Pete Prisco's Team Grades for 2017 Draft

[texaspackerbacker]

What radagast said above makes the most sense. It's all speculation at this point. Check again in 3 or 5 or 10 years.

Just the same, this draft SEEMS at first glance to be Ted's best in my memory. And I do NOT just mean that in terms of filling needs; I mean it in terms of at least perceived quality.

[Radagast]

The following players visited the GB Packers prior to the draft and were then drafted by the Packers.
They are :

DeAngelo Yancey / WR / Purdue
Kofi Amichia / OL / South Florida
Devante Mays / RB / Utah State

[bobblehead]

The following players visited the GB Packers prior to the draft and were then drafted by the Packers.
They are :

DeAngelo Yancey / WR / Purdue
Kofi Amichia / OL / South Florida
Devante Mays / RB / Utah State

All lies. TT is lazy and only had one player in for an interview.

[gbgary]

It's all speculation at this point. Check again in 3 or 5 or 10 years.

of course it is. these guys/publications are doing it just for fun (and it's their job). that's what it is. just like these chat boards. talking points and fun.

[Fritz]

Well, we of course don't know jack about how who will pan out and who won't, not for any of these teams. But da Bears sure did give up the farm to move up - I love this - one spot! After giving a young guy a big contract to play the same position.

Minnesota looks like they may be back to their bad old ways - drafting Cook in the second round. Lions, too, drafting Teez Tabor in the second, then a bunch of third wide receivers and special teamers, it appears.

But who knows. The fun is in finding out.

[3irty1]

In a way I think it makes more sense to rank a draft now for purposes of GM accountability. Or in a few months maybe. For purposes of coach accountability 4 years should do.

I think its a bad assumption that some players are destined for greatness independent of the circumstances of the team that drafts them. In an alternate reality Rodgers may have been a 49er and never developed into the MVP-level talent he is now. There are probably players that never hit with the Packers who could have been pro bowlers elsewhere. And I'm not just talking about schematic fit but the whole infinite collection of variances that are set in motion once drafted by a team in the NFL. So I see the temptation of thinking "what if we took Ngata over Hawk?" but there is no guarantee that Ngata the prospect would have been Ngata the star without Ray Lewis barking orders behind him. It could well have taken his coaches, trainers, friendships, teammates, family, fans, and a million other things in that exact situation to make him. Maybe he comes to GB and our trainers destroy his back in the weight room and he becomes nothing but a curse word Bretsky uses in traffic.

For this reason the Brian Brohms and Khyri Thorntons are the worst draft picks to hang on Ted. They were piles of shit so immediately that its hard to imagine what it would take to cultivate whatever talent they had.

[Guiness]

For this reason the Brian Brohms and Khyri Thorntons are the worst draft picks to hang on Ted. They were piles of shit so immediately that its hard to imagine what it would take to cultivate whatever talent they had.

Thornton is actually still in the league - playing for the Lions, I believe. Those big bodies tend to get more chances though.

Brohm...that was a bad one. I always though TT might've been at odds with a previously very highly rated player (and a QB!) being on the board 2/3 of the way through the second and panicked a little.

[vince]

In a way I think it makes more sense to rank a draft now for purposes of GM accountability. Or in a few months maybe. For purposes of coach accountability 4 years should do.

I think its a bad assumption that some players are destined for greatness independent of the circumstances of the team that drafts them. In an alternate reality Rodgers may have been a 49er and never developed into the MVP-level talent he is now. There are probably players that never hit with the Packers who could have been pro bowlers elsewhere. And I'm not just talking about schematic fit but the whole infinite collection of variances that are set in motion once drafted by a team in the NFL. So I see the temptation of thinking "what if we took Ngata over Hawk?" but there is no guarantee that Ngata the prospect would have been Ngata the star without Ray Lewis barking orders behind him. It could well have taken his coaches, trainers, friendships, teammates, family, fans, and a million other things in that exact situation to make him. Maybe he comes to GB and our trainers destroy his back in the weight room and he becomes nothing but a curse word Bretsky uses in traffic.

