2025 NFL Draft Discussion

[Joseph Zarr]

7 minutes ago, CheezWizHed said:

Sometimes, you just need a name! ...and be 6'5" and 320lbs.

Oddly scouting reports have him fitting best as a 3-4 DE since he doesn't anchor well as an NT. 

 

Yeah, I saw he had the lowest win rate amongst the GT DL but 9.54 RAS and nearly ducked for cover. This is PFN's draft profile:

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Zeek Biggers is a low-producing player who wasn’t very impactful within the flow of the game. Has just two career sacks. A below-average tackler who struggles to finish and convert opportunities. Has the makings of a good run defender with his size and anchor ability but wasn’t able to consistently get himself in the right spots to get production. Doesn’t have much going for him as a pass rusher. Struggles to disengage from blocks and had the lowest pass rush win rate amongst all interior defenders on his team this year at 3.1%.

Yikes?

[JosephC]

I would not pick Biggers.  There are other late round, likely undrafted DTs that I have more interest in, my favorite being Nebraska's Nash Hutmacher.  Biggers is one of those seventh rounders you pick and then hope to get him through to the practice squad, where you have a year to work with his athletic ability.  He's the type of seventh round gamble you take when you have 11 or 12 picks...which the Packers do not.

[BrewerFan]

On 3/1/2025 at 10:52 AM, Joseph Zarr said:

Not to mention, despite what others here have opined, in Musgrave I consistently see a player who lacks fluidity in his routes. He is fast, sure, but I continue to believe he just may not be that great of a football player. I sincerely hope I am wrong. But, after two years, I don't see it. And, for two years, as you point out, he has gone through long stretches of no availability.  Like highly questionable post-season O-Line shuffles the Packers do seem enamored with holding on to limited oft-injured TE's. I present you one TE Tyler Davis, your honor. At least with Musgrave he has youth. I personally distinctly see a need for adding another TE prospect into their current mix if indeed they actually are walking the 'iron sharpens iron' mindset. I reallllllly wanted Warren but that is a pipe dream. In the end, I am just extremely grateful they have Kraft. He's a complete stud. 

Is TE a major need? No. Hard to find another player as impactful as Kraft. Would it be a luxury to add top end depth to the TE room? Absolutely. And a luxury I'd love to see as a fan.

I think my Day 2 Guy is Terrance Ferguson out of Oregon. That's a guy I'd love to add to the TE mix in GB.

He's definitely had injury concerns, but looking at Musgraves and saying he's not "fluid," is like looking at Jackson Chourio and saying, 'I just don't see the bat speed.' 

 

He's about as fluid as you could find in a TE. 

[BrewerFan]

On 3/6/2025 at 6:21 AM, OldHeidelberg said:

I saw Zierlein talking about Sanders on NFL network this morning. He said he thinks in a weak Qb year everyone just mocks him to QB needy teams and compared him to Malik Willis who was also mocked high in a weak QB year but dropped. 

I would be shocked if the Packers picked a short WR in 1st round. They already have Reed and prefer bigger guys outside in their offense.    

This is a bad QB class, but Sanders should be a rd1 pick. He's mobile, but more importantly, he throws the ball with such good anticipation and has good accuracy. If this was a class with 2-3 elite QBs like last year, he'd be more of a Jalen Hurts type to me, but I don't see the Willis comp. Willis didn't face high end competition.

The one thing that could impact this is Deion could meddle and try and steer him to a team that develops QBs better. The Giants shouldn't be in that conversation...nor should most top 10-15 teams, but one team that makes a lot of sense are the Dolphins. I feel like we're watching a guy who is going to just have a miserable life by the time he's 35 in Tua if he keeps playing, nonetheless, it looks like they're going to stick with him at least one more year. AT that point...they could save a ton of money if they could find a trade partner. A team that's set up and just needs a QB...or hopefully he just retires. 

