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: Tight Ends
Importance (1-to-10 scale): 7
On the roster
A year ago, questions existed about the future of Jermichael Finley after requiring neck fusion surgery. Now a full season removed from the league, Finley's chances of playing again are almost zero.
The Packers drafted a tight end in 2014, selecting Richard Rodgers in the third round. Though he had his positive moments while playing 543 snaps in his rookie season, Rodgers was rated by ProFootballFocus as Green Bay's worst offensive player. Rodgers was also rated No. 53 out of 63 NFL tight ends. Rodgers is only 23 years old and has room to grow, but he doesn't seem like the type of player who will become a dominant receiving target like Finley was.
Andrew Quarless seems to have reached his full potential in the NFL. His production the past two seasons after returning from a serious knee injury was almost identical. Quarless has been good for about 50 targets, 335 yards and three touchdowns each year, and that's likely about what he'll be able to do in 2015. Don't tell that to Quarless, though. "I can consider myself in the top echelon of tight ends," he said before departing on the Tailgate Tour in mid-April. "That's really where I see myself, and that's really where I'm trying to take it. A couple other guys like Gronk (Rob Gronkowski) and a couple guys who are up there. I put myself in that bracket. That's definitely where I'm training to be."
The only other tight end currently on the Packers' roster is Justin Perillo, who played just 11 offensive snaps as a rookie last season.
Last five tight ends drafted
Philosophy at the position
Mike McCarthy has preferred to carry a lot of tight ends on the roster. However, D.J. Williams was unable to transfer his strong training camp performances into the regular season, and Ryan Taylor became more of a special teams contributor before getting released last year.
The Packers began to rebuild their tight end position during the 2014 draft by adding Rodgers, but more talent is needed at that spot -- specifically, a tight end who can stretch the field and whom defenses need to account for. Rodgers and Quarless can get open, but they're not the type of receiving threats who require much defensive attention.
If Green Bay is willing to use one of its first three picks on a tight end this year, there are a couple players who could add another dimension to an offense that's already among the NFL's best.
Day 1 name to remember (Round 1)
Maxx Williams, redshirt sophomore, Minnesota (6-3, 249 pounds; age 21)
Williams is a do-it-all tight end. He can get open for a pass no matter where he's lined up, and he can block well from anywhere on the field. NFLDraftScout.com believes that Williams "projects as a matchup nightmare." He sees himself as the next Jason Witten, and his play style has draft experts agreeing. Williams also undoubtedly impressed every team during the pre-draft interview phase, as his confidence and poise at the podium during the Scouting Combine was unmatched. Williams had 569 receiving yards as a redshirt sophomore this past season, which was the eighth-most in the nation among tight ends. He put up those statistics despite being on a Gophers passing offense that ranked 121st out of 128 teams in Division I college football. Williams accounted for more than 30 percent of the team's receiving yards. He has a 1st-to-2nd-round grade from NFLDraftScout.com and is ranked by Joel Klatt of FOX Sports as the top-rated tight end prospect. Williams just turned 21 years old in April 2015 and has a ways to go before reaching his full potential as a player. He could be considered a slight reach for the Packers at No. 30, but he's also very unlikely to still be on the board at No. 62. That puts Green Bay in a tough spot if it wants to draft Williams.
Williams said during the Scouting Combine in February (two months before he turned 21): "I think the sky's the limit for what I can develop into. Being 20 with my strength that can develop, sky's the limit. And being able to get into a system early on in my career being only 20, it gives me that much more time to develop into being what they want me to be and molding into being the best player I can be."
Day 2 name to remember (Rounds 2-3)
Clive Walford, fifth-year senior, Miami (Fla.) (6-4, 251 pounds; age 23)
Like Williams, Walford is a well-rounded tight end. Unlike Williams, NFLDraftScout.com believes Walford "won't be a game-changer in the NFL." Over his four-year college career, Walford had 121 catches for 1,753 yards and 14 touchdowns. Walford is the second-rated tight end from Joel Klatt of FOX Sports and has a third-round grade from NFLDraftScout.com. If the Packers miss out on Williams, Walford would make for a great pick at No. 94.
Day 3 name to remember (Rounds 4-7)
Jesse James, third-year junior, Penn State (6-7, 261 pounds; age 20)
James is even younger than Williams, not turning 21 until June 2015. James immediately contributed to the Penn State offense as a true freshman by catching five touchdown passes. NFLDraftScout.com notes that James "is a tough possession target with good-enough ball skills at the position." He is not among Joel Klatt's top-six tight end prospects in this draft, but James does have a fourth-round grade from NFLDraftScout.com. If Green Bay doesn't get Williams or Walford earlier in the draft, James would be a good get at No. 129 (fourth round) or No. 166 (fifth round).
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