Evaluating the draft needs of the 2011 Packers.
This team is on a torrid pace offensively. In fact, anyone who has seen it play no doubt feels easier sleeping at night knowing that we have the offense capable of bailing our defense out in a shootout. From the performance of our offense and defense so far, we can surely agree that the Packers could stand to get better on defense. It stand to reason, then, that focusing on defense in the upcoming draft would be welcomed by most Packer fans.
But what positions to target? Let's start by eliminating one position we definitely do not have a need at: NT. Ryan Pickett / Howard Green / BJ Raji (if needed) provide a solid foundation - they are strong and big enough to take on double teams and still be productive. They fill the role of a 3-4 NT beautifully.
But, does any other position really come close to not being a "need"? DE / OLB / ILB / CB / S can all be argued to have holes that need to be addressed. Yet, I'll probably surprise some people by suggesting that OLB is not a need for this team. Clay is everything you could ask for in a 3-4 OLB. Strong, instinctive, relentless, tremendous rusher and he has improved in coverage. His opposite though may be argued to be lacking: Walden's production has come from mostly his relentlessness. But I will argue that Walden's skill set fits reasonably well with the job an OLB must do opposite someone as dynamic a player as Clay.
In the 3-4, sending both OLBs in addition to the 3 D-linemen means 5 rushers are being sent; blitzing on most downs is not ideal. In addition to an elite pass-rushing OLB, you preferably want an OLB that can set the edge to help the run defense, be athletic enough to drop into coverage, and when asked to rush, make good use of his opportunities. Even during Clay's first season, Aaron Kampman was the primary rusher and Clay was asked to be versatile. Once Kampman went down, Clay became the primary rusher and Brad Jones was asked to come in play the versatile role (he did is surprisingly decently). You need an OLB opposite Clay who is not a one-trick pony, but a well-rounded player. Walden does those things needed from a player opposite Clay respectably: he sets a pretty good edge against the run, he is athletic enough to drop into passing lanes in zone coverage, and (if I am not mistaken) he has comparable QB pressures to Claymaker. Not bad, even if Walden has not been flashy. Sure, if you have the chance to improve by drafting a player, then you do so; however, we do not "need" another OLB.
Moving on to Safety, this position really depends on what happens with Nick Collins. If he returns, Peprah is a decent back-up and MD Jennings could develop with Bush as the emergency S. You can get by. But if Collins cannot / chooses not to return, we have a major need. Peprah is just not physically gifted enough to be a starter. He is too slow to be impactful in coverage. As a box-safety, you can get by with Peprah. But considering the game is shifting towards a passing league, our CBs our raw, and teams are likely to need to catch-up if our offensive performance realizes most of its potential on a consistent basis... Peprah is not sufficient enough to be an answer going forward. So, in short, the answer really depends on what happens with Nick Collins.
Moving on to CB, Woodson is getting older but can still make plays. Tramon has the tools and drive to be elite, but after these two, we are lacking. Shields is raw. He can develop into a solid #2 CB behind Tramon, but he is just so raw that it is going to take time (assuming Shields is capable of developing properly and using his skills properly). Bush is high-effort, but anything more than dime and you are risking big things. To be honest, even in the dime, Bush can be a liability. Pat Lee has become a good ST player, but beyond that his position on the depth chart does not speak glowingly about him. House is another player with talent, but is also raw; he cannot be guaranteed to develop, and if he does it is likely to take longer than 1 year. Basically, if something happens to Woodson or Tramon... we are in trouble. A CB that is ready to step-in and play would be ideal in terms of depth, and eventually taking over for Charles in the future. Also, given our poor secondary play, it's hard not to think an infusion of talent that is ready for the pro game would be a good thing. Mark this as a big need.
Finally, DE. Raji is pro-bowl caliber. Outside of him, we are sorely lacking. Jarius Wynn showed promise early this season, but has since come back down to earth. CJ Wilson is, at best, a back-up player who will develop a niche as a run-stuffer; he offers very little in terms of pass-rushing. And finally, Mike Neal. It's hard not to see the talent he has; the few snaps he got in his rookie season, he showed some very good things. Flash forward to this season, and since his return from injury he has been, at best, underwhelming. It is, of course, unreasonable to expect him to dominate given his injuries and lack of opportunity to get reps. The only thing that we can safely conclude about Neal thus far is that he is still an unknown. As a result, it is the most glaring weakness on this roster: a DE opposite Raji to generate a pass-rush while not being a liability against the run. We desperately need someone to contribute something more to our pass-rush, which should further improve our pass-D. Currently, besides Raji, this team lacks a DE that can make a lasting impact in a game. So, in light of this, I would rate DE as the biggest need on this team - one that we should expect Ted to address.
The NFL: Where Greg Jennings Happens.