Ted Thompson's Tendencies

[Smidgeon]

As far as first round picks go, you can add the following:

6 of 7 were from a power conference (2 each from Big 10, Pac 12, and SEC) and 7 of 7 were from BCS schools.

In addition to no RB's or WR's, also no DB's, or TE's. 4 of 7 were lineman. Ted's fall back seems to be that there's only so many really big people on the planet, and very few of them are athletic - so if you have a chance to take an athletic big man, you do. I seem to recall that being the logic for Raji over Crabtree and Sherrod over anyone else.

7 of 7 had prototype measurables.

I believe 6 of 7 were highly productive for multiple years in college. I only recall Matthews being a one year starter - could be wrong.

6 of 7 were squeaky clean characters (I recall Raji failing a drug test once at BC). Most have good leadership skills or at least seem to love football (Harrell? Sherrod - jury's out).

Based on all that, guys to keep an eye on would be Upshaw, Worthy, and Konz.

AKA, Thompson wants players in the 1st who got it done against good competition in college. Summed up?

[woodbuck27]

"We feel like our roster is balanced enough overall," Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson said. "We don't feel we have to target a particular position in the draft. That's not what we do, and we won't do it this year." Ted Thompson

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packers/collins-situation-wont-affect-packers-draft-thompson-says-tu52ukp-148206495.html

GO TED Thompson ! GO PACK GO !

[HarveyWallbangers]

http://espnmilwaukee.com/corp/page/04%2F25%2F12_Help_for_the_needy%3F/611?feed=2

Interesting read. Nothing earth shattering, but I think people don't get the part in bold. If you have four guys you like, why not trade down? Even if people think the roster is loaded. The converse would be true. If his pick is three away and he has one guy with a high grade, that's when you trade up to get that player. Generally, you'll have a guy worthy of drafting and you'll go ahead and make that pick. It's not that complicated. What's complicated is evaluating the players properly. For the most part, Thompson and his scouts have done a good job.

At that 2009 pre-draft press conference, Thompson was asked how his board worked, and he actually explained it – stepping away from the microphone and walking to the front wall of the Lambeau Field media auditorium (making his explanation inaudible for broadcast media) to take reporters through it.

Thompson pointed to the top of the wall and explained, “We have all the positions across a long wall (at the top), and we always start with the receivers (first) over here, and then it goes tight ends, tackles, guards, centers, quarterbacks, running backs, fullbacks, defensive ends, defensive tackles and so forth … You don't need me to go through the whole thing.

“And then we have … it would be horizontal, right? Horizontal lines going like this, and the very top horizontal line, anything above that would be first-round players, second-round players, third-round players, fourth-round players. And so the board is going to (have) guys at each position and there's a certain number of players in a lot of the rounds at those positions, and some rounds there may be a blank where there's no players in that particular round.

“And when you go through the draft, in a perfect world, if you've done your job properly, you sit there and you just let it come to you, and if it's your pick in the first round, you look up there and if you've got two guys, then you say. ‘OK, there's the two guys we would take at this pick, which one do you want to take? Or if there are four guys, and then somebody calls and wants to move two spots up to your spot, then you think, ‘Well, you know, we've got four guys we'd like to have, we can trade back and we know we're going to get one of two (left).’ That's kind of the way it works.”

[HarveyWallbangers]

http://espnmilwaukee.com/corp/page/04%2F25%2F12_Help_for_the_needy%3F/611?feed=2

Interesting read. Nothing earth shattering, but I think people don't get the part in bold. If you have four guys you like, why not trade down? Even if people think the roster is loaded. The converse would be true. If his pick is three away and he has one guy with a high grade, that's when you trade up to get that player. Generally, you'll have a guy worthy of drafting and you'll go ahead and make that pick. It's not that complicated. What's complicated is evaluating the players properly. For the most part, Thompson and his scouts have done a good job.

At that 2009 pre-draft press conference, Thompson was asked how his board worked, and he actually explained it – stepping away from the microphone and walking to the front wall of the Lambeau Field media auditorium (making his explanation inaudible for broadcast media) to take reporters through it.

Thompson pointed to the top of the wall and explained, “We have all the positions across a long wall (at the top), and we always start with the receivers (first) over here, and then it goes tight ends, tackles, guards, centers, quarterbacks, running backs, fullbacks, defensive ends, defensive tackles and so forth … You don't need me to go through the whole thing.

“And then we have … it would be horizontal, right? Horizontal lines going like this, and the very top horizontal line, anything above that would be first-round players, second-round players, third-round players, fourth-round players. And so the board is going to (have) guys at each position and there's a certain number of players in a lot of the rounds at those positions, and some rounds there may be a blank where there's no players in that particular round.

“And when you go through the draft, in a perfect world, if you've done your job properly, you sit there and you just let it come to you, and if it's your pick in the first round, you look up there and if you've got two guys, then you say. ‘OK, there's the two guys we would take at this pick, which one do you want to take? Or if there are four guys, and then somebody calls and wants to move two spots up to your spot, then you think, ‘Well, you know, we've got four guys we'd like to have, we can trade back and we know we're going to get one of two (left).’ That's kind of the way it works.”

So what does all this have to do with this year’s draft?

As he prepares for preside over his eighth draft as the Packers’ GM, never has Thompson’s team had such obvious needs. Even in 2005 and 2006, when the cupboards were mostly bare after coach/GM Mike Sherman’s less-than-stellar drafts, the needs weren’t as clear-cut as they are this year.

