Is this an unusual high-rsik/high-reward draft?

[Patler]

It just seems to me that this draft has an unusually high number of players who might be risky picks for one reason or another, but are proven performers or athletic/physical freaks with enormous potential. For example, you have:

Good players with long-term and/or short-term medical concerns, such as Lattimor, Jarvis Jones, Lotulelei and even Barratt Jones. I'm sure there are others.

Unusual athletes with very limited football experience, such as Hunt, Ansah, Warner.

Then there is the usual collection of very good players with legal/personality risks, and the hard to project but otherwise impressive players from small schools or schools without top flight programs and competition.

I get the impression there is an unusually high number of player who have the potential to be high impact players, but carry significant risk for one reason or another. The first two rounds could be filled with players who can make their GM look like a genius or an idiot.

[Pugger]

Besides the lack of decent QBs I don't know if this class is any different than other years.

[red]

i think it looks like a big boom or bust draft because of the massive lack of quality prospects this year

i don't know if there's a single guy in this draft that makes me think "oh man, that guys awesome, i hope to god we somehow get him"

for me this whole draft class makes me go "meh"

maybe this pushes those question mark guys a little higher this year then they would be in years past. or maybe its because teams have had recent success drafting guys with big character risks, so teams are thinking maybe those types of guys aren't undraftable

[run pMc]

I don't think there's an unusual amount of boom or bust players. I think it's an increase in the media coverage, plus a late-April draft seems late to me for some reason. Every year there are players taken in the early rounds who are risks or projects. As for it being a 'meh' draft, I don't know if I go that far, but I think it's a draft without a Luck/RGIII-level superstar (likely to be considered a once-a-decade draft class). I see it as a draft where good, solid depth can be found and added to shore up roster holes.

[Guiness]

And there's Okoye with even more limited football experience - read: none!
Intriguing, but it takes a special kind of body type and mental toughness to be able to withstand the punishment the NFL throws at you. This guy played some rugby, but that was in U18, how can you know how a guy will react the first time Iupati gives him a forearm shiver in the chin strap?

[smuggler]

Somebody is going to take someone in rounds 2 that's going to be better from anyone taken in round 1. That's a higher liklihood in this draft than in many others.

Except not really because of Chance Warmack.

[woodbuck27]

i think it looks like a big boom or bust draft because of the massive lack of quality prospects this year

i don't know if there's a single guy in this draft that makes me think "oh man, that guys awesome, i hope to god we somehow get him"

for me this whole draft class makes me go "meh"

maybe this pushes those question mark guys a little higher this year then they would be in years past. or maybe its because teams have had recent success drafting guys with big character risks, so teams are thinking maybe those types of guys aren't undraftable

I've been seriously studying the prospects for eight weeks and moreso over the past two. I'm for obvious reasons for me moreso focused this year. I generally agree with Patler. There're more prospects that can let me use the term:

'Suck you in'. There's many prospects that are well 'something else', out of the ordinary'.

There's alot of players that look decent in one pick area. For one reason or another the BPA may not exactly fit. ie You already have that position player. I know that TT and MM seem to collect TE's. What's that all about?

I'm looking at every pick as where you target a certain position and player. Damn if everyone was true to BPA phosophy? Why have a draft?

Determine the entire pool of draft eligible players. Hire some creditable think tank to rank the top 300. Let the rest manage best they can, as UFA's. We get the #26 ...#55 ...#88 etc. ranked player.

BEST PLAYER AVAILABLE is .... JUST THAT.

I know .... everyone has his unique board. Everyone isn't going to trust a DraftTek.

It's not like 'Fantasy football'. A teams draft team has to pay tremendous respect to due diligence. That job is fricken' enormous. Having determined that fact. There's little to excuse if a GM screws up. Do your homework .... ace the test ... your draft will, over time, more than pass.

It's not any different than any other year as it's simply another year. Again.... It's in the work and quality of your Scout/Draft team.

red ...I see plenty of players that would certainly help out the Green Bay Packers. Huge upgrades.

GO PACK GO !

[woodbuck27]

Somebody is going to take someone in rounds 2 that's going to be better from anyone taken in round 1. That's a higher liklihood in this draft than in many others.

Except not really because of Chance Warmack.

There isn't as much value in the top of R1, so a poor year to have a top ten pick compared to most years. Part of that is in a bad QB crop. There are some good prospects for OL. At mid round we'll see some solid WR's start to come off the board that should make an impact, or look like less risk. There's 4 DB's I like (but who knows); that won't move until the mid first round.

It's as usual and 'at best', a 50/50 proposition before Round 5. Then it get's worse.

This draft might be very good for picks #15 thru #130 depended on your homework.

PACKERS !

[red]

red ...I see plenty of players that would certainly help out the Green Bay Packers. Huge upgrades.

