VOTE - Packer Rats MOCK PACKER PICK

[Lurker64]

So assuming we don't have a shot at Reed or Ingram, who would everybody pick in that case?

For me, it's between Ijalana and Sheard.

[TennesseePackerBacker]

So assuming we don't have a shot at Reed or Ingram, who would everybody pick in that case?

For me, it's between Ijalana and Sheard.

I like both. Add Watkins to that list for me as well. Who cares if he's 26? Offensive guards have one of the highest longevities of any position.

[3irty1]

Major reach for Brooks Reed. Someone remember and told-ya-so me if I'm wrong, but I bet Brooks Reed can be had with pick #64.

[3irty1]

Remember TT drafted Justin Harrell when most of us thought our DL was very strong; but IMO he anticipated Williams might leave. IMO about the only positions that are nearly out are QB and TE in round one. If TT feels Ingram is special that pick is very possible IMO

I wouldn't even count those two out. If TT thinks Rudolph is the BPA you bet he'll be taken. Elite TE's are a cheap way to keep your offense in the top tier. NE fans know better than anyone what a pair of young TE's can do for your offense. With Flynn in jeopardy of leaving to free agency, a capable backup QB is a pretty big concern. This position is at a premium now with the concussion rules. I would be more surprised to see the pick be a reach like Brooks Reed than a pick with value, even at QB, like Christian Ponder--that's just how Ted rolls.

[3irty1]

I understand the votes for Mark Ingram, he's a great value here. Where are all the votes for Ben Ijalana??? Safest pick on the board IMO. Could play nearly anywhere on the line and should give a major boost to this unit which will likely lose two or three solid players.

I voted for Baldwin. The offense underperformed last year during the regular season last year and now there is a chance they lose a productive receiver in James Jones. TT has chosen a lot of players that are vaguely in the Baldwin mold but none of them are quite right. Baldwin is what Jordy was supposed to be IMO. Give McCarthy another big weapon and the offensive droughts from last year are a thing of the past IMO. It takes a special player to cover a guy like Baldwin... or Finley... or Jennings. Baldwin is a decent value at #32 but IMO he represents such a mismatch schematically that when paired with Finely, the offense can do whatever it wants.

[Guiness]

Ingram's the BPA, so that's where my vote went. However, in this spot I could certainly see someone calling Ted with a nice trade offer. If the option to trade down on the poll that's where I'd vote. If Ingram really were there at 32 someone would pay dearly for that pick.

Agreed that if that's the way the board fell, it could go that way.

I voted Ingram, but I don't see it happening if this is the way the board fell. If the board looked like this, I could see TT calling Carolina and asking them if they want Ingram, and getting them to swap picks and pick up an extra late rounder.

At that point...the next BPA is Liuget. You can never have enough big men. He develops for a year while you play Green.

[Guiness]

I understand the votes for Mark Ingram, he's a great value here. Where are all the votes for Ben Ijalana??? Safest pick on the board IMO. Could play nearly anywhere on the line and should give a major boost to this unit which will likely lose two or three solid players.

I voted for Baldwin. The offense underperformed last year during the regular season last year and now there is a chance they lose a productive receiver in James Jones. TT has chosen a lot of players that are vaguely in the Baldwin mold but none of them are quite right. Baldwin is what Jordy was supposed to be IMO. Give McCarthy another big weapon and the offensive droughts from last year are a thing of the past IMO. It takes a special player to cover a guy like Baldwin... or Finley... or Jennings. Baldwin is a decent value at #32 but IMO he represents such a mismatch schematically that when paired with Finely, the offense can do whatever it wants.

Baldwin? Don't know much about him.

[Lurker64]

I understand the votes for Mark Ingram, he's a great value here. Where are all the votes for Ben Ijalana??? Safest pick on the board IMO. Could play nearly anywhere on the line and should give a major boost to this unit which will likely lose two or three solid players.

I would have voted for Ijalana, but I voted for Reed because I didn't want Ingram to be the pick. I'd rather have Ijalana than Reed though.

[TennesseePackerBacker]

Agreed that if that's the way the board fell, it could go that way.

I voted Ingram, but I don't see it happening if this is the way the board fell. If the board looked like this, I could see TT calling Carolina and asking them if they want Ingram, and getting them to swap picks and pick up an extra late rounder.

At that point...the next BPA is Liuget. You can never have enough big men. He develops for a year while you play Green.

I'm not so sure Liuget fits our scheme. He's more of a 4-3 DT.

[Lurker64]

I'm not so sure Liuget fits our scheme. He's more of a 4-3 DT.

Yeah, great 3-tech prospect. I'd take him over Fairley if I was a 4-3 team. But in the 3-4? We don't need another nose, and I really doubt that he has the length to play the 5-technique position effectively. You have to like Neal a lot more than Liuget in this scheme, and we got Neal in the second.

