2016 Draft

[mraynrand]

^^^ For someone who cares very little you went to a lot of trouble to argue the Packers should take Ragland over a DT in round 1.

[Deputy Nutz]

Outside Linebackers: If Jack and Smith were healthy this would be a better draft in terms of talent in the top rounds. Jack and Smith are the elite when healthy. Now they both have significant question marks, with scouts not knowing if Smith will even play again. Without the two of them healthy this is weak draft class for outside linebackers. For the Packers, you do need to take into consideration that they draft smaller defensive ends and stand them up in their 3-4. Truthfully I hate this. It takes too long for the players to adjust and combine that with the fact that you automatically lose some athleticism on the outside when you draft a defensive end to play the outside.

Tier 1
1. Darron Lee
2. Leonard Floyd

Tier 2
Kamalei Correa
Myles Jack
Su'a Craves
Dion Jones
Joshua Perry
Kyler Fackrell

Tier 3
Jordan Jenkins
Joe Shobert
Yannick Ngakoue
Jaylon Smith

[Deputy Nutz]

^^^ For someone who cares very little you went to a lot of trouble to argue the Packers should take Ragland over a DT in round 1.

I could also argue that the Packers should take Hunter Henry since he is the only elite level tight end. Or that they should take Darron Lee if he is available because the OLB tiers are shallow.

[Deputy Nutz]

Offensive Tackle: Again this a need area for the Packers, but this is also a relatively deep talent draft for the edge blockers. I think Thompson waits until later in the draft to develop. Currently the Packers only have one 1st round draft pick on the offensive line and I can see Thompson keep with the current philosophy that they will draft linemen in the middle rounds and try to hit on guys like a Willie Beavers, Kyle Murphy or a Jerald Hawkins.

Tier 1
Laremy Tunsil
Ronnie Stanley
Jack Conklin
Taylor Decker
Jason Spriggs

Tier 2
Germain Ifedi
Le'Raven Clark
Shon Coleman
Jerald Hawkins

Tier 3
Caleb Benenoch
Willie Beavers
Kyle Murphy
Alex Lewis
Joe Haeg

[Maxie the Taxi]

I like the Tiers thing. Now all you have to do is fit guys the Packers have on their roster now into the Tiers you set up. That could really determine which direction TT goes. Is Bakh Tier 1, 2 or 3? How about Joe Thomas? Boyd? Campbell? Ringo? McCray?

[Deputy Nutz]

I guess that all depends on how you rank your tiers. All-Pro, Pro Bowl, Starters, part time players, back ups, fringe players....

For the draft I guess you can only grade on what you have seen. For me the tier one players are guys that could start as rookies.

[Guiness]

For the Packers, you do need to take into consideration that they draft smaller defensive ends and stand them up in their 3-4. Truthfully I hate this. It takes too long for the players to adjust and combine that with the fact that you automatically lose some athleticism on the outside when you draft a defensive end to play the outside.

What about standing up a college NT??? Isn't that what Datone Jones played at UCLA?

[pbmax]

I could also argue that the Packers should take Hunter Henry since he is the only elite level tight end. Or that they should take Darron Lee if he is available because the OLB tiers are shallow.

TE is a good point of reference here. While Thompson did select one ILB high (Hawk) that was a no brainer top 10 pick. He doesn't often take ILB or TEs in the first two rounds.

So while he still has a major hole at ILB (dime linebacker at least unless you think Joe Thomas can do it), he filled a hole with Cook at TE.

So I doubt its TE in first two rounds for the Packers. And only slightly more likely would be ILB, mainly because of the chance Ragland is there with a first round grade at a position of need while other high graded pass rushers will be available in Round 2.

[pbmax]

Not sounding good at all, per McGinn's article on linebackers. Seems that neither Smith nor Myles Jack impressed very many medical staffs at their medical rechecks. Smith is suffering from "drop foot" to an extent that some think there is a good chance he will never play again. Of course, then there are one or two who say he will be fine in a couple years.

