sign in the offseason and he may eventual seek a big contract elsewhere. Datone Jones could also be gone after this year. He may have not shown enough in his first four seasons for the Packers to bring him back. Kyler Fackrell and Jayrone Elliott just seem like rotational guys.
If Green Bay gets a chance to select a talent like Carl Lawson in the first round, they may pull the trigger. Lawson is built to be a stand-up pass rusher in a 3-4 defense. He’s athletic on a 6-foot-2, 258-pound frame, and he shows the explosiveness and bend to beat tackles with both power and speed on the edge. He recorded nine sacks and a whopping 24 quarterback hurries in 2016.
Lawson is one of the more complete edge players in the upcoming draft, but a significant injury history in college could cause him to drop in the latter half of the first round, where Green Bay could take a shot at him.
Alabama Crimson Tide tight end O.J. Howard (88) carries the ball against Mississippi State Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Tide defeated the Bulldogs 51-3. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
3. O.J. Howard, TE, Alabama
In my first mock draft of the season, which we posted last week here on the site, I had the Packers select Howard in the first round. If Green Bay ends up picking in the last ten picks or so of the first round, it’s unlikely they’ll get a chance to select the athletic Alabama tight end.
Howard currently holds a mid-first round grade. However, if the Packers end up selecting right around pick No. 20, it’s within the realm of possibility they could take Howard.
Howard would bring a lot to their offense. He can stretch the seam and make plays after the catch. He’s also a fantastic run blocker. However, if the Packers like what they have in Cook and sign the veteran to an extension, tight end might be less of a priority to address early in the draft.
Florida State Seminoles running back Dalvin Cook (4) runs the ball in the second quarter as South Florida Bulls linebacker Danny Thomas (53) defends at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Logan Bowles-USA TODAY Sports
4. Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
The Packers have selected a defensive player in the first round in the last four drafts. Ted Thompson has actually taken eight defensive prospects with his 11 first round selections as Green Bay’s general manager.
However, one player that could really tempt the Packers to break that trend is Florida State running back Dalvin Cook. Conventional wisdom says to wait on running back. This is a deep class. Target one in the second, third, or fourth round. Selecting a running back with his first pick doesn’t seem like Thompson’s style.
However, Cook is a special player. He’d give Green Bay another dynamic playmaker on offense, and he’d really help bring a consistent presence to the Packers ground game.
He would also create mismatch problems for opposing defenses in the passing game. If the Packers don’t bring back Lacy after his season, selecting Cook would make a lot of sense.
Imagine a backfield with Cook, Montgomery, and Christine Michael. When it comes to a pass protection, a quarterback’s best friend is a productive running game, and having this many dynamic players in the backfield would certainly do just that.
Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Reuben Foster (10) celebrates after a play during the second quarter against the Clemson Tigers in the 2016 CFP National Championship at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
5. Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama
Inside linebacker isn’t necessarily a pressing need on the Packers roster. Jake Ryan is a reliable run defender and two-down player. When healthy, Blake Martinez has shown flashes of three-down ability. Joe Thomas is also an athletic talent and can hold his own in coverage.
However, linebackers like Foster rarely come along. He’s currently one of my top-five graded players in the draft class. He does everything at the position well, and that is not an exaggeration. Perhaps since Luke Kuechly, I haven’t seen such a complete linebacker prospect.
Foster runs sideline-to-sideline and makes plays. He’s a force between the tackles, and he’s also athletic and fast enough to make plays in coverage.
The Alabama standout is a true three-down linebacker in every sense of the word. He’s a better prospect than even previous standout Alabama linebackers, like Reggie Ragland and C.J. Mosley.
Despite the can’t-miss talent, there’s a chance Foster could fall to the latter half of the first round because many teams have diminished the value of the inside linebacker position.
If Foster happens to be on the board when Green Bay is on the clock, the Packers could select him despite other more pressing needs on the roster. Foster is a difference maker and would be a tremendous pillar to have in the middle of their defense.
Colorado Buffaloes wide receiver Shay Fields (1) is tackled by Washington Huskies defensive back Sidney Jones (26) during the first quarter in the Pac-12 championship at Levi
6. Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
There are several early-round cornerbacks that could be on the Packers’ radar come draft day. However, the defensive backs that have shown they can excel in press-man coverage would be the best fits in Dom Capers system.
Quincy Wilson, Marlon Humphrey, Cordrea Tankersley, and Sidney Jones are the top press-cover corners in the class. In my opinion, Wilson, who I highlighted earlier, and Jones are the first-round prospects that make the most sense with Green Bay.