GO PACK GO !

i've been doing a little research too, but i don't see guys that can be "huge upgrades". if you we to combine this years players from guys taken the last 2 years and put them all in a big pot and have one big super draft, i think there wouldn't be a lot of this years guys taken in the first round

no QB's are worth a first round pick
no running backs worth a first round
theres one maybe two Wr's worth a first rounder, and i'm not excited about those guys
maybe 1 TE worth it, but he doesn't excite me at all
theres 2 maybe 3 LT's (joeckel, fisher, johnson)that i would think would be an upgrade for us, the others, i'm not so sure would be able to beat out Newhouse
2 decent guards (warmack, cooper), and i'm not sure if either is better then the two we have
1 center (jones), who would be an upgrade IMO, but has an injury red flag

1 bigtime D-lineman in the draft (Star Lotulelei), but also has a major health red flag. the rest i have serious doubts about and none of them look better then a mike neal or worthy
i see no OLB's that i like more then i liked nick perry last year. not even dion jordan
the ILB's are not impressive at all IMO, and the top two have major red flags (teo, ogeltree)
i don't think any safeties are worth wasting a first rounder on, where the hell is the speed?
1 maybe 2 ok cb's, but not better then what we already have

i read the mocks that say guys are "big, quick of the snap, strong as shit, very fast, etc etc." then i go watch video of those guys, and i see none of it

for me, this is a depth draft

[smuggler]

Warmack would certainly be an upgrade over Lang. Perhaps we could shuttle Lang to center in that scenario. If he for some random reason fell to 26, we would certainly take him.

[Cheesehead Craig]

i read the mocks that say guys are "big, quick of the snap, strong as shit, very fast, etc etc." then i go watch video of those guys, and i see none of it

for me, this is a depth draft

Could you imagine what would happen if Kiper and McShay said this was a "meh" draft? ESPN might just shut down from the outrage and both TV and radio sports talk shows would go ballistic. That would be awesome.

[sharpe1027]

There are plenty of players that are risky, but I do not see why they offer a higher of reward than other years. There are always risky players with high potential, but usually there are better options that push the risky players lower in the draft. Not so much this year.

[woodbuck27]

Because I forced myself to attempt this Draft mock this season and that task is difficult. I can't post 'no way' to you on the 'more truth than not' of your analysis red.

I've focused on our picks: #26;#55; #88; etc. It gets confusing when the view of a board looks different from one major NFL site to another. Yet because of that I had to really study it all. Look for some common sense >>> direction.

Forgetting 'the best board' and focusing on a board. I see players that look the part based on the focus in the philosophy I hope to see for the Packers. I want the team ro play meaner on 'D'. I see the Green Bay Packers as too soft.

A really nice place to visit >>> their locker room; but where's that Old Packer sense of urgency gone to red?

Is that answer in the next paragraph?

I havn't looked to see if the news on Clay Matthews includes his $$$$new contract terms$$$$ and frankly all 'that', new news, scares the hell out of me. After Clay Matthews and Aaron Rodgers. What's left over for the 'lunch pail crew'?

When I look at the players that appear to be valid targets in certain rounds. I look for football players. The fricken stars can exit stage right. We can't afford their desires. Looking at the TRUTH and today it's times a changin' and doing so too fast.

I do see some football players red. If I could have some of these players and there's lots more. I've strengthened the Packers:

red if you can spare the time and enjoy talent watch these fellas ** highlighted below amonst many I've studied. I've watched so much video I'm going fricken blind.

RB's not deep .... Johnathan Franklin, UCLA; In the right place 'early' maybe? Montee Ball, Wisconsin... every pick is like GOLD. My plan would be to draft a RB late.

WR's (Very talented and deep) ** DeAndre Hopkins, Clemson and ** Justin Hunter, Tennessee,Keenan Allen, California; Robert Woods USC; Quinton Patton, Louisiana Tech;Ryan Swope, Texas A&M; Chris Harper, Kansas State;

OT Terron Armstead, Arkansas - Pine Bluff and his measurables (a check). If he's available at #55 then I hope that TT seriously considers him.

ROT DJ Fluker, Alabama

** DE/OLB DaMontre Moore Texas A&M; ** DE Margus Hunt who is at all really interested in the NFL and ignoring this awesome athlete. The GM that has the balls to take this fella is IMO smart..very smart as he could certainly be something very special. Prospects like margus hunt seldom come along. That will be the biggest Buzzzz in the draft when he's picked and good luck to the team that gets him. I just hope it's not an NFCN team other than the packers and it's NOT the San Francisco 49ers. I can't believe the haul that team could come up with if they nail this draft.... Also... SMU; 3-4 DE Sylvester Williams, North Carolina and Cornellius Carradine, Florida State

DT's Jesse Williams, Alabama,

ILB Kevin Minter, LSU; ** SILB Jon Bostic, Florida

CB's are solid early in this draft. Desmond Trufant, Washington; Jamar Taylor, Boise State; Johnthan Banks, Mississippi State;Jordan Poyer, Oregon State

Solid FS's.... Eric Reid, LSU; Phillip Thomas, Fresno State; Darius Slay, Mississippi State;D.J. Swearinger, South Carolina; Bacari Rambo, Georgia; TJ McDonald, USC and .......... more

SS's Jonathan Cyprien, Florida Int'l; Shamarko Thomas, Syracuse; JJ Wilcox Georgia Southern and ** Shawn Williams, Georgia etc.

I've looked at some talent available in this draft red.

GO PACK GO !

[red]

do like hopkins, don't like hunter

i thought the discussion was about top end players

hunt (who i think i introduced to this site months ago), bostic, and williams are all second round or later picks. hunt maybe a second, bostic and williams go even later. hunt is so raw that it will take seasonS for him to become a real NFL contributor. to me williams is not the type of safety we need. i want speed at that other safety position. there are no speed safeties this year with any talent

as for moore, like i said before, there is no OLB that i like better then perry. not jarvis jones, not jordan, not moroe or mingo

[Smeefers]

From everything I've read and heard, this draft is line deep. There's a ton of good OL's and DL's out there. I know it's no splash in the pan QB, but if they're deep there and we can improve there, then I'll be happy. You win the games on the line of scrimmage yada yada yada.