Another week down, and we’re closer to the NFL Draft.
This time using the fanspeak app I used the fanspeak board with user voted team needs.
The fun part of this exercise is every draft is different, but it’s more effective than simply plugging names into the board. This makes things slightly more realistic.
Here’s how version two of the draft shook out.
1 (14) – Harold Landry EDGE Boston College – The Packers need help at edge rusher. Mike McCarthy said as much in his most recent media availability. Had Landry entered last year’s draft he may have been the top pass rusher taken. His 2016 tape is that good. He battled through an ankle injury in 2017, but was still able to show enough to warrant being a first round selection. Landry would be an excellent addition to a pass rush seeking some juice behind Clay Matthews and Nick Perry.
Previous Pick: Denzel Ward CB
2 (45) Mike Hughes CB UCF – This would be a small change in philosophy as Hughes is shorter than what the Packers typically look for from their cornerbacks. Hughes is a classic man-coverage corner. The Packers will need those as they transition to Mike Pettine’s defense.
Previous Pick: Dallas Goedart TE
3 (76) Arden Key EDGE LSU – Double dipping here, but the value is simply too much to pass up. At times, Key has flashed the potential to be the best pass rusher in the class. Other things about him might scare teams away. He simply disappeared from the team and wondered if he even wanted to play football anymore at one point in his college career. That’s something that will be looked at long and hard during the interview process. Key’s talent at this point, however, is too much to pass up.
Previous Pick: Michael Gallup WR
4 (101) Hayden Hurst TE South Carolina – An older prospect, but one that is certainly an interesting player. His run blocking ability combined with his athleticism is as intriguing as it gets. The Packers need a long term prospect at tight end with Jimmy Graham aging and Lance Kendricks signed to a one year deal. Hurst would be the perfect player to groom to take over as the second tight end next season.
Previous Pick: Nick Nelson CB
4 (133) Marcell Ateman WR Oklahoma State – Ateman gets overshadowed because of his teammate James Washington Jr. Ateman is a fine player in his own right. The Packers need to add talented pass catchers to their team. As you can see the fourth round focuses almost exclusively on that.
Previous Pick: Hercules Mata’afa Edge
5 (138) Levi Wallace CB Alabama – Double dipping again. The Packers need competition in their cornerback room. Kevin King and Tramon Williams make for a nice starting tandem. They do, however, need more help. Wallace adds something to the room and has a chance to compete for a spot immediately.
Previous Pick : Shaqiem Griffin LB Central Florida
5 (172) J’Mon Moore WR Missouri – Another talented pass catcher to add to the Packers’ stable. Competition for late round picks are never a bad thing. As much as fans love Michael Clark, he may never pan out. DeAngelo Yancey is a potential player to make a jump as well, but the Packers want to add competition to the bottom of their roster. They can’t do that without creating competition at key positions.
Previous Pick: Troy Fumagali TE
5 (174) Skyler Phillips G Idaho State – A little out of character here, because the Packers typically don’t take a true guard. Usually they are picking offensive tackles and kicking them inside to guard. Phillips’ value was too good to pass up here. He’ll be an instant contributor in the running game. As it stands now, the Packers’ starting right guard will be Justin McCray. This would add some competition to his plate.
Previous pick: Phillips
6 (186) Trey Marshall S Florida State – While I would’ve loved to add the other Florida State safety much earlier in the draft, I can settle for his teammate. Marshall is a player that could push Kentrell Brice along with contributing on special teams.
Previous Pick: Kentavius Street DL/EDGE NC State
6 (207) Akrum Wadley RB Iowa – Interesting here because I really like Wadley as a prospect. He did a little bit of everything for the Hawkeyes. The Packers could use some competition at the bottom of their running back depth chart. As they’ve seen in recent years, that’s a position that can become thin in the blink of an eye. Wadley would be on the roster to push last year’s 7th round pick Davante Mays.
Previous Pick: Equanimeous St. Brown WR
7 (232) Jamil Demby OT Maine – An ode to Ted Thompson. Brian Gutekunst selects a player from a small school that players typically are not drafted from. Demby has the potential to play anywhere on the offensive line and adds competition to the likes of Lucas Patrick and Kofi Amechia
Previous Pick JT Barrett QB Ohio State
7 (239) Khalid Hill FB Michigan – I made this pick exclusively because his nickname is Panda. I’m somewhat kidding. Hill is a former tight end so he has good speed out of the backfield. He’s a good blocker that was excellent in short yardage situation for Jim Harbaugh. He could be competition for Joe Kerridge/Aaron Ripkowski. You know Mike McCarthy loves his fullbacks.
Previous Pick: KJ Malone G LSU
What I liked – Being able to add two talented pass rushers like Landry and Key was huge. If both of those picks pan out, the Packers have a deep pass rushing group. I was still able to get a top-7 cornerback in Hughes despite taking a pass rusher in the first round. I love the Wadley pick in the sixth round even if it isn’t necessarily the biggest “need” on the Packers.
What I didn’t like – Not adding a pass catcher until the fourth round. I’m not sure how much better I made the receiving corps by doing this. Moore and Ateman both could be contributors in the future, but it’s unlikely they help in 2018.