It’s almost that time of year, when owners, coaches, general managers, and the rest of the front office lock themselves in a room and heavily debate which players to draft to improve the team. This room is called the “War Room” for a reason. Everyone in this room is heavily opinionated and has become attached to a prospect that they don’t believe the team can do without.
In this segment, we will put ourselves in the war room and go over the picks we believe teams need to make when they’re on the clock. We’ll cover all 32 teams, but today’s segment is dedicated to the: Green Bay Packers.
The defending world champs! Going inside the War Room for the Packers is like trying to decide what to buy a billionaire for Christmas. They have everything but there’s that one new toy that they have got to have. There are certain teams that it makes a lot of sense for them to package picks and move up to take can’t miss prospects and Green Bay is one of those teams. They don’t need all 9 of these picks. They could package a couple this year and move up to get a higher pick or they can go with the Patriots strategy of trading back until the perfect prospect falls to them. They could also trade these picks for higher picks next year, but there’s a risk involved in that.
Well, I won’t do any trades in this War Room, so I’ll just take the players that fit their needs at where they pick. Green Bay is in the best position to take value over need. As far as need though, they could use an every down back. They can’t sit back and hope that Ryan Grant comes back 100% healthy. They also can’t believe that James Starks is the starter on this team. Aaron Rodgers abuses defenses, thanks in large to the great receiver depth he has. Donald Driver is on the down slope of his career and James Jones is a free agent who has been struggling with a case of the drops. This franchise has been blessed to find another great starting quarterback, right on the heels of a hall of famer leaving. They must protect him because he isn’t the Iron Man, like Favre…nobody is. Look for the Packers to grab another offensive tackle and some interior line help.
Dom Capers has proven several times that he isn’t a NFL head coach. He’s fine with that, because he knows that he’s one of the best defensive coordinators in the game. He can get lesser players to play at a much higher level. He’ll need to draft a defensive end to come in a play like BJ Raji is playing at Nose Tackle. Johnny Jolly doesn’t like his freedom and Cullen Jenkins is a free agent, he’ll have to replace them. Green Bay will also look to find a player that can mirror Clay Matthews on the opposite side of the linebackers. The Safety position isn’t in a horrible state but they could look to start developing the future here.
Green Bay Packers Mock Draft
Round 1 Pick #32: Ryan Williams, RB, Virginia Tech: Williams is the best fit in the Green Bay running system in this year’s draft. Even if Ryan Grant is a 100%, Williams will give him a run for his starting role. There are two outcomes to this pick. 1) Grant comes back and stays healthy and the Packers have a beast of a backfield in Grant / Williams / Starks. 2) Grant doesn’t stay healthy and Williams becomes the primary back with a mix of Starks. Either way, it’s a great pick.
Round 2 Pick #64: Jarvis Jenkins, DE, Clemson: I have Green Bay going from Cullen Jenkins to Jarvis Jenkins. The namesake isn’t the only thing these two have in common. They both are use to facing massive double teams and beating them. Jarvis will fit right in with this defensive scheme and the D won’t miss a beat.
Round 3 Pick #96: Chris Carter, OLB, Fresno State: The Packers need an outside linebacker to start opposite of Clay Matthews. They’ll hope that Carter can become that guy. With 10 sacks in 2010, they might have found their guy.
Round 4 Pick #129: Chris Hairston, OT, Clemson: Hairston had a solid game in the East / West Shrine game. At Clemson he was solid as a left tackle but he’ll need to work on his consistency at the next level. He fits what Green Bay is looking for, perfectly.
Round 4 Pick #131: Demarcus Love, OG, Arkansas: The Packers pop back up on the clock two picks later but they’re strategy stays the same, and that’s protecting Aaron Rodgers and opening lanes for their running backs. Adding Love and Hairston to a line that needs some upgrades, is a scary thought for any team that faces the defending Super Bowl Champions.
Round 5 Pick #163: Robert Sands, SS, West Virginia: Atari Bigby is a free agent and the Packers might not be comfortable with their current roster at that position, even with the pick of Morgan Burnett. Sands has shown to use his 6’4 frame to take away the jump ball from the bigger receivers but he doesn’t have the most fluid hips. Making him a strong safety and dropping him down on occasion could be his best fit.
Round 6 Pick #197: Lester Jean, WR, Florida Atlantic: I seriously doubt Jean last this long but it seems as if most people are sleeping on the FAU product. If the 6’3, sure handed receiver is still on the board here, expect the Packers to quickly grab him and be excited about mismatches they’ll have.
Round 7 Pick #204: Mark LeGree, FS, Applachain State: They’re probably happy with the free safety position currently and there’s been talk about moving Charles Woodson over their as well. I personally would leave Woodson at cornerback and draft a free safety, like we have LeGree going here.
Round 7 Pick #233: Jeremy Beal, OLB, Oklahoma: Beal was once thought of highly. But when he matched up against some of college football’s best at the Senior Bowl, he looked as if he didn’t belong. Jeremy didn’t quiet the fears when he showed up and displayed his lack of talents at the Combine. With him sliding to the 7th round in this mock, Dom Capers could look back at his production in college and question if he just tests badly but shows up on game day. They also drafted Carter earlier in this mock, which gives them more freedom here.
That’s how it played out in our Mock of the Green Bay Packers “War Room”
Please Note: We will be Hosting a LIVE CHAT during the 2011 NFL Draft. Please join us and take part in the discussion in the room. We’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions as the 2011 NFL Draft progresses in real time.
Go inside the War Room of All 32 NFL Teams
Carolina PanthersDenver BroncosBuffalo BillsCincinnati BengalsArizona CardinalsCleveland BrownsSan Francisco 49ersTennessee TitansDallas CowboysWashington RedskinsHouston TexansMinnesota VikingsDetroit LionsSt. Louis RamsMiami DolphinsJacksonville JaguarsNew England PatriotsSan Diego ChargersNew York GiantsTampa Bay BuccaneersKansas City ChiefsIndianapolis ColtsPhiladelphia EaglesNew Orleans SaintsSeattle SeahawksBaltimore RavensAtlanta FalconsNew England PatriotsChicago BearsNew York JetsPittsburgh SteelersPackers
Oakland Raiders (no 1st Round Pick)
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