With NFL free agency news slowing to a trickle, it’s time to turn our attention to the next phase of the offseason cycle  - the NFL Draft.

The 2013 NFL Draft is less than a month away, so I called friend and draftnik Greg Trippiedi to help answer five questions about this year’s draft class. Greg has covered the draft for more than a decade, and his work is one of the best reads on the Internet.

Now, without further delay, here’s our Q&A:

What player drafted outside of the top 10 will end up playing like one, ala Clay Matthews?

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Alec Ogletree does a defensive drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Hirschhorn: Alec Ogletree and it’s not close. His off the field troubles have been well documented, but they’re not kind of problems that tend to keep players off the field. His coaches at Georgia say he was never a problem in their locker room, and he has the reputation as a hard worker. While that doesn’t guarantee Ogletree will fix his problems, those types of players usually turn things around. If you judge him based solely on football concerns, Ogletree has top tier athleticism for his position and makes all the plays an elite inside linebacker should. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that in a few years Ogletree is in the same discussion with Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman for best at the position.

Southern California Trojans receiver Robert Woods (2) is pursued by Notre Dame Fighting Irish safety Chris Salvi (24) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Greg Trippiedi: I’m going to give you two names here, both playing the same position: wide receivers Robert Woods of USC, and Keenan Allen of Cal.  I think Tavon Austin is the best offensive specialist in the draft, but Woods and Allen are top ten level players who will be available after the 16th pick in the first round.  Both are fluid athletes who can score from anywhere on the field, and really high point the football on 50/50 balls despite neither really being viewed as much of a height/weight/speed specimen.  Plus, I feel more comfortable projecting receivers than I do defensive pass rushers. But as a footnote to the last comment, I think the player that reminds me the most of Matthews coming out of USC is Jarvis Jones of Georgia.  And he’s likely to be available when Green Bay picks.

What player drafted in the early rounds is most likely to get a general manager fired?

Jason: Ah, the commemorative “who would Scott Pioli draft?” category. The answer is Mike Glennon. Drafting a quarterback early is nearly always a career defining move for a general manager. Making the wrong choice is a surefire way to earn the selector a one-way ticket out of town. While evaluating any player comes with considerable challenges, quarterbacks present many additional hurdles for general managers.

Senior Bowl north squad quarterback Mike Glennon of North Carolina State (8) throws against the Senior Bowl south squad. Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s where Glennon could end some poor GM’s tenure. With his rocket arm producing high volume yardage and touchdowns, Glennon cuts the figure of the perfect pocket passer. In a year where there is little agreement regarding the best quarterback, Glennon stands out to some teams with his traditional drop back passer capabilities. What seems to get lost in the shuffle is Glennon’s lack of accuracy and passing discipline. Watching his tape, it’s clear Glennon’s never seen a double covered receiver he didn’t like. Glennon is too trusting in his arm strength, leading to 29 interceptions over the past two seasons. Those mistakes will only be magnified in the pros.

Brigham Young Cougars defensive lineman Ziggy Ansah does lineman dirlls during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Greg: Assuming that “whoever Jeff Ireland drafts” isn’t an option here? No? Darn. With the easy answer off the board, it’s worth pointing out that the only picks that are directly responsible for getting GMs fired are quarterbacks, and no quarterback in this class is getting overdrafted.  So this is a very safe draft to be a GM.  There are two buyer beware players at the top of the first round who will be overdrafted on potential: LB Dion Jordan of Oregon, and DE Ziggy Ansah of BYU.  And it’s not that either won’t be good players.  But if I’m oh, I don’t know, Martin Mayhew or Mike Lombardi, I’d feel much better going with Kenny Vaccaro or Dee Milliner than I would with Ansah or Jordan.  Probably buys me an extra year on the job.

Ireland can take whomever he wants to at this point.  I don’t think anything can save him now.

Five years from now, who is the best quarterback from the 2013 draft class?