I don't think the 5-tech hole is really even that big a need, we really only need depth and developmental guys (I really like Oregon's Brandon Bair on day 3), assuming we can finally get some pass rush from the other OLB. We play 2.25 DL/play, and if Raji and Neal can be counted on then you don't want to spend your first on .25 of a player (or a guy who relegates last year's promising #2 to .25 of a player). Dom wants extra defensive backs whenever he can get away with it, and it's always going to come at the expense of your big horses.

[3irty1]

Baldwin? Don't know much about him.

6'5" 230 lb WR
4.5 seconds in the 40 yard dash

Plays at about the same speed as James Jones but is significantly bigger. Actually a lot of his game reminds me of Jones. Both have big natural soft hands that you look for in a glue-handed receiver, both have a surprising amount of wiggle when asked to make guys miss and fight for yards after the catch. Jones does a little better job of exploding out of his cuts to create separation IMO but Baldwin has rare leaping ability (41" vertical) and shows the ability to highpoint the ball and take it away from defenders--a skill that can make you a star in the NFL. Baldwin is also a punishing blocker for a WR. My biggest concern about him is that he seems to jump for balls that don't need to be jumped for which results in taking a few in the stomach, particularly over the middle, with no chance of creating after the catch. This is probably a habit that came from the terrible QB play he's had to endure with which he's routinely found himself left out to dry over the middle. With an NFL QB that can hit him in stride he'll have a chance to grow as a route runner and drop his bad habits.

[Guiness]

PFT's mock is interesting.

It has the Pack taking Justin Houston at #32, passing on Ingram - so no first round RB's.

They also have quarterbacks going #1, 4, 10, and 15 (Panthers, Bengals, Skins and Dolphins). I was going to call them morons for that, but it's possibly accurate and GM's do tend to panic when they haven't got a signal caller. A couple of extra QB's being taken in the first round will push other quality players down.

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com...ft-take-three/

[Lurker64]

For those of you who voted for Ingram, he's currently scheduled to get an exhaustive evaluation on his knee to determine whether or not there is structural damage or degenerative arthritis. Assuming that Ingram's knee is not completely healthy, how much of a mess would it have to be before you'd change your vote? Note that the results from this evaluation will be available to all NFL teams before the draft, so you can assume that you have access to it and respond conditionally.

For Ingram supporters, supposing that Ingram's knee is a total mess... would you advocate taking a different RB instead, say LeShoure or Williams?

[RashanGary]

Lurker, of course, if his knee is shot and his career guaranteed to be short, sure, we'd choose someone else. Just going off the tape though, the guy is a damn good overall RB and a great redzone back. He'd be welcomed here with open arms. Grant is 18 mos away from 30 years old. Very few RB's with STarks build can handle the load in the NFL. Ingram would be a great piece for us.

[Guiness]

For those of you who voted for Ingram, he's currently scheduled to get an exhaustive evaluation on his knee to determine whether or not there is structural damage or degenerative arthritis. Assuming that Ingram's knee is not completely healthy, how much of a mess would it have to be before you'd change your vote? Note that the results from this evaluation will be available to all NFL teams before the draft, so you can assume that you have access to it and respond conditionally.

For Ingram supporters, supposing that Ingram's knee is a total mess... would you advocate taking a different RB instead, say LeShoure or Williams?

Not at all.

The Ingram choice was based on BPA alone - not need/desire for an RB at all. Actually, on the list of team needs, I'd rank RB as the third lowest - behind ILB and TE, so no chance we we reach a little for one of the other RB's.

If Liuget is as bad a fit as some are saying, I could see him being crossed off the board just because he'd be useless to us I don't know who would be next in line. Those two were the players who seemed to have dropped below their value.

Maybe Watkins is next? *shrug*

[RashanGary]

I started thinking about backs who have had great red zone production over the years. Immediately I thought about Ladanian Tomlinson (similar size and no nonsense running style). But LT is faster, so that's not a perfect comparison. Then I thought of Priest Holmes. Exact same size. Exact same running style. I don't know if Ingram just had a bad day at the track, but I think Priest Holmes is a great comparison back for Mark Ingram.

[Lurker64]

To be honest, I think Mikel LeShoure would be a more effective back on this team than Mark Ingram. More of a one-cut guy.

[Freak Out]

I'll change my pick now to one of the OTs available....I think there will be a good RB available in the 2nd or the 3rd. Is Mikel the guy from VT?

[swede]

I'll change my pick now to one of the OTs available....I think there will be a good RB available in the 2nd or the 3rd. Is Mikel the guy from VT?

Watching the combine, the guy I saw with the surest, quickest cuts was Dion Lewis from Pittsburgh. They say he's 6th or 7th round, but he ran 4.41 with a 1.51 10 yd split at his pro day. He may be 5' 7", but he weighs 194 lbs. He isn't small--he's short and talented. I'll be shocked if he is still there after the fourth round is over.

[Lurker64]

I'll change my pick now to one of the OTs available....I think there will be a good RB available in the 2nd or the 3rd. Is Mikel the guy from VT?

LeShoure is from Illinois, Ryan Williams is the guy from VT.