That's the case with most QBs though. Willis was so bad, the Titans gave up on him, he comes to GB and he looks like a really good QB(in a limited and constrained game plan). I think Sanders future will be no different, it's going to depend on where he goes, he's obviously not like Caleb or Daniels, but I think he's a lot better than Willis. 

 

As for the WRs, none of the top guys do much for me outside of McMillan and he's not go. TCU has a couple guys who are interesting to be an option in Rd3 or 4 perhaps. 

Egbuka is a good looking WR who seems like a savvy WR. Similar-ish to a JSN. A good slot without elite speed or athletic ability. I think we need more of a Xavier Worthy type and I don't see one that's worth a 1st rd pick. 

Jayden Higgins would be a good fit. Bond from UT maybe in Rd3. Higgins has the size we like. Bond has that deep speed that opens up the middle of the field. Blech the kid from TCU seems really well rounded and a potential steal. I think the biggest improvements will come from within though. The young WRs were good as far as drops two years ago and they were awful last year. If they can get back to where they were, great. The one move that'd terrify me is Pickens from the Steelers. He seems like a diva but he's also extremely talented. That one would be a tough call if he was made available for trade as rumored. 

[Joseph Zarr]

3 hours ago, BrewerFan said:

He's definitely had injury concerns, but looking at Musgraves and saying he's not "fluid," is like looking at Jackson Chourio and saying, 'I just don't see the bat speed.' 

 

He's about as fluid as you could find in a TE. 

Wasn't expecting a Luke Musgrave retort this am but here we are. 😅 

We're never going to agree here but it's a fun disagreement. Musgrave does not and has not run fluid routes his entire time as a Packer. He has fairly tight hips. He is what I would call straight line fast - and for a man his size he certainly can really move. However, let's not forget, this is the same TE who was the running joke of his own locker room his rookie season because he could not stay on his feet in the wide open field. So much so his HC made a joke publicly when he stayed on his feet and found the end zone. I think it's also more than fair to point out he is also mostly incapable of breaking arm tackles because he has very little wiggle ability in his hips - ie he can't avoid tacklers. That just is not fluid from my POV. Kraft? Very fluid in the open field with the strength to match it. A very very agile and strong human being who moves naturally and with great purpose in the open field. Musgrave, again, from my POV is quite a bit more straight line fast than he is anything else and I would also casually opine he is  moderately stiff. His 3-cones and shuttles were always 'good' but not 'great', if you recall back in his testing days. That bares out at playing speed where he lacks wiggle in his routes. We've disagreed on Musgrave his entire unimpressive tenure as a Packer. It's why I personally would love to see a Day 2 TE pick in the draft. And, this being said, we all know TE prospects are (at minimum) given a 3 year window to show signs of life. I personally expect very little from Musgrave when all is said and done. Would absolutely love to be wrong. If you want to talk 'Fluid' as a TE athlete, look to a guy like TE Terrance Ferguson out of Oregon in this year's draft. That man is 'fluid' in his game. His routes are incredible. In my perfect Packers football world, that's my target for the Packers to swap into Musgrave's role.

[Joseph Zarr]

A man can certainly dream:

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Insider notes on Oregon Pro Day

The attendance sheet for Oregon Pro Day included some major names. The Dallas Cowboys had their defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton and offensive line coach Conor Riley on hand, as well as Junior Adams, the team’s receivers coach.

 

The Green Bay Packers had general manager Brian Gutekunst on hand as well as VP of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan and John Wojciechowski, Director of Player Personnel.

 

Many a player the Packers were surely looking at. Great to see a full arsenal of Packers evaluators.

[JosephC]

Lots of Ducks make sense for the Packers.  If all the top DEs and WRs are off the board at #23, which could happen...then the first round pick likely comes down to CB or DT and Derrick Harmon is a candidate at #23.

If the Packers do not go defensive end in round one, Jordan Burch could be the top candidate with the second round pick.

