Greatest Need in the 2009 NFL Draft for Packers

[3irty1]

DE before NT? Not IMO - we have one DE, and some guys who can play the other side - granted, they're 'just guys' but at least there's someone.

I think NT is out biggest need. Pickett is not going to play 100% of the snaps there this year, and I don't think we've got anyone else who can play in the middle. Cole and Jolly would be the next two guys, I guess, and even Jolly is potentially slated to be outside.

That's assuming that the team is in the base defense 100% of the time. Any one of the lineman can come off the field when the team is in subpackages, it seems to me that on other 3-4 teams that's often times the NT. Either way I think we've got our starting NT. I'm skeptical about our starting DE, and OLB opposite of Kampman.

[wist43]

Pass Rushing OLB... I have Orakpo penciled in for that role.

NT... have Raji penciled in for that role.

Rest of the draft... holes everywhere, or soon to be holes; throw a dart.

TT wont look at need with that first pick though... you know his mantra, which ever player they figure has a better future, regardless of position. We're as likely to end up with a RB or WR at that pick as we are a NT, or rush LB.

You complain about our team being a poor fit for a 3-4 than pencil in Orakpo at OLB, LOL

I'd take Orakpo at OLB before I'd put Kampman there... quicker, more compactly built, great off the edge - haven't scouted much, but my initial impression of Orakpo is that he would be a good fit at OLB in a 3-4... bigger than Harrison, but has the same type of ability off the edge.

[Fritz]

I'm going to say NT, DE, OL, LB, CB, TE, S

And whoever has Orakpo penciled in at LB or DE AND Raji at NT, how's TT going to get them both?

[wist43]

Why in poo perfect hell would you want to draft a DE in the first round if you're going to be running a 3-4???

A DE in a 3-4 is pretty much a bell weather against the run, eating up blockers so the LB's can make the plays... Good gravy, they're talking about moving Jolly, and Harrell to DE... those are the types of guys you're going to be seeing at DE in a 3-4.

No need for a 1st round DE in a 3-4... a 3-4 team, if they are going to invest in front 7 talent in the first round, will be looking at LB and NT, and that's about it.

DE's that fit a 3-4, simply don't have 1st round value.

[Waldo]

Why in poo perfect hell would you want to draft a DE in the first round if you're going to be running a 3-4???

A DE in a 3-4 is pretty much a bell weather against the run, eating up blockers so the LB's can make the plays... Good gravy, they're talking about moving Jolly, and Harrell to DE... those are the types of guys you're going to be seeing at DE in a 3-4.

No need for a 1st round DE in a 3-4... a 3-4 team, if they are going to invest in front 7 talent in the first round, will be looking at LB and NT, and that's about it.

DE's that fit a 3-4, simply don't have 1st round value.

Then why do the Pats, Chargers, Cowboys, etc... spend first round picks on DE's?

T. Warren - 1st
R. Seymore - 1st
M. Spears - 1st
L. Castillo - 1st
I. Olshansky - high 2nd
P Merling - 32nd overall (first pick in 2nd)

[Lurker64]

DE's that fit a 3-4, simply don't have 1st round value.

Well, they certainly don't have top 10 value in the first round, I agree, but when San Diego took Luis Castillo with the 28th pick in 2005, I think everybody would agree that that was an excellent pick in retrospect.

Also, "greatest need" isn't necessarily the one we fill first.

[Gunakor]

I said DE. We potentially have our linebackers although an upgrade wouldn't hurt. What we really need is an end or two. Jenkins and Harrell can be effective but are not dependable. Jolly isn't a great fit at end and Cole is a terrible fit.

Cole would be the backup NT should we not draft or sign one in the next couple of months. I think Jolly would be effective but not great at DE. I would like to see an upgrade there, but it isn't as pressing a need as a NT. Let's face it, Pickett won't last 16 games playing 80% of the defensive snaps at NT. Even if the guy we get isn't going to be the starter right away, we need one very badly to at least split time with Pickett. Cole would get absolutely abused as a nose. So IMO a nose is the biggest need this offseason.

[Waldo]

In 10 hours and 4 minutes, Cole is no longer a Packer.

If we play our base defense on 50% of the snaps at most (likely), and Pickett plays 100% of the snaps at NT in base, he will play 86% of the snaps he played in '08. If we get a guy in the draft or rotate in Jolly or Harrell for 5 snaps a game, Pickett will only play 72% of the snaps he played in '08.

