Players I'd like to see Ted Thompson trade up for: If Ted Thompson traded up, he'd have to go big (except for one player, which I am not sure about). This would fix the major holes that the Packers have in either the defensive or offensive line.

-Star Lotulelei: Even though he has been cleared from all the medical stuff early on, I still feel teams will be skeptical of it and maybe drop him to the teens. Ted Thompson trades up for him. Helluva trade up.

-Jonathan Cooper: Center is a big need for the Packers and who knows what they really have in EDS right now. Can they trust EDS to play while they have a center choosen in the later rounds developing (Barrett Jones, Travis Frederick, David Quessenberry- I believe Jones can start) or do they trade up and get a day 1 starter in Cooper?

-Kenny Vaccarro: Another big need at safety. I am not sure Vaccarro is worth the trade up value, but "experts" seem to think differently. Personally, I say let the battle continue with what the Packers have and let one of them mesh with Morgan Burnett. Bottom line, nothing is going to fill that Nick Collins void at the moment.

Players I'd like to see Ted Thompson trade down for: I've been high on the Packers selecting a runningback with the #26 pick and in the past few weeks I have changed my mind. I don't think there is much drop off between the highly-touted, Eddie Lacy and some of the other runningbacks.

-Jonathan Cyprien (2nd round pick)- IMO, better choice than Vaccarro.
-Barrett Jones (2nd round pick)- Not Jonathan Cooper, but has won multiple lineman awards playing different positions. Coming off injury.
-Le'Veon Bell (late 2nd-early 3rd pick)- Being HIGHLY overlooked with the other names I am seeing in front of his at this position.
-Robert Woods (late 2nd pick)- Why not?
-Kyle Long (mid to late 2nd pick)- Can bump Bulaga to left, plug him in for battle with Barclay at right. One of the quicker tackles in the draft.

---

Need somebody who values a player enough to trade picks to move up into our slot for Ted to be able to trade down. With no big drop off in talent, Ted may have trouble finding a team interested in moving up to our slot...

This makes a lot more sense than the post above it. I doubt Thompson is gonna initiate any conversations about trades, and for the reason stated here, it is also doubtful somebody will come to him with a deal too good to refuse. We absolutely don't need to draft a center high - get a tough O Lineman in the mid to low rounds and cross-train him to back up EDS. I seriously doubt we draft a safety high also because the highest rated safeties are not the kind the Packers like - big bruisers, not coverage guys like Collins, Burnet.

---

Uncle Ted tended to trade down for more picks in the first few years he was GM when he wanted more bodies. We have seen him move up to grab a quality player in the past few years.

Draft history. 

It could go either way. Move up in the first few rounds to grab better quality players to fill a few needs or trade out when he feels there is still the same value for players later on. I wouldn't mind it he trades a 4th 5th or 6th this year for a 3rd 4th or 5th next year. Or package most of the 4-7 non compensation picks to move higher in the 2nd or 3rd.

---

That's where the quarterback derby takes center stage. Buffalo, Philadelphia, and Arizona may like the same player. It really comes down to how confident those teams are that the quarterback they value is available in round two. Once the Giants select at No. 19, that’s when things will heat up with those quarterback needy teams.

We also forget that Ted Thompson could love a player at No. 26 and reject any trade attempts. I believe he did this with Justin Harrell. I think this is more likely than nobody wanting come up and get a player.

---

It does seem like he gets more mileage out of undrafted FAs than low round picks, so that wouldn't be too bad an idea, packaging the low picks to move up. Just the same, I doubt he does much of anything unless somebody approaches him with a deal that's better than it should be.

---

I also think the possibility of Ted trading back in R1 is highly likely. I would prefer, as a fan, that he jumps up to get the players they are targeting, but that's not the way he generally rolls. It is looking like a deep pool of talent, so we have that going for us. If we can get 4 top 100 picks with the 3 we currently have, maybe it pays off.

Too bad it's just not that simple. We must add starters. Starting level talent, true difference makers. I'd rather have two of those than four or five in a trade down who are not. This is where we really have to trust Ted and his staff.

Figure, in Ted's 8 drafts, he's added around 17 or 18 significant starters in rounds 1-3. The year he traded down for Nelson, he wasted (?) R2s on Brohm and Lee. Pat Lee's major contribution came in a reserve role in our last SB win - which carries meaning.

Point is, he and his staff are pretty good at drafting players. I would say 13 of those 17 or 18 starters are true difference makers on our current roster. Over 8 yrs of drafts R1-R3.

That is precisely how he has operated the last several drafts.

---

Yeah. He's done well in adding starters by trading down or up. We'll just have to sit back and watch it all unfold. Ted has had 8 drafts, I counted 13 true difference makers on our current roster, Finley, Perry, Bulaga, Hawk, Neal are included in that 13 from those first 3 rounds. So, we're looking at just over 1 per draft.

Add 9 other players who are either starters or have made significant contributions on our current roster over 8 drafts from R4-R7. That's about 1 per draft.

Overall, I think Ted has done well drafting, but I hope some of these players develop into those true difference makers. We need more than we can draft this year.

Ted will have to hit pretty big in this draft, and have some of his previous picks step up this season for GB to improve.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/gnb/draft.htm 

So you don't think that the Packers are in need of a quality offensive lineman or defensive lineman? Enough to make a trade up into the teens for either of the guys I have listed? I would much prefer to draft a guy like Jonathan Cooper who could come in and start on day 1. Trusting EDS for an entire year is taking a risk, imo, more of a risk than trusting in a rookie.


I'll agree with you on Vaccarro. I even stated that might be a reach and that he is being overvalued but it is a position of need for the Packers.

---