Tight end Terrance Ferguson is on the rise (up to #108 in my compilation of top prospect lists) and is a strong candidate for the Packers third round pick.  I still think there is a pretty strong chance the Packers take a tight end higher than anticipated.

Right tackle Ajani Cornelius could be a later round sleeper candidate.  He would likely kick inside to guard and compete there.  How he works out could make or break him, as he did nothing in Indianapolis.

And I'll throw this out there.  I've done some mocks where the guy who seemed to make the most sense with the first round pick was left tackle Josh Conerly.  I don't think there is any chance that Gutekunst goes left tackle in round one in back-to-back drafts.  But, if Morgan has given the Packers the impression that he is not a future starting left tackle, and Walker's free agency is right around the corner...maybe it wouldn't be so surprising after all.

[JosephC]

I will also say that the national media's coverage of the Pro Days has been nothing short of abysmal this year.  Worse than it was 20 years ago.  Finding any results is nearly impossible.  I don't know if they are only running positional drills at these workouts, or if most prospects are just refusing to do the "standard tests," or if for some reason the NFL has cracked down and doesn't want this information out.  All I can find on the Oregon Pro Day is that Tez Johnson did not run the 40 (which was surprising as his 40 was slower than expected in Indianapolis) and that Jabbar Muhammad's vertical was 2 inches better than it was in Indianapolis.

[BrewerFan]

5 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Wasn't expecting a Luke Musgrave retort this am but here we are. 😅 

We're never going to agree here but it's a fun disagreement. Musgrave does not and has not run fluid routes his entire time as a Packer. He has fairly tight hips. He is what I would call straight line fast - and for a man his size he certainly can really move. However, let's not forget, this is the same TE who was the running joke of his own locker room his rookie season because he could not stay on his feet in the wide open field. So much so his HC made a joke publicly when he stayed on his feet and found the end zone. I think it's also more than fair to point out he is also mostly incapable of breaking arm tackles because he has very little wiggle ability in his hips - ie he can't avoid tacklers. That just is not fluid from my POV. Kraft? Very fluid in the open field with the strength to match it. A very very agile and strong human being who moves naturally and with great purpose in the open field. Musgrave, again, from my POV is quite a bit more straight line fast than he is anything else and I would also casually opine he is  moderately stiff. His 3-cones and shuttles were always 'good' but not 'great', if you recall back in his testing days. That bares out at playing speed where he lacks wiggle in his routes. We've disagreed on Musgrave his entire unimpressive tenure as a Packer. It's why I personally would love to see a Day 2 TE pick in the draft. And, this being said, we all know TE prospects are (at minimum) given a 3 year window to show signs of life. I personally expect very little from Musgrave when all is said and done. Would absolutely love to be wrong. If you want to talk 'Fluid' as a TE athlete, look to a guy like TE Terrance Ferguson out of Oregon in this year's draft. That man is 'fluid' in his game. His routes are incredible. In my perfect Packers football world, that's my target for the Packers to swap into Musgrave's role.

You weren't expecting a Luke Musgrave rebuttal? Dude, you're comparing him to Tyler Davis and talking about how the Packers have held on to the 42nd pick of the draft longer than normal... 

And yes, it was a joke because he tripped and fell. That's happened to anyone who's played football at ANY level and you see the hole or you get behind the defense and you get a little over excited. That doesn't mean he's not a fluid athlete. 

 

That was by far, objectively, his strongest trait coming out. His athleticism. He grew up skiing, nearly EVERY scouting report made reference to how he "glides" out there, how "loose" he is. And he showed that. I don't think breaking arm tackles as a TE has really anything to do with that. I'd say that you could probably go back and find thousands of Running Backs who were more fluid than Derek Henry or Mike Alstott who didn't break as many tackles. That has to do with power.

The 33rd team

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“Musgrave has good upper body thickness but is narrow in his lower body. He is a good athlete with good speed and fluid hips.