Southern California Trojans quarterback Matt Barkley (7) is pressured by Oregon Ducks linebacker Tyson Coleman (33) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

Jason: In five years, I think a lot of people will be wondering how their team let Matt Barkley slip past them. That’s not to say he’ll become the next Aaron Rodgers, because that wouldn’t be reasonable or fair. However, Barkley possesses enough characteristics of a successful quarterback to negate his shortcomings. The arm strength issue is overblown. Barkley has already demonstrated the ability to make the difficult out throws. What’s often overlooked is Barkley’s decision-making. As a freshman, he completed nearly 60 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,735 yards and 7.8 yards per attempt. That’s better than most of this year’s quarterback draft pool. Barkley’s best year was as a junior, where he was extremely efficient (5.6 touchdown to interception ratio, 69.1 percent completion) and extremely productive (3,528 passing yards, 39 touchdowns). That year is closer to the real Matt Barkley than his “down” 2012.

Right now, Barkley is viewed as a late first round selection (though we’ll address this more later). If that holds true, he’ll be given what few highly-drafted quarterbacks ever receive: time. It’s easy to see how a four-year starter who gets a year or two to build up his body and knowledge of the offense could flourish. Hopefully for Barkley, this is how his career plays out.

West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith (12) drops back to pass against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at Jack Trice Stadium. West Virginia defeated Iowa State 31-24. Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

Greg: Geno Smith is the correct answer here, no?  He’s going to get the most chances. Thing is, it’s probably the kind of year where you want to take the field.  Someone is coming out from deep in the draft to make an impact as a starter.

And this isn’t really a prediction, but I think that given the five year time frame you allow here, Landry Jones could disappear off the face of the earth just long enough to re-emerge as a starting quarterback in this league, not dissimilar to what happened to Matt Moore in the 2007 draft.  With a player like Jones, you just have to think that his weaknesses as a college quarterback became so obvious to scouts over the last two seasons that whatever team gets him in camp is probably going to try to stash him away on the roster for a few years, at which point, they’ll be left with a guy who was sacked less than 1 in 40 college pass attempts and completed 63.6 percent of his college passes.

In the meantime, the answer is Geno Smith.

Who is the first quarterback off the board, and which team selects them?

Jason: The answer is Geno Smith, right now. Remember, Matt Barkley didn’t work out at the combine and has yet to have his pro day. While pre-draft work shouldn’t affect draft stock as much as it does, we’ve seen time and time again how a good workout can propel players to higher selections. And when’s the last time a quarterback had a bad pro day workout? Hint: never.

So the question becomes whether a team that runs a west coast-style offense will draft a passer before a team that wants a little more mobility and athleticism from their quarterback does. Oakland is the x-factor, as they’ll legitimately consider Geno Smith at the third pick. If they pass, the next team that might go quarterback is Arizona. The Cardinals are better suited for Barkley’s skill set.

So in the end I give you two scenarios: Smith to Oakland or Barkley to Arizona.

Greg: Geno Smith will be the first quarterback taken, and he’s going between pick no. 2 and pick no. 4 in this draft.  I think Jacksonville has a 30 percent chance of taking him with the second pick.  Oakland has a 45 percent chance of taking him with the third pick, if he’s available.  And then I really don’t think he gets past Philadelphia with the fourth pick.  It’s hard to put a plurality on this because looking at the overall percentages I just used, it breaks down to something like 30-30-30-10 as to where Smith lands, so I’m going to split the difference and say the Raiders will take him at third overall.  I’m 100 percent sure this will happen 30 percent of the time.

The interesting scenarios come if Jacksonville takes Smith at no. 2, because I think that puts Matt Barkley in play for the Raiders at 3.  You can’t have percentages on that event.  Absolutely not.

Finally, put yourself in the shoes of Ted Thompson. Of the players reasonably likely to be available when the Green Bay Packers pick, who would you select and why?

Alabama Crimson Tide offensive lineman D.J. Fluker does bag drills during Alabama pro day at the Mal M. Moore Athletic Facility. Kelly Lambert-USA TODAY Sports

Jason: This question really is “who is the best player available at the Packers’ selection?” I think there’s a decent chance Alabama right tackle D.J. Fluker is still on the board at 26. If he is, I can’t imagine a better selection. Fluker is a mammoth tackle who created giant holes for three 1,000 yard rushers the past two years. Read that again, three 1,000 yard rushers in two years. Most of those runs came behind Fluker, who is one of the strongest linemen in the draft. With Fluker lining up next to Josh Sitton, the Packers would have the ability to run effectively for the first time in years. This would also free Bryan Bulaga, the team’s best tackle, to move to the left side where he played so well at Iowa. Green Bay could reasonably go from the second most sacked team to the top third of the league.