Every time Tramon is on the field, Pickett goes to the bench, unlike the 4-3 (at least after Jenkins got hurt), where Pickett played passing downs and Poppinga sat on the bench.

[sharpe1027]

I said DE. We potentially have our linebackers although an upgrade wouldn't hurt. What we really need is an end or two. Jenkins and Harrell can be effective but are not dependable. Jolly isn't a great fit at end and Cole is a terrible fit.

Cole would be the backup NT should we not draft or sign one in the next couple of months. I think Jolly would be effective but not great at DE. I would like to see an upgrade there, but it isn't as pressing a need as a NT. Let's face it, Pickett won't last 16 games playing 80% of the defensive snaps at NT. Even if the guy we get isn't going to be the starter right away, we need one very badly to at least split time with Pickett. Cole would get absolutely abused as a nose. So IMO a nose is the biggest need this offseason.

First, MM explained that they will not be playing a 2-gap NT. MM also seemed to imply that Jenkins would be playing NT. That makes me think that we don't know what we are talking about when we make this huge deal about the NT having to be a 350lb immovable object.

Second, we will probably be in base 3-4 maybe 30%-40% of the time (with nickel taking up about almost 50% and the rest being a 4-3 lineup). Even if Pickett plays every single snap in the base 3-4 defense, that's no where near 80%.

[Gunakor]

Punter? Sorry....

DT, DE, CB, OL, RB/KR.

Is there a KR in this draft that will make it big? It would be so nice to have a real threat back there on returns.

Will Blackmon is pretty dangerous when healthy...

[Gunakor]

I said DE. We potentially have our linebackers although an upgrade wouldn't hurt. What we really need is an end or two. Jenkins and Harrell can be effective but are not dependable. Jolly isn't a great fit at end and Cole is a terrible fit.

Cole would be the backup NT should we not draft or sign one in the next couple of months. I think Jolly would be effective but not great at DE. I would like to see an upgrade there, but it isn't as pressing a need as a NT. Let's face it, Pickett won't last 16 games playing 80% of the defensive snaps at NT. Even if the guy we get isn't going to be the starter right away, we need one very badly to at least split time with Pickett. Cole would get absolutely abused as a nose. So IMO a nose is the biggest need this offseason.

First, MM explained that they will not be playing a 2-gap NT. MM also seemed to imply that Jenkins would be playing NT. That makes me think that we don't know what we are talking about when we make this huge deal about the NT having to be a 350lb immovable object.

Second, we will probably be in base 3-4 maybe 30%-40% of the time (with nickel taking up about almost 50% and the rest being a 4-3 lineup). Even if Pickett plays every single snap in the base 3-4 defense, that's no where near 80%.

It might have to do with the personnel we have on the roster right now. As the turnaround progresses, I doubt very highly that MM would rather play 1 gap than 2 gap. With the guys we have right now we really don't have much choice, but if that 350 lb. immovable object were to present itself to us at #9 do you really think TT would even think twice about it?

[Waldo]

Capers' lineage is the Steelers defense, that he was part of the development of. A 1 gap defense. 2 gap 3-4 D's haven't nearly been as successful as 1 gap 3-4 D's in recent years. MM is all about aggression, not vanilla. A 2 gap 3-4 is vanilla, a 1 gap 3-4 is aggressive.

[Guiness]

Ok, you guys have me somewhat convinced that we could go with Pickett as our main NT, and not need another guy unless he got hurt. I wasn't thinking about how often we wouldn't be in base, only that he was what I consider the only NT on the roster.

In passing downs, I wouldn't be surprised to seen Jenkins or Jolly move inside, and Kampman to line up as a down lineman.

[sharpe1027]

It might have to do with the personnel we have on the roster right now. As the turnaround progresses, I doubt very highly that MM would rather play 1 gap than 2 gap. With the guys we have right now we really don't have much choice, but if that 350 lb. immovable object were to present itself to us at #9 do you really think TT would even think twice about it?

I disagree. They both have their advantages. A 1 gap system is not an inferior system only used as a last resort because of a lack of personnel. Maybe they really want to run a 2-gap, but probably not given Caper's experience and what they have been saying.

[MadtownPacker]

Dear Mr. Thompson,

Please draft a new quarterback.

Signed,

Partial

P.S. I know more than you, so just do it.

P.S.S. Ruin a great thread and expect to be reading only from now on. Both of you.