 

 https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10048402-luke-musgrave-nfl-draft-2023-scouting-report-for-oregon-state-te

Quote

 

He's 6'6" but plays with airy change-of-direction skills and long, explosive strides that allow him to separate in the open field. He excels on deeper routes, such as seam routes, deep overs and corner routes that allow his athletic tools to shine. Moreover, Musgrave has the twitch and route-running chops for a full route tree, even from wide receiver alignments.

Musgrave is fairly snappy at the top of his routes and can explode out of them in order to generate separation, a tough skill to find in most players his size. Combine that with his ability to track and reach the ball outside his frame, and you have a receiver who thrives in space.

 

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2023/04/28/what-draft-experts-said-about-new-packers-tight-end-luke-musgrave/79655200007/

Dane Brugler

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An impressive size/speed athlete, Musgrave runs like a gazelle (elite high school track numbers for his size), and his lacrosse and skiing backgrounds translate to football with his core strength and hip fluidity as both a pass catcher and blocker. 

Lance Zierlien

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His route running harkens back to his slalom days with nimble feet and smooth hips helping to generate rhythm and separation in and out of breaks.

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He's 6'6" but plays with airy change-of-direction skills and long, explosive strides that allow him to separate in the open field.

The Draft Network

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Musgrave brings a big, athletic option in the passing game to an offense. Musgrave is alignment-fluid and versatile. If your offense wants to place him in-line as a traditional Y-tight end or split him into the slot, he can operate both well.

Pro Football Network

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Going further, Musgrave has the lateral athleticism and hip sink to off-set linebackers in space with brutal jab-steps, then explode upfield into open lanes. Plus, he also has enough lateral freedom and foot speed to execute in-breakers over the middle of the field and gain separation.

Elastic athleticism is one of Musgrave’s defining traits

 

 

Front office scouting;

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Very good route running. Musgrave is a fluid route runner that moves extremely well for a player his size. He has solid salesmanship and can move smoothly in and out of his breaks at the stem of his route.

 

I could go on, but the "tight hips," or him being stiff just don't show up when he plays or in any aspect of his game. He's long legged and he's not as physical a runner as Kraft...and he hasn't been able to stay healthy, so it may all be moot, but I don't know how you watch Luke Musgrave and come away with stiff athlete. 

 

I've checked out Terrance Ferguson. He's a poor man's Musgrave. You watch him and see a more fluid athlete who breaks arm tackles? I'd be fine seeing the Packers take another TE as Musgrave HAS been hurt and they love running that 12 personnel, though I suspect if they do, they're going to look for a TE who can play more of an H-Back. Warren would be great, but he'll be gone too early. 

[Joseph Zarr]

10 minutes ago, BrewerFan said:

You weren't expecting a Luke Musgrave rebuttal? Dude, you're comparing him to Tyler Davis and talking about how the Packers have held on to the 42nd pick of the draft longer than normal... 

And yes, it was a joke because he tripped and fell. That's happened to anyone who's played football at ANY level and you see the hole or you get behind the defense and you get a little over excited. That doesn't mean he's not a fluid athlete. 

 

That was by far, objectively, his strongest trait coming out. His athleticism. He grew up skiing, nearly EVERY scouting report made reference to how he "glides" out there, how "loose" he is. And he showed that. I don't think breaking arm tackles as a TE has really anything to do with that. I'd say that you could probably go back and find thousands of Running Backs who were more fluid than Derek Henry or Mike Alstott who didn't break as many tackles. That has to do with power.

The 33rd team

 

 https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10048402-luke-musgrave-nfl-draft-2023-scouting-report-for-oregon-state-te

https://packerswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/packers/2023/04/28/what-draft-experts-said-about-new-packers-tight-end-luke-musgrave/79655200007/

Dane Brugler

Lance Zierlien

The Draft Network

Pro Football Network

 

Front office scouting;

 

I could go on, but the "tight hips," or him being stiff just don't show up when he plays or in any aspect of his game. He's long legged and he's not as physical a runner as Kraft...and he hasn't been able to stay healthy, so it may all be moot, but I don't know how you watch Luke Musgrave and come away with stiff athlete. 

