Green Bay Packers: 2017 NFL Draft Round 1 Wish List
Draft day is here! Ted Thompson can be an unpredictable man, and the Green Bay Packers don’t have a clearly dominant need this year, like they did in 2014 when they picked Ha Ha Clinton-Dix or 2012 when they picked Nick Perry.
Two positions stand out above the rest in terms of need this year, though it’s hard to tell which one trumps the other.
Cornerback was far and away the Packers’ worst position last year, and Micah Hyde left in free agency. But the Packers signed Davon House, and Damarious Randall and Quentin Rollins could be poised for bounce back seasons.
At edge rusher, meanwhile, the Packers lost both Datone Jones and Julius Peppers. Though they still have Nick Perry and Clay Matthews, Matthews is best served playing at least some of his time inside.
The difference is that at outside linebacker, the Packers have an established star with Nick Perry. There isn’t much young talent behind him, though, and Kyler Fackrell’s rookie season wasn’t overly promising.
At cornerback, meanwhile, there’s nothing resembling a No. 1 guy. There’s a bevy of young potential, though, with Randall, Rollins and Gunter. Ted Thompson will tell us that he made his decision based on the “Best Player Available,” but the truth is that his pick could tell us a lot about what the team thinks of the young corners.
There’s been talk that running back should be a major priority for the Packers. I don’t buy that. The Packers offense peaked down the stretch with Ty Montgomery, Christine Michael and Aaron Ripkowski carrying the load. The Packers definitely need to pick up a back in this draft, but it’s not a premium position in the Packers offense, and Montgomery is a promising option to be the No. 1 tailback.
The signing of Jahri Evans, meanwhile, should further ensure that Ted Thompson won’t feel compelled to draft a guard until the middle rounds of the draft.
Inside linebacker continues to be a weak point of the defense, but Ted Thompson doesn’t value the position greatly, and Jake Ryan/Clay Matthews/Blake Martinez/Joe Thomas form at least a serviceable rotation of players.
Ted Thompson loves picking receivers, and if Corey Davis or John Ross falls to No. 29, I’m all in for waiting until Day 2 to address defense. But that’s unlikely.
Without further ado, here is my rough wish list of players, based on my opinions of the team’s needs and what I’ve read and watched on the year’s top prospects. Only players that I think have a realistic chance of being available at pick 29 are listed.
(I’ve excluded Gareon Conley here because I don’t know exactly what happened or how other teams or Ted Thompson will react to the recent allegations made against him.)
Wish List
- Marlon Humphrey, CB, Alabama
- Chidobe Awuzie, CB, Colorado
- Takkarist McKinley, OLB, UCLA
- Tre’Davious White, CB, LSU
- Kevin King, CB, Washington
- T.J. Watt, OLB, Wisconsin
- Zach Cunningham, ILB, Vanderbilt
- Adoree Jackson, CB, USC
- Quincy Wilson, CB, Florida
- Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State