2017 Green Bay Packers draft preview and predictions

[FVBrewerFan]

If the Packers take Peppers I will laugh. Yes he is a great talent but where is he going to play on the defensive side of the ball? Peppers to me feels more like a special teams type of a player. He will be a good kick and punt returner and may be someone who can play a few plays on offense. I just don't see Peppers being that great or even a good defensive player. He is very athletic but I think a team that picks Peppers and expects him to be a good defensive player is going to be completely disappointed in him.

 

Since the Packers seem to love defensive players with no position, this pick sounds like a lock.

[fondybrewfan]

Probably a decent shot of trading down as well. While I understand the logic is still sucks to watch the draft 3 hours only to see TT trade into the 2nd round.

 

I don't think anyone has a real idea who Thompson is going to draft. How many times in the last 10 years has there really been a consensus pick or even consensus position for their 1st round pick?

[patrickgpe]

 

I don't think anyone has a real idea who Thompson is going to draft. How many times in the last 10 years has there really been a consensus pick or even consensus position for their 1st round pick?

well that is due to picking at the end of the 1st round every season just about. I think Watt has been as consensus of a mock draft selection as there has been in recent years.

[pacopete4]

I don't know about you guys but I had TT taking Justin Harrell 16th overall a decade ago.

[FVBrewerFan]

 

I don't think anyone has a real idea who Thompson is going to draft. How many times in the last 10 years has there really been a consensus pick or even consensus position for their 1st round pick?

well that is due to picking at the end of the 1st round every season just about. I think Watt has been as consensus of a mock draft selection as there has been in recent years.

 

Clinton-Dix probably the only consensus pick the past 10 years that they actually drafted. Watt, I wouldn't say he's a consensus pick. A few people have him in their mocks, but you see lots of other names too. Like you said, hard to have consensus pick at the bottom of the round. But Watt didn't play for a Pac 12 school, so he's probably out.

[CheezWizHed]

I don't know about you guys but I had TT taking Justin Harrell 16th overall a decade ago.

 

And you're proud of this?

[patrickgpe]

Peppers is so overrated. Would be a terrible first rounder. And if I'm wrong, well oh well.

he won't be a first round pick anymore with the failed drug test news today

[pacopete4]

I don't know about you guys but I had TT taking Justin Harrell 16th overall a decade ago.

 

And you're proud of this?

 

Haha, I should've used the sarcasm font.

[bjkrautk]

Trying to figure out which would be toughest to take:

 

1) T.J. Watt being taken before GB drafts;

2) Watt being on the board at 29, and GB trades down; or

3) Watt being on the board at 29, GB drafts someone else.

[pacopete4]

Is getting Watt that big of a deal? I love the Badgers but I want the best player. I don't care what college they went to.

[patrickgpe]

nobody really knows, just like with most of these players. he did get to the QB last season, which the packers need. I am sure less people would be enamored with him if he wasn't a badger and JJ's brother.

[brwrsfan]

Does he fit a need for the Packers? Yes. Is another edge rusher a higher priority than the secondary? IMO...No.

 

I'm fine with the Watt pick, but I think a lot of people are just stuck on him because he's a Badger. While it would be cool, I agree with Brew4u, talent is way more important than school.

 

That said...I don't think Watt makes it to the Packers pick.

[LouisEly]

Have to wonder what happens to Conley after the rape allegations, but it sounds like he has not been arrested (and supposedly has multiple witnesses who corroborate his story) so it seems like the evidence may not be there.

 

Still thinking it's one of Watt, Conley, or Adoree Jackson.

 

Don't know what to think of the signing of Jahri Evans. Probably makes it less likely the go OG in the first three rounds, but I still think they draft at least one interior OL. Probably more likely they go CB in the 2nd (Witherspoon, maybe Moreau), ILB in the 3rd (Walker or Jordan Evans), and then interior OL in rounds 4/5.

[adambr2]

Probably a decent shot of trading down as well. While I understand the logic is still sucks to watch the draft 3 hours only to see TT trade into the 2nd round.

 

I don't think anyone has a real idea who Thompson is going to draft. How many times in the last 10 years has there really been a consensus pick or even consensus position for their 1st round pick?

 

Raji, Hawk, Clinton-Dix and Bulaga were all 1st round picks that I figured 'Yeah this is the guy he'll go with here." And when he took Perry I figured it was either going to be Upshaw or Perry. Rodgers we also knew was a possibility but risky and obviously that was the right call.

 

But yeah most of the others have left me saying 'Who?