 

I've checked out Terrance Ferguson. He's a poor man's Musgrave. You watch him and see a more fluid athlete who breaks arm tackles? I'd be fine seeing the Packers take another TE as Musgrave HAS been hurt and they love running that 12 personnel, though I suspect if they do, they're going to look for a TE who can play more of an H-Back. Warren would be great, but he'll be gone too early. 

Yes, when I watch Ferguson I see a more football athletic actual route runner. Vast difference. We're going to disagree on this. We do disagree on this. You could go on, sure. I'm basing my opinions on watching Luke Musgrave play (albeit limited in 2024) NFL football. And, frankly, I think we're watching a different NFL player. 😅 He didn't just fall once. Musgrave was repeatedly falling in the open field during his rookie season - the joke was funny because it was also quite true. Anywho, I'm going to continue hoping for a breakout of some kind - any kind, really. I'm not anticipating it. And, well, that's no big deal. Being a successful professional athlete is a very very hard proposition. I don't begrudge Musgrave one iota - he seems like an extremely likable guy. I just think, in the version we've seen of him to date, he's not all that impactful on the football field. 

[BrewerFan]

5 hours ago, JosephC said:

I will also say that the national media's coverage of the Pro Days has been nothing short of abysmal this year.  Worse than it was 20 years ago.  Finding any results is nearly impossible.  I don't know if they are only running positional drills at these workouts, or if most prospects are just refusing to do the "standard tests," or if for some reason the NFL has cracked down and doesn't want this information out.  All I can find on the Oregon Pro Day is that Tez Johnson did not run the 40 (which was surprising as his 40 was slower than expected in Indianapolis) and that Jabbar Muhammad's vertical was 2 inches better than it was in Indianapolis.

CBs in particular seem like they've been running fewer and fewer agility drills. Maybe that's because it can usually only hurt your draft prospects. 

Mitchell, Arnold, DeJean, McKinstry, I don't think any of the top CBs participated. Of those that do, most seem to just do the shuttle and not the 3-cone...which is more valuable in evaluations(at least the Packers use it more). 

Jabbar Muhammad...I don't know if he gets drafted, but I love the way he plays. May not translate and doesn't seem to check any of the boxes the Packers look for in terms of frame of testing, but he's tough and competitive. If he's a UDFA, he'd be one of the priority UDFA's I'd look at. 

 

5 hours ago, JosephC said:

If the Packers do not go defensive end in round one, Jordan Burch could be the top candidate with the second round pick.

He reminds me a lot of Gary(or LVN for that matter)...not that I expect him to be the same player, but he played a lot of 5 technique in College, he's a bigger DE who is pretty agile for his size, carries his weight well.

 

[JosephC]

Azareye'h Thomas posted a 40 in the 4.50-4.55 range during the Florida State Pro Day.  It took a considerable amount of time to dig this up as the media has been a complete failure at providing useful pro day information.

https://steelersnow.com/former-steelers-player-works-out-flordia-state-cb-at-pro-day/

I thought Thomas might emerge as a serious candidate for the Packers at #23, but I don't think that 40-time gets it done.

Still need to see if I can find any numbers on Shavon Revel (East Carolina Pro Day is today) and Benjamin Morris (Notre Dame Pro Day is March 27).  If the Packers go CB in round one, I would still project Maxwell Hairston to be the pick.

[LouisEly]

1 hour ago, JosephC said:

I would still project Maxwell Hairston to be the pick.

A sexual assault allegation against Hairston has surfaced, with apparently five more women reaching out to the girl who filed the complaint.  He was a minor at the time, either an early enrollee or on a campus visit, which may be why it is now just surfacing (could be laws in KY regarding publicly naming criminal complaints against minors).  Apparently it's on TikTok with screenshots of an official report from back in 2021.

