"Experts" say that only 10 to 15 players have true first round talent in most drafts. When you consistently pick later than 24th in the first round, you get second round grades on those picks. You either take someone raw like a 20 year old NT with a high upside or a college safety that you project to play CB after a learning curve who also has a high upside. Another choice is to pick a position like G, RB, or S that is not highly valued so that you can get a first round talent with your late first round pick. Another choice, if you cannot find a trade partner willing to allow you to drop back to the 2nd round, is to choose someone at a highly valued position who is more polished but without the high upside that a first round pick usually has. In other words, a pick that would normally have 2nd round or later value. The last choice, one which the Packers do not usually make, is to take someone with significant character or injury risks, but with a high upside. Justin Harrell might have been the last choice we made with this type of pick.

This year's draft, as characterized by "experts" has the usual 10 or so first round talents but an unusually high number of 2nd and 3rd round talent, perhaps stretching into the 4th or 5th round at some positions. Positions that match our need. It will be interesting to see what we do on draft day and maybe even in the weeks after draft day in putting together the last 10 members of our roster.