For this reason the Brian Brohms and Khyri Thorntons are the worst draft picks to hang on Ted. They were piles of shit so immediately that its hard to imagine what it would take to cultivate whatever talent they had.

Killer post 31. Though I think it's fair to hold the GM responsible for drafting/adding players that can/will thrive within the circumstances of the team as constructed.

As you say it's more complex than simply assessing talent in a vacuum. I think your post says a lot about Ted's approach to player acquisition beyond the draft as well.

[bobblehead]

Killer post 31. Though I think it's fair to hold the GM responsible for drafting/adding players that can/will thrive within the circumstances of the team as constructed.

As you say it's more complex than simply assessing talent in a vacuum. I think your post says a lot about Ted's approach to player acquisition beyond the draft as well.

That being said, Josh Jones was the perfect pick. He fills Hydes role this year, and Burnett is on the last year of his contract. Jones is a bigger body for the new hybrid ILB/S position we have been using. A good fit for this team right now.

[vince]

That being said, Josh Jones was the perfect pick. He fills Hydes role this year, and Burnett is on the last year of his contract. Jones is a bigger body for the new hybrid ILB/S position we have been using. A good fit for this team right now.

Agree. Jones fills both an immediate and potential long-term need.

If anything appears different this year it's been the transparency of moves that so clearly address "need." I think it's clear that's always been a big part of the value equation but with the important losses of this year's departures in specific areas and how close the team continues to be year after year, the "needs" jump out a lot more than in the past when there's been less "starting role veteran" roster turnover.

[Teamcheez1]

The same people calling the draft grades worthless would be frothing at the mouth if the Packers had received poor draft grades for this year. Too many armchair GM's.

[SMBASS]

The same people calling the draft grades worthless would be frothing at the mouth if the Packers had received poor draft grades for this year. Too many armchair GM's.

No I wouldn't. I don't and never have cared about post-draft grades. Wait and see how these guys perform for a few years and then re-visit the draft success. It's simply something for people to write and talk about. It's fine with me if people want to act as though they carry any weight. IMO they don't. It has nothing to do with being an, "armchair GM". I'm not saying it's a good or a bad draft in any way yet. Of course there are players I'm glad to see us pick and some that leave me scratching my head. For example, I really wanted to see us grab Perine from Oklahoma with the first pick in the 4th Rd. but I'm not going to blow a gasket or lose any sleep over the fact that we didn't.

[Carolina_Packer]

Totally excluding picks that had their careers derailed by injury early on, it amazes me when the team drafts a guy in the first three or four rounds and they come in and look like they can't play. Likewise, we all love it when a player is found where least expected. I wasn't crazy about picking DeAngelo Yancey where he was chosen, however, if he catches on and turns out to be a decent pro, then my concerns were unfounded.

[Pugger]

I must be in the minority because I don't care when a guy is taken. If he ends up that he can play and really contribute isn't that all that matters in the end?

[red]

I must be in the minority because I don't care when a guy is taken. If he ends up that he can play and really contribute isn't that all that matters in the end?

yeah, good point. who cares if a guy is a reach in the 4th if he becomes a starter

[red]

you can always grade drafts on how well they addressed their needs

in that case, i think we would get about a B, we still might have the Ilb or OLB depth problem, depending on where beigel plays. and we still have barclay as our #1 backup at guard

[woodbuck27]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2...m_campaign=nfl

At Long Last, the Packers Seem to Understand That It's Evolve or Die in the NFL

MIKE FREEMAN ... MAY 1, 2017

" Thompson's embrace of a more modern, or at least, current way of doing things in the NFL has all but stunned his counterparts across the league. Six different team officials told me they were flabbergasted by the change in someone they believed had become too dogmatic and stubborn in his approach to a rapidly changing NFL world."