[BrewerFan]

15 hours ago, LouisEly said:

A sexual assault allegation against Hairston has surfaced, with apparently five more women reaching out to the girl who filed the complaint.  He was a minor at the time, either an early enrollee or on a campus visit, which may be why it is now just surfacing (could be laws in KY regarding publicly naming criminal complaints against minors).  Apparently it's on TikTok with screenshots of an official report from back in 2021.

"With the 2nd pick in the 2025 NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns select..."

Or KC. Seems like they've earned enough Goodwill...despite it coming back and repeatedly biting them, that they could get away with it. 

I like Thomas better anyway. Better feel in man, more physical and just...seems to fit what they're going for better.

 

[JosephC]

I'll keep my projection the same until I see credible evidence that suggests otherwise.  I'll still project Hairston to be the Packer's first round pick (if they go cornerback first).  Credible evidence does not even need to be directly related to Hairston.  For example, if Benjamin Morrison runs a 4.38 40-yard dash during the Notre Dame pro day, then I would change my projection and guess that the Packers draft Benjamin Morrison in round one (if they go cornerback first).

I'll wait until a civil suit is filed (likely about 7 days ahead of the draft for maximum effect) before I'd give something like this any consideration.  Sorry, a post on Reddit with sketchy at best information is not something that I take seriously.  If the TikTok "report" is the same as what I've seen, it is not an official report, just a screenshot saying a sexual assault was reported on such and such date without any corroborating statement or even a name.  We will see what the national media has to say when the civil suit is filed.

[Sixtolezcano]

Five most likely first round Packer draft picks ( not in any particular order.

Shemar Stewart - DE

Shavon Revel Jr. -CB

Jahdae Barron-CB

Mike Green - DE/OLB

Kelvin Banks - OT/OG

 

 

[JosephC]

Revel only was measured and did 12 reps of 225 at East Carolina's pro day.  He did not do anything else, still recovering from the torn ACL.

[JosephC]

18 hours ago, Sixtolezcano said:

Five most likely first round Packer draft picks ( not in any particular order.

Shemar Stewart - DE

Shavon Revel Jr. -CB

Jahdae Barron-CB

Mike Green - DE/OLB

Kelvin Banks - OT/OG

 

 

My list is pretty close to that-

Shemar Stewart (I think he'll be off the board)

Jahdae Barron (I think he'll be off the board)

Maxwell Hairston

Shavon Revel Jr

Landon Jackson

[Matt Breen]

Right now, I think the Packers grab DT Derrick Harmon if he is still there at #23. 

Just a way-to-early guess. 

[adambr2]

It’s tough to predict the 1st this year as it feels like just about everything is a need. They need more on the interior of both lines. They need LBs. They need corners. They need receivers. They need edge rushers. 

They don’t need TEs, safeties, and you could argue they are set at RB, though a day 2 or 3 pick addition wouldn’t shock me. If Malik doesn’t go anywhere, they’re probably fine at QB.

Out on a limb, I think the Packers are going to trade down out of the 1st and try to target two extra picks in rounds 2-4. Something like #23 for #38 and #69. I’ll disclaim this by saying I think if McMillan is available at #23, they’ll just pull the trigger and not trade down. But I don’t think he will be.

[BrewerFan]

14 hours ago, JosephC said:

My list is pretty close to that-

Shemar Stewart (I think he'll be off the board)

Jahdae Barron (I think he'll be off the board)

Maxwell Hairston

Shavon Revel Jr

Landon Jackson

I agree the first two will be gone. I'm good with Barron being gone. I think he's going to be a borderline AP type player, but just not a great fit.

Stewart reminds me of Tyree Wilson. Hit or miss, but if he hits, he'll be a star. I guess that's the type of player people DON'T want? I don't know, I'd prefer a guy like that over a guy who is a safe bet to be solid early on, but never a star.