Jones may not have ideal size (6-0, 185), but he’s highly competitive and has tremendous ball skills. As a three-year starter for the Huskies, he’s recorded nine career interceptions and 30 pass defensed.
Jones is also one of the better athletes at the position, and with top-flight speed, he would be a great find in the first round. He would offer the Packers a more reliable cover player than their second-year corners.
Western Michigan Broncos wide receiver Corey Davis (84) makes a catch for a touchdown against Michigan State Spartans cornerback Arjen Colquhoun (36) during the 2nd half of a game at Waldo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
7. Corey Davis, WR, Western Michigan
It’s probably unlikely the Packers take a wide receiver with their first pick in the draft. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are still a reliable veteran targets, and Davante Adams is a young ascending talent.
However, the Packers still lack a true downfield threat, and if Montgomery officially makes the move to running back after this season, the Packers could use another playmaker at the wide receiver position.
In all four seasons Davis played at Western Michigan, he was the school’s leading receiver. He also averaged around 16 yards per catch over his collegiate career and hauled in 51 touchdowns.
At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds with 4.45 speed, Davis has the size and speed to take the top off a defense. He can also win in jump ball situations and make plays while covered.
The way the Packers run their offense, they can never have enough weapons for Aaron Rodgers to utilize in the passing game.
UCLA Bruins defensive lineman Takkarist McKinley (98) brings down Arizona Wildcats quarterback Khalil Tate (14) during the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
8. Takkarist McKinley, OLB, UCLA
It’s been a recent trend for the Packers to turn to the Pac-12 for defensive talent. McKinley would make sense for Green Bay near the end of the first round.
The Bruin outside linebacker splashed on the draft scene this year with 10 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. The 6-foot-2, 265-pound linebacker has the speed and athleticism to bend around the edge and get after the quarterback.
He also plays with a non-stop motor and would bring some juice to the Packers pass rush. Even if Green Bay plans to sign Perry to an extension after this year, McKinley would give their defense another effective pass rusher to rotate in at outside linebacker.
Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Sefo Liufau (13) is hit by Michigan Wolverines defensive end Chris Wormley (43) just as he passes the ball in the second quarter at Michigan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
9. Chris Wormley, DE, Michigan
Defensive line might not be high on the Packers priority list, but we do know they value the position highly when it comes to the draft.
The Packers could still use a true five-technique defensive end in their 3-4 front. Besides Dean Lowry, they really don’t have the body type on their roster to feature a five-tech end in their defense.
Wormley is a towering 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds, but he’s an underrated athlete with good quickness off the line of scrimmage. He can generate pressure on the edge, but he can also kick inside as an interior rusher. In his time with Wolverines, Wormley registered 17.5 sacks.
Wormley is also an excellent run defender and would give Green Bay a defensive lineman who can hold the point of attack and two gap.
The Packers lack depth on the defensive line. Outside of Mike Daniels and Letroy Guion, rookies Kenny Clark and Lowry show some promise but they still need a consistent three-down player to pair with Daniels.
Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross (1) runs for a touchdown after a catch defended by Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Chidobe Awuzie (4) in the third quarter during the Pac-12 championship at Levi
10. John Ross, WR, Washington
Speed. Speed. Speed. These are the three reasons the Packers should consider selecting Ross in the first round if they get a chance.
Many expect Ross to run a sub-4.4 forty time at the Combine this spring. He’s already garnered DeSean Jackson comparisons from the draft community, and he has the potential to have a similar career.
Ross is an explosive wide receiver with true downfield playmaking ability. He averaged around 15 yards per catch in 2016 and his 17 receiving touchdowns led the Pac-12. He could bring his big-play ability to the Packers offense.
While he doesn’t have the typical size of a boundary receiver (5-11, 190), Ross’s top-end speed scares defenses into conservative coverage, which opens things up underneath for other receivers.
The Packers could use a deep threat on offense to open things up for Nelson, Adams, and Cobb. Jeff Janis and Trevor Davis have similar straight-line speed, but they are not nearly the level of receiver as Ross. Ross is a much better route runner, has more consistent hands, and shows a better ability after the catch.
It’s more than likely the Packers will use their first-round pick to address their holes on defense. However, there’s a strong case for them to add more dynamic offensive weapons, whether that’s an electric running back, an athletic tight end, or a speed big-play wide receiver.
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