Comment woodbuck27:

A fine compliment to Ted Thompson from a respected writer...Mike Freeman.

[vince]

Those who were paying attention saw this offseason as shaping up very differently for Thompson. Ted managed it better than most by doing some of the heavy lifting last year getting rid of Sitton a year earlier than expected. Still there were a number of important pieces coming due who were at different turning points in their careers as Packers to varying degrees and for various reasons - Lacy, Lang, Peppers, Tretter, Shields, Cook, Perry, Hyde, Starks, Jones, etc. That's a ton of production to lose and/or have to pay up for all in one year.

Big changes were almost inevitable and I believe Ted stayed true to his way this year rather than "evolving."

Extra picks help Ted Thompson retool Packers roster

The beauty of general manager Ted Thompson’s draft-and-develop system is that the Green Bay Packers never should be in a rebuilding mode.

As long as Thompson is making the right choices 50-60 percent of the time with his draft selections, the warehouse never should run out of goods. Whenever items are pulled off the shelves because someone paid a pretty price for them or their expiration dates passed or they become damaged, newer merchandise fills their place.

Of late, Thompson hasn’t had to restock his shelves all that much.
...
But after watching his team crumble under the weight of injuries and inadequate depth, Thompson went out to retool his roster in a way he hadn’t since 2006 when he signed Charles Woodson and Ryan Pickett and finagled 12 draft picks.

Across the NFL, many of the front-office executives who help shape their teams' drafts have always viewed Ted Thompson as almost a God-like figure. He is, by some, literally worshipped.

They see the Packers' general manager as an OG, a genius, a model for how to run a team. They look at Thompson the way Starfleet captains look at James Kirk. Thompson's intelligence, his draft picks, his common-sense approach and the way he refuses to publicly pat himself on the back for some of the best picks of all time—like Aaron Rodgers—are just some of the reasons why he's so cherished.

This idea that Thompson has somehow "evolved" and risen from the depths of yesterday's game are a gross oversimplification and a misunderstanding of what's happened this year. While he necessarily signed more FA's this offseason, those moves were necessitated by the state of the roster not by some new approach. He was still characteristically judicious about not overspending or over-reaching.

Ted Thompson has always assessed the state of the roster and acted in ways he feels appropriate for maintaining balance between short-term needs and long-term health of the roster. That balance is different this year, which has driven the moves he's made but his strategic approach to building a team to win now and in the future remains the same as it's always been.

[gbgary]

This idea that Thompson has somehow "evolved" and risen from the depths of yesterday's game are a gross oversimplification and a misunderstanding of what's happened this year.

exactly. he had to involved in free agency because of the high number of people he let go. he's the same ted. watching the $. i thought he did a good job in the draft addressing needs even though he passed over watt and foster. the cb position was just too needy to ignore.

[vince]

exactly. he had to involved in free agency because of the high number of people he let go. he's the same ted. watching the $. i thought he did a good job in the draft addressing needs even though he passed over watt and foster. the cb position was just too needy to ignore.

Yeah I hoped he'd really break from character, do the easy fan-friendly thing and cut a huge check to one of the #1 corner FA's. That would have guaranteed nothing but obviously didn't happen regardless.

We'll see how Ted's way fits with 31's "whole infinite collection of variances that are set in motion" this year. Given the addition of King and House, along with the return to health - and appropriate placement down the pecking order - of Randall, Rollins and Gunter, I think the corners are likely to be improved.

One of those 31esque butterfly-effect variances that concerns me is what happens if/when Perry and/or Matthews miss time with injury... Someone who hasn't really shown up yet is gonna need to be there.

Injuries in key spots last year set variances in motion that decimated the pass defense and proved to be their undoing in the NFC Championship. Bottom line is, given their early up-tempo offensive approach and play-from-ahead game strategy, they probably don't need a top 10 pass defense - but I'd say they do need to be top 20. Top 31 got them schooled pretty hard by the league's premiere offense 2 wins short of the goal.