Some seem to think Myles Jack's knee isn't right, and he is falling on some boards.

http://www.jsonline.com/sports/packe...377020621.html

More on Jack's knee. Meniscus is repaired and team's are OK with it. But he has a separation building cartilage and bone in his knee that will also need to be addressed later. So, as one put it in the article, the question is does he play for 4 years/1 contract or 10 years and 2?

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000656081/article/myles-jack-vulnerable-to-draft-slide-due-to-concerns-about-knee

[Deputy Nutz]

TE is a good point of reference here. While Thompson did select one ILB high (Hawk) that was a no brainer top 10 pick. He doesn't often take ILB or TEs in the first two rounds.

So while he still has a major hole at ILB (dime linebacker at least unless you think Joe Thomas can do it), he filled a hole with Cook at TE.

So I doubt its TE in first two rounds for the Packers. And only slightly more likely would be ILB, mainly because of the chance Ragland is there with a first round grade at a position of need while other high graded pass rushers will be available in Round 2.

I don't really care who the Packers take. My point is recognizing position depth in the draft and being able to wait or pull the trigger based on a tiered system. It's not about needing a TE or ILB. It is where you can get the best value for positions. No one can tell if if Cory Coleman is going to be better than Josh Doctson in the NFL, but you can estimate that they can compare. So you are happy with either one of those guys, but you do know that their is a drastic difference between Nick Vannett and Hunter Henry. You want to be able to close out a tier, not start the run on a new tier.

[pbmax]

I don't really care who the Packers take. My point is recognizing position depth in the draft and being able to wait or pull the trigger based on a tiered system. It's not about needing a TE or ILB. It is where you can get the best value for positions. No one can tell if if Cory Coleman is going to be better than Josh Doctson in the NFL, but you can estimate that they can compare. So you are happy with either one of those guys, but you do know that their is a drastic difference between Nick Vannett and Hunter Henry. You want to be able to close out a tier, not start the run on a new tier.

I agree with you. But each pick has an opportunity cost, even if its poor guide to decision making.

At 27, Ragland will be the only ILB with a first round grade (given what we know). Its a need in a way TE is not currently. Pass on him to take a slightly higher ranked DL and you miss out.

The Packers don't normally operate this way. But if Ragland is close to the rank of the DL at 27, then I think they take him because of your point about tiers of players available on the D line. This is all assuming that no one else of higher value is there.

[mraynrand]

I don't really care who the Packers take. My point is recognizing position depth in the draft and being able to wait or pull the trigger based on a tiered system. It's not about needing a TE or ILB. It is where you can get the best value for positions. No one can tell if if Cory Coleman is going to be better than Josh Doctson in the NFL, but you can estimate that they can compare. So you are happy with either one of those guys, but you do know that their is a drastic difference between Nick Vannett and Hunter Henry. You want to be able to close out a tier, not start the run on a new tier.

I'd like to see your sock drawer

[Deputy Nutz]

I'd like to see your sock drawer

I don't have one, I mean I do but it has no matched socks in it. My sock situation is a total mess.

[Deputy Nutz]

I agree with you. But each pick has an opportunity cost, even if its poor guide to decision making.

At 27, Ragland will be the only ILB with a first round grade (given what we know). Its a need in a way TE is not currently. Pass on him to take a slightly higher ranked DL and you miss out.

The Packers don't normally operate this way. But if Ragland is close to the rank of the DL at 27, then I think they take him because of your point about tiers of players available on the D line. This is all assuming that no one else of higher value is there.

I agree, those are the decisions you make when you start to narrow it down when you are on the clock or pretty darn close. Your current record plays a big role in this, but it also plays a big role in the entire draft.

[HarveyWallbangers]

So compare the DT tiers to the ILB tiers

Tier 1
Reggie Raggland

Tier 2
Kentrell Brothers
Deion Jones

Tier 3
Tyler Matakevich
BJ Goodson
Scooby Wright
Blake Martinez

Tier 4
Nick vigil
Dominique Alexander
Jared Norris

The comparison points out that if Raggland is avaliable he is the only player at his position that has first tier value. There are no other comparable players in this draft at his position.

I'd rather have Jones in round 2 than Ragland in round 1, but I'm not sure Jones will still be there in the late 2nd round.