While Thompson annually refuses to acknowledge areas of need on his roster, we don’t need him to. They are a pass-rushing outside linebacker to pair with Clay Matthews, a pass-rushing defensive lineman, a safety to replace just-released three-time Pro Bowler Nick Collins, a cornerback, a backup quarterback to replace Matt Flynn and a guard/center prospect to be mentored by Jeff Saturday.

With so many roster holes despite their gaudy 15-1 regular-season record, Thompson should be able to marry the best player available on his board – which, in truth, is something of a misnomer – with one of his team’s myriad of needs.

So how does need factor into Thompson’s picks?

“Need factors in if you have what you consider, the way they're up on the board, identical players at Position A, Position B, and you feel you have a more pressing need right at this moment for Position B,” Thompson explained. “But if there's a difference in those players, if Position A is truly a better player, then we feel like you have to take Position A. Because a draft is not a let's-get-ready-for-minicamp (thing); a draft is an investment in a player that's going to be here for a number of years. And when you don't take the best player, it'll just come back and bite you every time.

[Scott Campbell]

He doesn't draft bandaids.

[Smeefers]

He doesn't draft for tomorrow either. It's so very rare that a rookie can come in and make any kind of impact (except for running backs). You might get 6 guys in the whole draft who make a difference their rookie year. The chances of you getting one of them is pretty slim. It usually takes 2 to 3 years for guys to get into form. Look at how horrible Bryan Bulaga played his rookie year and the vast improvement he made his sophmore season. Now he's a rock on the right side. In the past 5 years, the only guy we've had to start off great was Clay Mathews. He was one of what, 3 rookies that made an impact that year? So yeah, "We better just hope that Ted can draft the defensive rookie of the year. That's what we have to hope for. That's not asking for too much is it?" - JH (said with sarcasm).

[Deputy Nutz]

I disagree Smeefers, you do draft a guy in the first round that is going to be able to contribute from training camp to the end of the season, for the most part Thompson drafts guys that can come into camp competing for position, the one exception was Rodgers. look at his first round picks and a majority of them were starting at some point in the season. Hawk started right away, Raji was injured and then got into the starting line up mid season, Mathews started about 3 games in, Bulaga was a starter after Tausch went down, and he competed for the left guard position in camp, I would call his play horrible by any means his rookie year, I thought he played pretty damn well considering the pass rushers in the NFC North.

Did not start a game their rookie years
Rodgers
Sherrod
Nelson(2nd round pick)
Harrell

Were full time starters at the end of the year
Hawk
Raji
Mathews
Bulaga

I don't think Thompson drafts a player because they are going to be really good in 3 years, he drafts them to compete for a starting position during their rookie years, and to do that he does place a demand on need. He doesn't just go best player available. I see two first round picks were he did that, and Harrell could have been in the rotation if he wasn't such a turd.

[Smeefers]

Solid points, and I hate to do this, but I'm going to use your own argument against you. Raji and Hawk started right away, being top 10 picks. That I agree with you on. Mathews was considered a top 10 pick by Thompson, that's why TT jumped up from the 2nd round to get him. When You drop farther down into the draft though - Bulaga, Sherrod, Nelson, Rodgers - That's when you see guys needing development. I stand by the basis of my argument. Of the 8 guys you mentioned, only two of them made a solid positive impact right away, Mathews and Hawk. So, it is rare for a rookie to make an immidiate impact. You don't draft for tomorrow, you draft for a year or two down the line.

I do agree that he places a demand on need. We need an OLB and a DE, I would be surprised if we didn't pick one up in the draft because of how stacked they are in the draft. I also wouldn't be surprised if they get significant playing time this year. I just don't think they will make a significant impact. They may be better than the guys we got, but by no means are they going to be game changers. Even Mathews rookie year, arguably the best pick out of the bunch, he was still only "good." He wasn't the beast he's turned out to be. He was a solid starter, but last year he was one of the best players in the league at his position. It takes time for guys to get good, unless of course you think we can get a Clay Mathews every year.

Oh, and if it wasn't for injuries, I think Harrell would have been an absolute beast. Dude was incredible in college.

To support my statement that Bulaga had a poor rookie year per PFF:
Bryan Bulaga, T (23rd overall pick in 2010): Didn’t have the best of rookie years individually, but bounced back to look like one of the league’s best right tackles in his sophomore season. Went from a -24.1 grade in 2010, to +14.6 in 2011.

[Patler]

You have all missed the obvious. TT is fascinated by the middle initial "J"

D.J. Williams
D.J. Smith
C.J. Wilson
B.J. Raji
T.J. Lang
A.J. Hawk

If he drafts a player known by his first two initials, the middle initial is a "J".
He strayed in UDRFA signing M.D. Jennings, but draftees will likely have a "J".

Round 7, B.J. Coleman.
I rest my case.

[Cheesehead Craig]

Round 7, B.J. Coleman.
I rest my case.

I think we're going to have to change your moniker to BJ Rat.

[pbmax]

He failed to fill the EJ need though.

[Joemailman]

What were M.D. Jennings' parents thinking?

[MJZiggy]

I'm an M. J. TT missed on me entirely.

[mraynrand]

I'm an M. J. TT missed on me entirely.

He didn't like your measurables

[Upnorth]

MJ please provide us with your measurable for comparison.