Ted Thompson's 11th draft as general manager of the Green Bay Packers is in the books. After adding eight players (four on defense, four on offense), there were plenty of questions about the direction that Thompson went this year.
Here are the answers to some of the more pressing issues that Packers fans were wondering about.
Question: Other than Hundley, I can't think of another player the Packers drafted, that was well publicized. I do trust TT's ability to draft the best available player. How is it that the Packers draft board is so different from the high profile sports media "experts" (Mayock, Kiper, Shefter, etc.)? - Chuck; Atlanta
Answer: I think that's a very interesting question. Damarious Randall in the first round was definitely a surprising pick. However, this was a draft in which there weren't 32 players deserving of being first-round selections, which means teams picking late like the Packers were going to be choosing from a second-ranked tier of players. That doesn't explain Green Bay not taking defensive tackle Malcolm Brown, though, who almost every draft "expert" expected to be gone before No. 30. Either the Packers liked their guy, Randall, enough to ignore Brown's fall, or they didn't like Brown as much as those in the media. Brown went two picks later to New England, so Bill Belichick wasn't going to let him drop any further. Regarding Randall, part of the reason for it being a surprise was that he was listed as a safety by every draft outlet, and no one expected Green Bay to be in the market for a safety. Of course, it turned out that Randall was viewed more as a cornerback by NFL teams (including the Packers) than he was as a safety, so it began to make a bit more sense as that information became known.
In the second round, Thompson got a player in Quinten Rollins who many had going before No. 62. That was a good value pick for Green Bay. Rollins might not have been as well publicized as other cornerbacks, but a lot of that is because he played college football for only one year. Ty Montgomery was a surprise in the third round, and that could easily be considered a reach based on how high most in the draft community expected him to go. Thompson and head coach Mike McCarthy obviously liked the unique skill set (kick returns, runner out of the backfield) that Montgomery offered.
Jake Ryan was a good value in the fourth round, Brett Hundley was great value in the fifth, and two of the three sixth-round picks (Christian Ringo and Kennard Backman) come with a lot of buzz.
Looking back on previous drafts under Thompson, sometimes he's proven to be smarter than everyone else, and sometimes he's misfired and left people scratching their heads. But as with any general manager, whether they follow the national consensus on each player's draft position or not, it's always hit and miss. Thompson might as well follow his gut and see where it takes the team.
Q: Should Packer Fans be concerned with the acquiring of only one pure ILB through the draft and through UDFA's? Is this a sign that the Packers best pass rusher, will be playing ILB again this upcoming season? - Roger; Madison, WI
A: Just as Clay Matthews is already preparing to play inside linebacker next season, Packers fans should prepare themselves for that, too. McCarthy revealed after the draft that Matthews is attending meetings with both the inside and outside linebackers.
Is the trio of Sam Barrington, Jake Ryan and Carl Bradford a Super Bowl-caliber group of inside linebackers? On paper it doesn't seem like it. Barrington was a seventh-round pick two years ago and is still less than 500 snaps into his career, Ryan will just be a rookie and Bradford has yet to step on an NFL field in anything other than a preseason game. Most likely, Matthews will be needed to lead that group for another year in some capacity, even if he's splitting his time between inside and outside.
Q: Will not having a CB over 6 feet tall hurt thr Packers against all the tall WR's in the division? - Gary; De Pere, WI
A: Well, Thompson and McCarthy don't think that will hurt them.
"They can jump," McCarty said of his cornerbacks. "I don't buy into the fact that because you have a bunch of 6-5 receivers in your division you have to get a bunch of 6-2 corners. Our opponents, especially our division opponents, will not dictate the way we build our football team."
Thompson added simply, "We're tall enough."
We'll see, I guess.
Q: Was trading two picks for Hundley a good move? Will they use him in another position? - Lee; Goodyear, AZ
A: It was a great value trade for the Packers. To move up 19 spots and only have to surrender a late seventh-round pick was thievery. No, Hundley won't play any position other than quarterback.
There are a couple ways in which this pick works out well for the Packers, and one way in which it won't. If Hundley can beat out Scott Tolzien and become No. 2 on the depth chart, any injury to Aaron Rodgers would mean the UCLA product would get a chance to play. Even if it's not until 2016 or 2017 when Hundley gets on the field, the draft strategy could still pay off. Green Bay is hoping that Hundley can help the offense stay afloat in the event of a Rodgers injury in the next three or so seasons. If Hundley can do that, it would already have been worth a fifth-round pick. If Hundley really shines, the Packers can trade him two or three years from now for a first- or second-round selection. That'd make the pick even better for Green Bay. The only way it works out poorly for the Packers is if Hundley gets on the field and doesn't perform well. Under that scenario, oh well, he was only a fifth-round pick. The potential reward far outweighs the risk.
Q; Green Bay has not advanced in the playoffs due to second rate defense...we did not help ourselves this year in the draft. When will Green Bay trade their Defensive Coordinator, Capers, for a future draft pick? - Bob; Hampton, VA
A: Three of the Packers' first four picks were on defense, so unless you really don't think much of Randall, Rollins or Ryan, Green Bay at least added talent to that side of the ball.
Did Thompson make a mistake by not taking his pick of inside linebackers in the first round? We'll have to wait and see how each of those top inside linebacker prospects turn out. If Ryan is a great player, I don't think anyone will be upset that the Packers waited until Round 4 to get an inside linebacker.
Of course, if you don't think Green Bay helped itself on defense in the draft, then blaming Dom Capers for any possible failures in 2015 seems a bit unfair. In that scenario, wouldn't the blame be more on Thompson for his roster construction than on the defensive coordinator who's been presented with this group of players?
** That's a wrap on this year's draft mailbag. We'll revisit this draft class in three years and see how Thompson truly graded out. **
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