FOX Sports Wisconsin's Paul Imig provides complete coverage of the Packers and the 2015 NFL Draft in his 14-part preview. You can find the entire series here.
TODAY'S POSITION: Defensive line
Importance (1-to-10 scale): 7
On the roster
Mike Daniels has become arguably one of the Packers' two best defensive players. A great fourth-round find by Ted Thompson in 2012, Daniels' non-stop drive has allowed him to overcome concerns about his lack of ideal size for the position.
Datone Jones, on the other hand, looks the part of a great fit in a 3-4 defense, but he's yet to live up to first-round-pick status. If Jones ever puts it all together and can find the fire on a play-to-play basis that Daniels has, Green Bay would have a very good duo of defensive linemen on its hands.
The interior of the Packers' defensive line stayed big this offseason by re-signing both B.J. Raji and Letroy Guion. Between the two of them, Green Bay should be able to clog up the middle quite well. However, with both players in their late-20s and signing one-year deals, neither of them may be long-term answers on the inside.
Josh Boyd isn't going to become a star, but he's a steady rotational piece. Khyri Thornton needs to really show something right away in training camp, or he'll risk becoming a quick third-round bust. Undrafted in 2014, both Mike Pennel and Luther Robinson have the talent to stick around for a while.
Last five defensive linemen drafted
Philosophy at the position
Thompson has had his struggles with finding defensive linemen who work out well in Green Bay. Daniels is obviously the exception, but Worthy was a significant bust and Jones has yet to become the player who the Packers thought they were getting. Investing first- and second-round picks in back-to-back years on those two has not yielded enough positive results. Jones still has a chance to change that, but even Thompson agrees that it's fair to grade a draft after three years. And by this time next year, Jones will have been in the league for three full years. Thornton is on his way to becoming a miss for Thompson, as well.
There isn't necessarily a starting position available right now for a new draftee to step in and take, but Green Bay could use additional talent along the defensive line. Drafting a player with high upside -- even if it's a home-run-or-bust type of pick -- in the early-to-mid rounds would seem like a good option for the Packers this year.
Day 1 name to remember (Round 1)
Eddie Goldman, third-year junior, Florida State (6-3, 336 pounds; age 21)
Goldman offers the combination of youth and talent that could make him a star one day. He just turned 21 years old in January 2015. The only thing keeping Goldman from going higher in the first round is that he's still a work in progress and that he didn't offer much as a pass-rusher in college (six sacks in three years). Joel Klatt of FOX Sports has Goldman as the draft's fourth-best defensive tackle, while NFLDraftScout.com gave him a first-to-second-round grade and described him as "a top-35 prospect." That puts him in prime position for the Packers at No. 30. NFLDraftScout.com sees Goldman as "an impact two-gapping run stuffer who hasn't scratched the surface of his potential yet," adding that he "should be space-eater in the league for a long time, fitting best as a nose tackle or five-technique in a 3-4."
Day 2 name to remember (Rounds 2-3)
Jordan Phillips, fourth-year sophomore, Oklahoma (6-5, 329 pounds; age 22)
Phillips only played two full years of college football after redshirting in 2011 and receiving a medical hardship waiver in 2013. FOXSports' Joel Klatt and NFLDraftScout.com both have Phillips as the fifth-rated defensive tackle, which should have him selected somewhere in the second round. A couple months ago, Phillips was projected by some mock drafts as a potential first-round pick for the Packers. With more information now available, No. 30 would be considered a bit of a reach for Phillips. Injuries are a concern, but Phillips would be a great value pick for Green Bay at No. 62.
Day 3 name to remember (Rounds 4-7)
Louis Trinca-Pasat, fifth-year senior, Iowa (6-1, 290 pounds; age 23)
An undersized Iowa defensive lineman with a non-stop motor? Sounds familiar. Trinca-Pasat seems like the type of late-round pick who would fit into some categories that have worked for the Packers in the past. He'll turn 24 years old before Week 1 of the 2015 regular season and just started playing defensive line a few years ago. But if Green Bay hasn't added any pieces to its defensive line by Round 6 or 7, Trinca-Pasat might be worth a long look.
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