NT is a close 3rd in priority, and the wide bodies are few and far between. We could use one, and if Ted goes there early we will know why. That position does not seem too deep in this draft.

Originally Posted by: play2win 

Right, but the injury argument applies to every position. If injuries occur anywhere, your depth all of a sudden looks much worse at the position. If Raji goes down we have essentially no one there who is a dedicated nose tackle. We'd have to play someone like Boyd out of their preferred position. If JC Tretter goes down OR isn't any good (we have high hopes in his potential but he's not even as proven as Boykin) we likely have to reshuffle multiple positions on the line. If Hawk goes down, we have no proven, consistent commodities at inside linebacker.

If Cobb or Nelson go down, we still have the other and Boykin. In such a situation we can spread the passing out around the tight ends and our running backs, who are deeper than we have had at the position (RB, not TE) in years. If both Cobb or Nelson go down, well, see the above paragraph and we're even more screwed at each position. And how many teams still have stacked receiving groups if the top two go down?

I'm not saying there is no need at receiver. As I said, I want to see at least one receiving target taken (tight end or receiver) to expand that depth. If one of the top receivers falls in one of the early rounds, I have no issue taking him if it's a BPA. Otherwise, if you're sitting there with a NT, ILB or S that is roughly the same grade as a WR, I'd rather wait and take the WR later.

Originally Posted by: mi_keys 

I'm thinking/hoping the Packers are transitioning away from having a mammoth nose tackle. Transitioning to what? To a Jay Ratliff-type smaller more mobile TACKLER as opposed to a mere space occupier. The way I see it, Raji, bad as he has been with the Packers, actually did show some potential to be that. If he handles the role, maybe he stays beyond this season; If he doesn't, he doesn't. I'd like to see a rotation in a base D 3-man line from among Daniels, D. Jones, Worthy, Boyd, Raji for this season, and some mid-round mid-size D Lineman draft pick. That puts D Line pretty far down the line of needs.

Originally Posted by: texaspackerbacker 

This is why I argue against those that say " just trade those high round picks and get fewer but better players lower in the draft".

No.

The better the 2nd tier of players on the team are the better chance of standing at the end of 16 games. You find those 2nd tier players later in the draft. They may never be starters (although some surprise) but they can fill in when needed and help the team.

A couple of players that turn out to be good quality starters and a few guys that improves the quality of the depth at their positions. I'd be very happy if that turns out to be the description of this draft.

Originally Posted by: warhawk 

That’s what the street and college free agents are for.

Uncle Teddy has shown a great knack for picking up college FAs and turning them into starters or solid contributors. After all it is a deep draft and quality players will be available after the draft is over.

On the offensive side every single one of them except for Starks was a FA. They have Taylor listed as the #2 TE but I don’t think so. He would almost never be in for double TE formations.

On the defense it doesn’t hold true on 4 of the 10 listed are FA.

CB Tramon Williams
LS Brett Goode
P Tim Masthay
CB Sam Shields
G Don Barclay
TE Brandon Bostick
WR Jarrett Boykin
RB DuJuan Harris
CB James Nixon
S Sean Richardson
S Chris Banjo
DE Julius Peppers
WR Myles White

I know Peppers doesn't fit into the same group as the other players.

BTW, it is get rid of the lower draft picks for higher picks with better players. it is pretty hard to trade away a #1 or #2 pick for a bunch of # 4 picks and expect to come away with a better player.

Originally Posted by: wpr 

Shade Tree McCullers is not another B J Raji.

A better comparison would be Haloti Ngata ... but add 30 pounds.

If Ted goes for the Tree, he automatically gets a passing grade for this draft regardless of what else he does.

More I think of it, the more attractive Marquise Lee looks as the first pick despite the needs on defense.

Originally Posted by: Wade 

Any one player, 1st round or otherwise, can be a bust. See: Jamal Reynolds, Justin Harrell, Raji(IMO).

I generally don't like trading down, but I still think this year is an exceptional year. I don't want a bunch of fourth rounders, but if you can get a few extra picks between 50 and 110 (second half of round 2 through the first 10 picks of the 4th). Right now the Packers have 3 picks in that range. If you could use the first pick together with their 5th/6th/7th to get, say, three more in that range, I think it's worth it.

I think there is so much there this year that you could pick up starter-quality players that would instantly upgrade the following positions: S, ILB, OLB, DT, TE, and C. Plus with a bit of luck, a player like Marquise Lee or Tre Mason could also fall into the second half of round 2 and add a new dimension to the offensive attack or one like Juwan James or Gabe Jackson could upgrade the OL.

Yeah, none of those except maybe Lee is going to give you as much at one position as Pryor will give you at FS or Mosley at ILB. But the Packers need upgrading at multiple starting positions, they don't just need depth.

And even if one is an optimist and believes that X number of current players might have potential to step it up next year, I'd rather have the pressure of real competition adding to their incentive; and, unlike usual 3rd rounders, there's a lot more pressure that this years crop is going to be able to push. What's Nick Perry going to do if he has Jeremiah Attachou to compete with, Brad Jones if he has Yawin Smallwood and Christian Jones to compete with? Hyde and Burnett if they have Deone Bucannon and Ahmad Dixon or Craig Loston? What's Bahktiari going to do if he has James pushing at him, or Tretter if he's got Weston Richburg or Travis Swanson? What's Raji going to do if he has to deal with Shade Tree and maybe Ryan Carrethers as well?

That may be the ultimate reason for going multiple trade down if possible. Not because we're going to get starters to pencil in at more positions, and not because they'll improve depth in more places, though both will be true. But the real reason for multiple trade downs this year is that no one is going to be starting just because they're the "best player on the roster" (see Raji), they're going to be starting only if they are substantially better than the last year's best players.

Competition is good. And this year offers an opportunity for competition that drafts rarely offer.

Originally Posted by: Wade 

Shade Tree? Is that what they call him? I've got one of them in my yard, and I won't say what it's primary use is, but I will say, my dogs are the primary users. That's about how useful IMO a big clod of a NT is - whether or not his name is Raji.

Getting this guy or Nix or anybody similar signifies a philosophy of defense that I don't like. I suppose I'm in the minority, and I suppose the Packers staff is predisposed to go that route, but I state clearly, I wish they would go the smaller mobile NT route.

Originally Posted by: texaspackerbacker