I also think it’s likely that if no great value exists at 26, Ted Thompson will trade back. The strength of this draft class is in the second and third rounds. Smart teams will be swinging trades to maximize their selections in those rounds.

Akron Zips quarterback Clayton Moore (8) runs during the first quarter as FIU Golden Panthers defensive back Jonathan Cyprien (25) prepares to make the tackle in the game at InfoCision Stadium. Eric P. Mull-USA TODAY Sports

Greg: I think the two players who make the most sense for the Packers (but there’s at least a chance one if not both will not be there) are TE Tyler Eifert of Notre Dame, and FS Jonathan Cyprien of Florida International.  In the modern NFL, you have to be good in the middle of the field.  I think the Packers are perfectly well off at the tight end and safety positions for 2013, but the NFC is getting into an arms race for the kind of talent that can create scoring opportunities (Eifert) and limit scoring opportunities (Cyprien), and I don’t see the Packers being in a position to pass either of these first-rounders if available when they select in round one.

Today’s contributors:

Jason Hirschhorn covers the Green Bay Packers for Lombardi Ave. He has previously written for Hail to the Orange, College Hoops Net, Mocking the Draft, LiveBall Sports, and the List Universe. He is currently a senior writer for Beats Per Minute, an indie-music webzine. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JBHirschhorn.

Greg Trippiedi writes about the Washington Redskins at Redskins Hog Heaven and runs LiveBall Sports which covers current events in sports with a slant toward sports analytics and the business side of the sports world.  His teams go to the playoffs sometimes, which is a refreshing change from most years when they do not win anything. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/GTrippiedi.

Today, Sunday, Feb. 24, the NFL struck on a brilliant idea – showcase the Combine with the skill position players – you know, the guys who run, catch and throw the ball. Doing this on the third Sunday since the conclusion of the season with Super Bowl XLVII – another football-less Sunday when the fan base is starving for news about the league – was simply brilliant.

And the players-to-be aren’t disappointing the audience. You’ve got two wideouts, Tavon Austin out of West Virginia and Marquis Goodman out of Texas who burned up the Lucas Oil Stadium turf by matching one another’s 4.25-second mark. They both just missed tying or beating Chris Johnson’s 4.24 record in the 40.

In addition, you’ve got a quarterback, Geno Smith, also of West Virginia, who pasted a 4.56 mark onto the board.

Also burning up the carpet were Michigan wide receiver Denard Robinson (4.34), Louisiana Tech’s Quinton Patton (4.46), and Tennessee’s Cordarrelle Patterson (4.37).

If these guys can translate their speed in shorts with the ability to catch the football in traffic on the National Football League gridiron, then there’s no question this could be a very good draft for wide receivers – at least for fast wide receivers.

These guys are clearly some talented athletes, but are they football players?

That remains to be seen.

For the videos of these guys burning things up, see below:

WR Tavon Austin & Marquise Goodwin 4.25 NFL Combine 40-yd dash

WR Denard Robinson NFL Combine 40 yd dash

WR Cordarrelle Patterson NFL Combine 40-yd dash

Geno Smith 40-yd dashes NFL Combine

Apr 26, 2012; New York, NY, USA; A general view as members of the military are honored during the 2012 NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The pre-Super Bowl edition of the FanSided 2013 NFL Mock Draft has been released.

The fine folks over at FanSided.com do a new mock draft every week right up until the actual draft in April, and while we at LombardiAve.com have the end of the regular season and playoffs to worry about, it’s just about the start of draft season for most teams. We Packer fans have our own opinions about what needs the Packers should try to fill using the 2013 draft. In this article we’ll explore some possibilities for the Packers first pick.

Draft positions are set save for the Super Bowl participants. Barring a trade, the Green Bay Packers will make their first selection with the 26^th pick.