 

Will Johnson is falling down some boards. I'd love him. Kenneth Grant is another guy I wouldn't mind...but I'd definitely prefer to move down.

Darius Alexander out of Toledo looks really nice also, but the Packers aren't taking a 25 year old...which makes me think he's going to fall.

 

What do you think of Simmons from OSU? He's looked good enough to me that...if he's at 23, with Houston and LA behind us, KC could move up and use a 2nd or their early 3rd to do so. I wouldn't even be opposed to taking him if there's not a CB or DL available.

I also think the number of our "needs" is a little exaggerated.

Oh, and Dont'e Thorton Jr look like a...GREAT fit for us. It's not like Watson's route running is a huge attribute. It's his big play speed and his body. If you can just approximate rookie MVS, we'd be set at WR in my opinion. We need a deep threat, help on the DL, Edge/CB...in inverse order and you can get a guy like Quincy Riley or Cobee Bryant in the middle of the draft who could play as rookies. Especially if Jaire sticks. Nohl Williams is another guy who could be there at 159 or even later who seems to fit what we want.

[CheezWizHed]

On 3/26/2025 at 5:16 PM, adambr2 said:

It’s tough to predict the 1st this year as it feels like just about everything is a need. They need more on the interior of both lines. They need LBs. They need corners. They need receivers. They need edge rushers. 

They don’t need TEs, safeties, and you could argue they are set at RB, though a day 2 or 3 pick addition wouldn’t shock me. If Malik doesn’t go anywhere, they’re probably fine at QB.

Out on a limb, I think the Packers are going to trade down out of the 1st and try to target two extra picks in rounds 2-4. Something like #23 for #38 and #69. I’ll disclaim this by saying I think if McMillan is available at #23, they’ll just pull the trigger and not trade down. But I don’t think he will be.

I guess it depends on what you mean by "need"... 

Positions where we have a weak starter (1st-3rd round targets):

• DT: Wyatt is at a make or break season.  He has flashes, but isn't a complete starter.  Losing Slaton hurts depth plus there is a realistic thought that it will be Clark's last year puts depth here at a real need. This is where I would bet our 1st round pick goes due to the depth of the position in the draft.
• DE: We are really leaning on improvements by LVN, Cox, and Enagbare to take pressure off of Gary.  This might be our weakest starting position on the team. Really banking on development by LNV and Cox and a year removed from injury for Enagbare. At a minimum, you have to add another body here for depth/competition.
  • This is where I'd have loved to see a vet FA addition instead of another draft pick. Then the other 3 positions here fill our first 3 draft picks. 
• WR: We have a lot of good raw talent, but no one is taking the next step.  I think you need to keep adding talent here especially with Watson's injury.  Our offensive numbers say we were fine, but it certainly feels like we could greatly improve here. 
• CB: I'm assuming Alexander is gone.  Last year, Nixon, Valentine, Bullard, Ballentine, and Stokes were very solid (which might be more a testament to the Defensive scheme and coaching than the players).  Hobbes is an upgrade over Ballentine or Stokes.  It wouldn't surprise me to see a 1st/2nd round CB, but it also wouldn't surprise me to see one picked later instead for depth only.  It would surprise me to see none picked. I think the coaching staff likes the strength of the CB unit more than the fans do.

Positions where we could use depth (4th round and beyond):

• OL: We have 6 starting quality players (maybe 7 depending on Monk).  So I don't see a strong "need" here for starters.  But we certainly need depth.  I doubt we see someone picked early for OL this year, but our favorite 4th rounder T/G is out there somewhere. 
• TE: Kraft had a bust-out year.  Musgrave has tons of untapped potential.  But really not much beyond that.  TE is a draft and develop position, so grabbing a mid-round development TE should be a goal. You have Sims or Swinson available for the dedicated blocking TE role.  And not that I want it... but we seem to like the HB types. That might be our TE adder as we don't have that person now. 
• LB: Walker, Cooper, and McDuffie are pretty well locked in as the starters (like it or not) and Hopper is still developing at depth. But we literally have no other off ball LBs on the roster.  As a position for ST and for depth, there will be 4+ people added here before TC.  At least one draft pick, a few UDFAs, and probably a vet added.

