Green Bay Packers Draft Priorities

The NFL draft is today, so my Packers fanboy tendencies are really going to show today!  I read a lot of mock drafts, and believe very few of them.  They are never very clear if they are placing players at spots because they think the teams will take them or because they think the player should be taken at that spot by that team.  In addition, none of these guys are in the room and know the draft board (except Peter King, who apparently lives in the St. Louis Rams draft room... Wonder if they have good coffee...).

I see a lot of steam for the Packers considering a CB at 21.  The last thing they need is a corner.  Even if they move Micah Hyde to safety (which is apparently an option), they still do not need a first round corner unless it is a huge value.  The Packers have three very good CB options (I am going to assume they all stay healthy... You can't predict injuries).  Tramon Williams played very well last year.  He is hot and cold as a tackler, but is generally reliable in coverage.  Sam Shields held his own against AJ Green and Calvin Johnson last year despite being significantly shorter than both.  He is a very good corner, and gets better every year.  In addition, he has become a more willing tackler.  Finally, Casey Hayward is an excellent slot corner, and could probably play outside as well.  When healthy, he may be the best of the three.  This combination of players makes CB a position of strength, not weakness.  In fact, in watching games last season, it was obvious that poor safety play made everybody on the defense look bad.  In addition, they may not be the best group of tacklers, but AJ Hawk and the rest of the ILB group are so unathletic that the DBs are asked to make far too many open field tackles.

With that said, the Packers need an ILB.  If CJ Mosley falls to them, who cares about the injury history!  They need to pull the trigger.  He is the best LB in the draft, and would immediately upgrade that position.  They could also choose to address the safety position, although I don't see much of a difference between the players in the first round (Pryor or Clinton-Dix) and later round players like Brock Vereen.  Bottom line, the Packers will take the best player available or trade to positions that allow them to select picks that fit needs at appropriate value.  I'm very excited, and hoping that Mosley falls to 21.

One last note.  It will not happen, but if Aaron Donald somehow falls to 21, take him.  I'm calling it now, he is the best player in this draft (not a huge stretch, but still).  I don't care if he is better suited to a 4-3.  He is disruptive and aggressive and athletic.  You alter your defense for players like him.

Enough said!  Let's get this thing started!