packrulz
04-20-2007, 04:56 AM
Only one week to go! This guy doesn't mention Patrick Willis, LB, Miss., he'll probably ge gone at 16 but if he's still there I'll be calling his name. I'd love Jamaal Anderson, if he takes Olsen I'll be pissed.
Posted April 20, 2007
Packers have many options with top pick
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
With the 16th pick in the first round of the April 28 NFL draft, there's a large pool of potential prospects from which General Manager Ted Thompson has had to draw from over the past month in setting his draft board for the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers have many needs, though Thompson has insisted in his two-plus years as GM that he always will lean heavily toward basing his selections on pure ability over need.
"History will bear me out on this: If you draft good players, it helps your team," Thompson said. "If you draft lesser players because of a perceived need, you really haven't helped your team, because that position of strength you had, you might be one bad ankle sprain from not having the strength.
"If you're adding quality players no matter the position, then you're improving your team. That's the way I look at it, and I try to keep it as simple as possible."
Following is a look at some of the first-round prospects Thompson might have to pick from at No. 16 overall:
Running backs
There are only two running backs worth taking in the top half of the first round, and one, Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson, is almost surely a top 10 pick.
It's touch-and-go whether California's Marshawn Lynch will be available, but he has off-the-field issues that need thorough researching and could take him off some teams' boards for the first round.
Wide receivers
The best receiver, Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech, might be the most talented player in the draft and probably will go in the top two picks.
At No. 16, Thompson could face the question of whether any of the remaining receivers — perhaps Ted Ginn Jr. of Ohio State, Robert Meachem of Tennessee and Dwayne Bowe of LSU — is a dangerous enough playmaker to justify taking that high at a position that probably will have quality prospects available as late as the third round.
Ginn is the most explosive of that group and might be gone by No. 16, but there are questions about his recovery from a foot injury and overall durability and pro preparedness.
Safeties
LSU safety LaRon Landry probably will be a top 10 pick. Florida's Reggie Nelson and Miami's Brandon Meriweather likely are first-round prospects, but many scouts question whether they're reaches at No. 16.
Cornerbacks
The cornerback group lacks a standout and might not see a player taken in the top 10.
Michigan's Leon Hall appears most likely to come off the board first at that position, and it's questionable whether Pittsburgh's Darrelle Revis will be available at No. 16 either, though if he is, he'd warrant consideration.
Texas' Aaron Ross might be the only other first-round prospect at cornerback but more likely will be a later-round pick.
Tight ends
There's one possible first-round-caliber tight end in Miami's Greg Olsen, but whether he's enough of a playmaker to justify selecting at No. 16 while not playing a prime position is a major question.
Defensive linemen
Though the Packers don't count defensive line among their most urgent needs, they rank far from the elite at a crucial position group that never can have too much talent.
Michigan defensive tackle Alan Branch appears to be a top 10 prospect, but there's an outside chance he'll be available at No. 16 because of concerns about his commitment to the game. Tennessee's Justin Harrell had a torn biceps that kept him out of most of last season but is an intriguing talent who could go as high as the mid first-round.
At defensive end, Arkansas' Jamaal Anderson is highly regarded by some teams for combining both run-stopping and pass-rush skills, and there's an outside chance he'll be available at No. 16. Nebraska's Adam Carriker was an end in college who might have to shift to defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense like the Packers run, but he's a sound player who probably will go between the 11th and 18th picks. Florida's Jarvis Moss probably is one of the top two pass rushers in this draft, though he might best fit a 3-4 defense as an outside linebacker.
Posted April 20, 2007
Packers have many options with top pick
By Pete Dougherty
pdougher@greenbaypressgazette.com
With the 16th pick in the first round of the April 28 NFL draft, there's a large pool of potential prospects from which General Manager Ted Thompson has had to draw from over the past month in setting his draft board for the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers have many needs, though Thompson has insisted in his two-plus years as GM that he always will lean heavily toward basing his selections on pure ability over need.
"History will bear me out on this: If you draft good players, it helps your team," Thompson said. "If you draft lesser players because of a perceived need, you really haven't helped your team, because that position of strength you had, you might be one bad ankle sprain from not having the strength.
"If you're adding quality players no matter the position, then you're improving your team. That's the way I look at it, and I try to keep it as simple as possible."
Following is a look at some of the first-round prospects Thompson might have to pick from at No. 16 overall:
Running backs
There are only two running backs worth taking in the top half of the first round, and one, Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson, is almost surely a top 10 pick.
It's touch-and-go whether California's Marshawn Lynch will be available, but he has off-the-field issues that need thorough researching and could take him off some teams' boards for the first round.
Wide receivers
The best receiver, Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech, might be the most talented player in the draft and probably will go in the top two picks.
At No. 16, Thompson could face the question of whether any of the remaining receivers — perhaps Ted Ginn Jr. of Ohio State, Robert Meachem of Tennessee and Dwayne Bowe of LSU — is a dangerous enough playmaker to justify taking that high at a position that probably will have quality prospects available as late as the third round.
Ginn is the most explosive of that group and might be gone by No. 16, but there are questions about his recovery from a foot injury and overall durability and pro preparedness.
Safeties
LSU safety LaRon Landry probably will be a top 10 pick. Florida's Reggie Nelson and Miami's Brandon Meriweather likely are first-round prospects, but many scouts question whether they're reaches at No. 16.
Cornerbacks
The cornerback group lacks a standout and might not see a player taken in the top 10.
Michigan's Leon Hall appears most likely to come off the board first at that position, and it's questionable whether Pittsburgh's Darrelle Revis will be available at No. 16 either, though if he is, he'd warrant consideration.
Texas' Aaron Ross might be the only other first-round prospect at cornerback but more likely will be a later-round pick.
Tight ends
There's one possible first-round-caliber tight end in Miami's Greg Olsen, but whether he's enough of a playmaker to justify selecting at No. 16 while not playing a prime position is a major question.
Defensive linemen
Though the Packers don't count defensive line among their most urgent needs, they rank far from the elite at a crucial position group that never can have too much talent.
Michigan defensive tackle Alan Branch appears to be a top 10 prospect, but there's an outside chance he'll be available at No. 16 because of concerns about his commitment to the game. Tennessee's Justin Harrell had a torn biceps that kept him out of most of last season but is an intriguing talent who could go as high as the mid first-round.
At defensive end, Arkansas' Jamaal Anderson is highly regarded by some teams for combining both run-stopping and pass-rush skills, and there's an outside chance he'll be available at No. 16. Nebraska's Adam Carriker was an end in college who might have to shift to defensive tackle in a 4-3 defense like the Packers run, but he's a sound player who probably will go between the 11th and 18th picks. Florida's Jarvis Moss probably is one of the top two pass rushers in this draft, though he might best fit a 3-4 defense as an outside linebacker.