Oct 27, 2012; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Jonathan Cooper (64) on the field in the first half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

According to FanSided, with the 26^th overall pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers select Jonathan Cooper, Offensive Line, North Carolina

Analysis: Jeff Saturday is calling it a career, so the Packers need to find a replacement in the middle of their offensive line. Cooper is a player who would bring the ability to play both center and guard, so his versatility will be attractive to NFL front offices.

This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about Jonathan Cooper. Here’s what I wrote earlier this month about the possibility of the Packers selecting him:

From a talent standpoint, Cooper would be a tremendous value at pick 30 (the Packers projected draft slot at the time). Despite this, he doesn’t make a ton of sense for Green Bay. Cooper’s best position is left guard where they’ve just invested long-term in T.J. Lang. Cooper does have the ability to play center, but if that’s why you’re drafting him you’re just better off with Barrett Jones.

Three weeks later and not a lot has changed. Jonathan Cooper is still a very good player who probably should go before the Packers select at 26. If we pretend for a moment that the only options are Cooper and Alabama’s Barrett Jones, the question becomes where you plan to play the draft pick? Both players are extremely versatile, and while Jones is the only one that can play on the outside, chances are both will end up playing along the interior. If we compare each player at their best position – Cooper at left guard and Jones at center – Cooper is the superior prospect.

T.J. Lang Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

So should the Packers draft Cooper? He’s definitely the better value in the vacuum, but he may not be the best value to Green Bay. I say “may” because the determining factor is T.J. Lang. Lang’s performance this year has drawn some criticism. He was merely passable at right tackle after Bryan Bulaga went down and couldn’t get back to his 2011 form when he returned to left guard. A big reason for this was a serious elbow injury that no one – not even Lang – gave enough attention to during the season. Lang will be healthy come training camp, but has his 2012 season caused the team to reconsider his role? Recall that after center Scott Wells left Green Bay for St. Louis, the team openly considered moving Lang to center to replace him. Lang is a pretty sizable at guard, but he’d be near gargantuan at center. If the Packers still feel Lang can make that transition, perhaps they could maximize Jonathan Cooper’s value by keeping him at left guard.

So who else out there might interest Green Bay?

Nov 23, 2012; Fayetteville, AR, USA; LSU Tigers safety Eric Reid (1) during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. LSU defeated Arkansas 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

As was the case the past month, LSU safety Eric Reid presents a very intriguing possibility. Green Bay is still reeling from the loss of Nick Collins, and while Morgan Burnett made strides in 2012, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that he’ll become the field-tilter Collins was. The moment Reid joins the NFL he’ll become one of the fastest players at his position. He’s also a tremendous tackler, finishing with 91 tackles this past season. While he hasn’t recorded a sack, Reid’s 4.5 tackles for loss demonstrate an ability to play the run. Finally, Reid has 6 career interceptions and 2 forced fumbles, demonstrating his ability to be a ballhawk and playmaker.

Louisiana Tech Bullldogs wide receiver Quinton Patton Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

I’ve discussed for months now that Green Bay needs to bring in some new blood at receiver. We’ve dissected players like USC’s Robert Woods, West Virginia’s Tavon Austin, and Tennessee’s Cordarrelle Patterson. All would be great contributors.

The name I’m hearing most now is Quinton Patton. Patton isn’t likely to come off the board in the first round, but he could go early on the second day. Patton has good but not great speed being clocked between 4.42 and 4.52 in the 40. Similarly, at 6-0 Patton possesses good but not great size. His college production at a mid-major has been off the charts, catching over 100 passes for just a tick under 1,400 yards his senior year alone.

Sound familiar?

It should, because that’s a remarkably similar resume to former second round pick Greg Jennings. The offense Patton played in was a bit “gimmicky,” but he proved at the senior bowl that he has the tools to be a factor at the NFL level. If the Packers don’t go receiver in the first round, Patton should be seriously considered in the second.

Jason Hirschhorn covers the Green Bay Packers for Lombardi Ave. He has previously written for Hail to the Orange, College Hoops Net, Mocking the Draft, LiveBall Sports, and the List Universe. He is currently a senior writer for Beats Per Minute, an indie-music webzine. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/JBHirschhorn.