Michael Johnson, DE, Georgia Tech If there's one thing we learned about Packers GM Ted Thompson, it's that he loves to take the best player available, no matter what position he plays. Luckily for Thompson, that strategy matches up with a position of need - and not another signal caller.
The Packers haven't been able to get to the quarterback all year. That was really prelavent when Jake Delhomme burnt them with deep passes to Steve Smith late in the must-win Carolina game. And how about last week's epic failure at Jacksonville. Embarrassing.
If you take away Aaron Kampman's 10 sacks, Green Bay has only 13 on the year. That's almost as bad as Kansas City!
Michael Johnson, DE, G Tech The Packers are old and injured on the Defensive Line so I say they take Michael Johnson here. He is a very good athlete and a great speed rushing defensive end. I think if he can gain a little weight he will be a great NFL Player in 2 years. Defensive Ends are taking a couple years to mature now days so look for him to break out in his second or third year in the NFL.
OT, Jason Smith, Baylor Smith is a super talented offensive lineman and can move in and start right away at left tackle. Smith has the best feet of all the O-linemen in this draft.
DT, B. J. Raji, Boston College Raji is a monster at 6' 1" 325 pounds. In 2008 he recorded 11 tackles for loss (TFLs) and 6.5 sacks. A great nose guard prospect that creates havoc on the inside.
BRIAN ORAKPO, DE, TEXAS After winning 13 games a year ago big things were expected of the Packers in 2008 and even though they failed to take that next step the future still looks bright. Regardless of what you might think of Ted Thompson and the way he handled the Brett Favre situation you can't help but be impressed with his Draft Day track record and he has assembled a nice core of young talent on both sides of the ball. However, one area that is of particular concern is the defensive line and Green Bay really struggled to generate a pass rush, ranking near the bottom of the league in sacks. Aaron Kampman doesn't get nearly enough credit for being one of the best defensive ends in the business but former defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins is more of a run stuffer and after releasing Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila they could use a top pass rusher. Brian Orakpo, a.k.a. O-Sack-Po, had an amazing senior season for the Longhorns and he won both the Lombardi Award as the nation's best lineman and the Nagurski Trophy, which is given to the nation's top defensive player. In addition to that outstanding on-field performance Orakpo also figures to test extremely well in pre-draft workouts when he is given an opportunity to show off his amazing blend of athleticism, speed and strength. The Packers could also use some help at offensive tackle but the chance to add the best defensive end in the draft is too good to pass up.
MICHAEL OHER, OT, OLE MISS Some may be surprised to see Michael Oher this low but of all the top prospects he has the best chance to slide a bit on Draft Day. Oher is probably the most physically gifted offensive lineman in this draft but there are some significant question marks when it comes to his intangibles that could give teams pause. Also, while Oher is an outstanding pass protector his effort in the run game comes and goes, although he has flashed the ability to stand out in that area at times as well. Oher could ultimately end up in the Top 5-10 overall but there is also a chance he could fall to the end of round one. If Oher did begin to drop the Eagles would be more than happy to stop his slide because they could certainly use a talented young offensive tackle. Both Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan are in their mid-30's and nearing the end of the line and since Winston Justice hasn't developed as expected the Eagles really don't have a successor in place for either of them. Philly could also be in the market for a safety here and with L.J. Smith set to hit the open market they could opt to replace him with a guy like Jermaine Gresham rather than use the franchise tag again. Ultimately Oher is just too good to pass up and the Iggles would be very fortunate if he fell into their lap.
Greg Hardy, DE, Ole Miss Hardy isnt the biggest DE but with his speed he can make up for it and get to the QB.