[Jenkins5]

So hard to tell right now with how deep this draft is. A lot of guys could go early teens or drop out of 1st round completely. Should be fun and interesting to watch. This draft is 100% about team preference. There is so little of a difference in rankings at positions such as CB, RB, QB, WR, OT, MLB, TE and etc that most rankings have guys shuffled all up. What we know:

 

Myles Garrett EDGE

Solomon Thomas DE/DT

Leonard Fournette RB

Malik Hooker FS

Jamal Adams SS

Johnathon Allen DT/DE

OJ Howard TE

And maybe add CB M. Lattimore

 

Those are the ELITE Prospects in the draft who are clear #1's at position. After that it is a mess.

 

MLB: R. Foster, H. Reddick, J. Davis , Z. Cunningham, and R. McMillian........ To me all three are outstanding backers who can play 3 downs and all should have 1st to Mid 2nd round grades. All about what traits you like better. Reddick is a freak and kind of the inside/outside CM3 type guy. Foster, Davis, Cunningham... take a pick! They are complete MLBs who make plays sideline to sideline. Also all leaders. Foster though has the off-field trash. McMillian, your typical uber athletic, playmaking OSU MLB. Follows two former favorites Shazier and Lee.

 

To me: 1. Davis 2. Foster 3. Reddick 4. McMillian 5. Cunningham

 

I have broke down CBs before....it is a mess. White, Humphrey, Conley, King, Moreau, Awuzie, Jackson, Q. Wilson, S. Jones have ALL seen names pop up all over the 1st round in Mocks from top 10 to late 2nd for some. Absolute crap shoot. That is not even listing Taber, Tinkersley, Witherspoon, D. King, J. Lewis, Sutton who all have mostly received 2nd round grades by most scouts.

 

OLB/EDGE

TJ Watt, Barnett, Taco, McKinley and C. Harris are the other 5 EDGE 1st round options after Thomas and Garrett.

Watt & McKinley are your explosive freak athlete types on the edge (CM3's)

Barnett & Harris are not flashy but productive and good (N. Perry)

Taco is you Julius Peppers. Play him hand down DE, Stand him up on the edge. Very talented and versatile kid with great size.

 

RB

What kind of back would you like? For Packers... you want someone who is different to Ty IMO. Ty to me is a poor mans D. Cook who can be tough runner inside and get edge, and is a weapon out of the backfield.

 

Hammer Backs (Your Lacy Thunder types) Only Foreman should be considered in 2nd round..... none in 1st

1. D. Foreman

2. S. Perine

3. B. Hill

4. J. Conner

5. D. Smith

 

Complete do it all backs (Ty Moontgomery)

1. Joe Mixon

2. D. Cook

3. A. Karama

4. M Mack

5. W. Gallman (I like in the mid rounds a lot)

 

Home RUN Threats.

1. Christian McCaffrey

2. J. Mixon

 

I put Mixon down again because him and McCaffrey are in a class of their own as weapons. They literally can score from anywhere at any moment. Christian cannot take pounding of an every down back (20 plus carries a game) but he is huge weapon. Mixon can take the 20 plus carries a game be an explosive workhorse. Cook and Kamara are explosive but in my opinion not on same level.

 

I think if it wasn't for his actions, he is a top 10 pick based on talent right behind Fournette.

 

 

QB: There are four top QBs in this class with one looking in from the outside. All are very different in what they offer. None should be a top 10 pick but teams are dumb. The most talked about #1 is Trubisky.

 

Trubisky at his absolute best is a Top 10-20 QB if it all works out for him. He could be Alex Smith like which is okay. You can win with that. He doesn't have skills that fly of the sheet at you. The fact he wasn't good enough to beat out a not very good QB troubles me a lot. He doesn't have that relentless winning edge Watson does.

 

Watson is a leader and a winner. He has the skills there but needs to be refined. I will take a guy like Watson any day of the week to lead my team. You can't teach the kind of leadership, heart, competitiveness he has. Watch Alabama and Louisville games. He will not go down without a fight to his last breath. Has the arm, feet, and brains. Draft him, let him learn, and you have a future starting QB

 

Patrick Mahomes - Think Brett Favre. Think what you loved about him....now think about what made you rip your hair out! That is Pat Mahomes. God blessed him with an incredible arm! He is definition of a gunslinger. He needs a coach like Holmgren who can rein him in and teach him how to play QB. Bruce Ariens and Arizona is the perfect place for him to reach potential. He makes throws that will drop your jaw but then he will make an equal amount of throws that have you scream at TV.

 

Kizer- Dream up the a QB in your head...size, arm, smarts, and all that good stuff .... Kizer probably is what pops up. All the tools in the world to be outstanding. Problem he is not outstanding, he does not make a team better, he is not a good leader, he is said to be a classic millennial, and he seems more concerned with how good he thinks he is over how good he really is. This season at N.D. was not pleasant and really made me fall completely of bandwagon. It was not like N.D. doesn't have talent him to work with.