Positions where we "seem" fine

• QB: Not a need with Malik and Sean on the roster, but we've started to create a habit the last couple of years. With fewer late picks this year, I hope we bypass this habit for a year. Maybe sign Rodgers as a backup.
•  S: Any newcomer might be hard pressed to find a spot.  McKinney and Williams were wonderful (maybe the best since Butler and Sharper)?  Bullard was good at nickel, but has obvious upside still at safety.  Both Anderson and Oladapo looked good in limited views also. Five deep at safety, with quality starters and upside development players.  Ideal position. 
• RB: For a position that keeps 3-4 players, having Jacobs, Wilson, Lloyd, and Brooks is pretty deep.  A few UDFAs should be the only priority. Again we have quality starter, good depth, and upside potential. 
• ST: I keep hoping we find a LS replacement, but not enough to draft one.  K and P are strong enough to not bother drafting also. Nice to be back in a position of comfort at K. 

[adambr2]

I’d also like to add that I would like to target at least one player on day 3 with the sole intention of being a core special teams player. 

We’ve been going square peg into round hole with our special teams for years and just throwing the bottom of the depth chart out there for that unit and this approach has not been successful at all.

[LouisEly]

1 hour ago, CheezWizHed said:

DE: We are really leaning on improvements by LVN, Cox, and Enagbare.  This might be our weakest starting position on the team.

Rashan Gary would like a word with you...

[JosephC]

12 hours ago, BrewerFan said:

Will Johnson is falling down some boards. I'd love him. Kenneth Grant is another guy I wouldn't mind...but I'd definitely prefer to move down.

Darius Alexander out of Toledo looks really nice also, but the Packers aren't taking a 25 year old...which makes me think he's going to fall.

 

What do you think of Simmons from OSU? He's looked good enough to me that...if he's at 23, with Houston and LA behind us, KC could move up and use a 2nd or their early 3rd to do so. I wouldn't even be opposed to taking him if there's not a CB or DL available.

I also think the number of our "needs" is a little exaggerated.

Oh, and Dont'e Thorton Jr look like a...GREAT fit for us. It's not like Watson's route running is a huge attribute. It's his big play speed and his body. If you can just approximate rookie MVS, we'd be set at WR in my opinion. We need a deep threat, help on the DL, Edge/CB...in inverse order and you can get a guy like Quincy Riley or Cobee Bryant in the middle of the draft who could play as rookies. Especially if Jaire sticks. Nohl Williams is another guy who could be there at 159 or even later who seems to fit what we want.

Johnson is definitely slipping.  First it was he couldn't run because of the turf toe injury, now he can't run because he has a hamstring problem.  Now I think people are questioning if he's really a 4.4 guy.  If you are a cornerback who runs a 4.55 40, you are probably not a top 10 pick.  Putting that injury cloud thing over your head doesn't help things.

Lots draftnik boards around the internet has Alexander in the 40's.  The board I put together from "high profile" sources (meaning that these guys are in a position to get feedback/input from NFL people) currently has Alexander at #86.  Note that a still have a couple lists in there that are pre-combine, so I would expect him to be a bit higher than that.  But I still think once the lists all get updated, he would probably be sitting around #75.  

I think it will take some extraordinary circumstances for the Packers to take Simmons.  I don't see Gutekunst going left tackle two years in a row.  Either Morgan would have had to thoroughly convince the Packers that he cannot play left tackle, or #23 would have to be so cleaned out of other need positions where Gutekunst just goes best player available.  And as of now, I think Simmons goes ahead of Banks, which would put him in the top 20 picks.

I wouldn't take Thornton.  I would always gravitate towards wide receivers that were productive in college, and Thornton just didn't do enough.