Heading into the draft, the two biggest needs were pass rushers and cornerbacks. Running back and a guard were secondary needs, but guard was addressed in free agency prior to the draft with the signing of Jahri Evans. The Packers started the draft with eight picks, but it was clear they liked the depth in this draft. Thompson traded down two times and Green Bay ended up with 10 selections. Green Bay needed speed in the secondary perhaps more than anything else. That was addressed with the first selection of King. The former Washington standout ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at the combine. He also is not afraid to stick his nose in the running game. King has played all around the secondary, so he has versatility. He will play on the outside immediately due to 6‘3“ frame.
Josh Jones, the second selection for the team in the second round, has a great blend of size and speed. He could be a replacement for Morgan Burnett, who is a free agent following this upcoming season. This year, I imagine he and Burnett will both play a hybrid safety/inside linebacker role, which is why I think inside linebacker was ignored this draft. Jones is a solid blitzer and he hits like a truck. Some thought he might slide into the late first, so Green Bay had to be thrilled to get him at this spot. He also can slide into the slot and play some cornerback. The former North Carolina State defensive back ran a 4.41 40-yard dash and has a closing burst to break up passes. Because of his aggressiveness, he will miss tackles occasionally due to him looking to lay a big hit and will also bite on the play-action. With him having the ability to play three positions, it will be interesting to see how defensive coordinator Dom Capers uses him.
The first four picks were spent on the defensive side of the ball. The last two were on Auburn defensive lineman Montravius Adams (third) and Biegel (fourth). With the Adams pick, this basically means the end for Letroy Guion, who is suspended for the first four games of this season. Adams, a 5-star recruit out of high school, had a great sophomore season, but a terrible junior one. He rebounded with a fantastic senior campaign and that helped him get drafted on day two. This has the potential to give the Packers a deep defensive line. With Kenny Clark, Mike Daniels and Dean Lowry likely to start, Adams and Ricky Jean-Francois will rotate in on the defensive line and get plenty of action. Biegel is not great in coverage, but he is a solid pass rusher. Biegel finished seventh in Wisconsin history with 21.5 sacks and 10th with 39.5 tackles for loss. He will be a rotational pass rusher, along with last year’s third round pick Kyler Fackrell and Jayrone Elliott.
After drafting defense for the first four picks, the final six were spent on offense. Three of those were on running backs and two on wide receivers. The first of the three running backs to be drafted by the Packers was BYU’s Jamaal Williams late in the fourth. I had him go to Green Bay in the third early on in my Green Bay mock drafts. However, he did not run well at the combine and slid to the late fourth. All three running backs the Packers drafted (Williams, UTEP’s Aaron Jones, Utah State’s Devante Mays) bring something different to the table. This is what New England does to perfection and Green Bay did it in this draft and all three have a chance to stick around. Williams is a powerful running back who does not have great speed. Jones is only 5‘9“, but is stocky and is not afraid of contact. He averaged 7.7 yards per carry last season and was one of the lone bright spots for the Miners this past season. Jones is also a very solid receiver and is solid in pass protection as well. The final running back of the day, Mays, was hurt most of 2016, which hurt his draft stock. He ran a 4.5 at 230 pounds, which is impressive. Like the other two, the former Aggie is not afraid of contact and finishes runs. Mays is also extremely strong, being able to bench press 420 pounds. However, he is not a pass receiver at all, as he only had two catches in his career at Utah State. All three will stick this year, with at least two being on the active roster. It should be a great battle among the three to determine who makes the team.
With Ty Montgomery moving permanently to running back, the Packers needed a receiver or two. The Packers spent a fifth and seventh round pick on receivers. Fifth round pick DeAngelo Yancey is a big play target, having caught a 50+-yard pass in four consecutive games this season. In his game against Wisconsin, he had 155 yards receiving and two touchdowns. That was one of four 100-yard games this past season. Yancey averaged 19.4 yards per reception as a senior, which was 13th in the country. He has a problem with drops, which caused him to drop to the fifth. In the seventh, Green Bay grabbed LSU’s Malachi Dupre. I thought this was a steal. He can run, jump and track the ball in the air. He has plenty of talent, but the former 5-star recruit never had big numbers. Dupre never had 700 yards receiving, but that was mostly due to LSU’s inconsistent quarterback play and the Tigers being a running team. Dupre has a chance to be thrive with Aaron Rodgers.
Every draft, expect Thompson to draft at least one offensive lineman every draft. This year, it was South Florida’s Kofi Amichia. He was a great pass protector at left tackle, but will end up at guard for the Packers. This seems like a Green Bay pick. If he performs well after his transition to guard, he could take over for Evans in 2018.
Obviously, the success of this draft remains to be seen, but I like what Thompson did in this draft. The defense should be much better than it was in 2016. Green Bay drafted speed in the secondary, which was much-needed. They also drafted depth at running back, wide receiver and both lines. I am already ready for the season!