 

If you are drafting on who will be best when said and done individually: I believe Mahomes with right coach

Which one will win most games: Watson hands down. Like Dak, regardless to personal stats, he makes people around him better,

 

The one who will be solid starter and may end up reliable Journey QB Trubisky

 

Next J Russ or at best J. Freeman....Kizer

 

Watch out for Webb from Cal, similar to Trubisky to me

[lcbj68c]

....everyone deserves a second chance...

 

~~ William Belichick at April 2010 NFL College Draft reference 4th rounder Aaron Hernandez (had punched a restaurant owner in college).

[brwrsfan]

Obviously the Hernandez thing is about as bad as it gets, but that's taking it to an extreme. There have been lots of guys that had bad character or made a stupid decision as a kid (I think we all made some dumb choices in college) that worked out just fine. People do mature and people do learn from them.

 

I think it comes down the interview process, that none of us can see. Did they learn from it? Do they realize the mistake? Or is someone where like maybe with Hernandez, they just seems like a bad or entitled person that is going to do more bad stuff down the road. There's no right answer in there, and it's incredibly hard to try to predict that. But they do their research - interviews with the player, coaches, etc.

 

Will their draft stock hurt and cost them millions because of the mistakes? Most likely. But I do believe that everyone deserves a second chance, or at least the opportunity to earn a second chance.

[rwa12]

I am resigned to the idea that all of the players I like will be available at 29, and TT will draft an unheralded DL.

[lcbj68c]

I am resigned to the idea that all of the players I like will be available at 29, and TT will draft an unheralded DL.

 

Is there any doubt? 3rd round talent coming at #29 without exception.

[lcbj68c]

Obviously the Hernandez thing is about as bad as it gets, but that's taking it to an extreme.

 

Will their draft stock hurt and cost them millions because of the mistakes? Most likely. But I do believe that everyone deserves a second chance, or at least the opportunity to earn a second chance.

 

Yup. It was to an extreme. My point in that is NOT everybody DESERVES a second chance. It's a noble idea but is it a prudent idea in EVERY situation? Of course not. I don't know Mixon's situation and I'm not saying I wouldn't draft Mixon. I would probably welcome him with open arms quite honestly. That said, each individual needs to be vetted and employers need to do what is prudent. They don't need to simply offer a blanket "everybody deserves a second chance", because it's just not prudent.

[CheezWizHed]

Does he fit a need for the Packers? Yes. Is another edge rusher a higher priority than the secondary? IMO...No.

 

I'm fine with the Watt pick, but I think a lot of people are just stuck on him because he's a Badger. While it would be cool, I agree with Brew4u, talent is way more important than school.

 

That said...I don't think Watt makes it to the Packers pick.

 

I think CB and OLB need is equal in my eyes. There is a direct correlation between CB performance and amount of time the QB has in the pocket. You can improve the CB talent or improve the pass rush and both will improve your defense against the pass. Not to mention that we lost several OLBs this year and our talent need is about the same.

 

TJ Watt certainly has the homer appeal, but I think his appeal is more impacted by JJ's impact in the NFL and the thought that TJ could have a similar impact.

 

To me, I'm cheering for Watt to be chosen, but I wonder if TT will trade up into the early 2nd round to get him after getting a CB in the first. Similar to picking Matthews. However, the other side reminds me that TT rarely drafts Badgers so its probably a moot point.

[brwrsfan]

Obviously the Hernandez thing is about as bad as it gets, but that's taking it to an extreme.

 

Will their draft stock hurt and cost them millions because of the mistakes? Most likely. But I do believe that everyone deserves a second chance, or at least the opportunity to earn a second chance.

 

Yup. It was to an extreme. My point in that is NOT everybody DESERVES a second chance. It's a noble idea but is it a prudent idea in EVERY situation? Of course not. I don't know Mixon's situation and I'm not saying I wouldn't draft Mixon. I would probably welcome him with open arms quite honestly. That said, each individual needs to be vetted and employers need to do what is prudent. They don't need to simply offer a blanket "everybody deserves a second chance", because it's just not prudent.

 

Yeah, I agree with you on that. And I think they all do, and often times teams aren't willing to take the risk - I've seen on Twitter at least 6 teams have removed Mixon from the board, guys fall all the time due to this.

[Warning Track Power]

I had pegged Kevin King as the Packers pick last week and when I read McGinn's piece on him this morning in the Journal, I became more and more sure this is going to be the pick (if he is there).

[MrTPlush]

I had pegged Kevin King as the Packers pick last week and when I read McGinn's piece on him this morning in the Journal, I became more and more sure this is going to be the pick (if he is there).

 

I would agree with this. King is there and he is probably the guy.

[young guns]

Sounds like cleveland is going to go against the grain and select trubisky at no 1. I think i would be uspet if i were a browns fan.