How Did the Green Bay Packers Do in the 2014 NFL Draft?
The Green Bay Packers didn't make one draft day trade, which was highly unusual I thought. 9 Draft picks and the Packers didn't cherry pick one player even though they lost WR Greg Jennings two years ago, WR James Jones this year to the Oakland Raiders and TE Jermichael Finley to a "career ending" injury. I found it odd they didn't try and land a top WR or TE. They did draft some talent at wide receiver and did address their secondary issue from last year landing Clinton-Dix surprisingly in the first round with the 21st draft pick.
Who I projected the Green Bay Packers would draft in my 2014 NFL Mock Draft round 1
I had the Packers taking WR Brandin Cooks in my 2014 NFL Mock Draft but they got jumped by New Orleans when Sean Payton traded up the Arizona Cardinals one ahead of the Packers. Guess the Saints had some knowledge that Green Bay would have taken him. Here is the article on the full results of the 2014 NFL 1st round with analysis and who I picked.
Green Bay Packers needs in the 2014 NFL Draft
The Packers have to be concerned with their Safety, Tight End, Wide receiver, and Defensive Line positions going into the draft. They are coming off a playoff berth, albeit a banged up QB Aaron Rodgers so no one expected much and they barely won their division because of two implosions by the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions, finishing with a miserable 8-7-1 record. I'm still not sure if the division is that evenly matched or this is the worst division in the NFL. Which is a definite statement cause the AFC East really stinks, except the New England Patriots of course.
2014 NFL DRAFT PICK RECAP AND ANALYSIS
Ha Ha Clinton-Dix FS, Alabama Round 1 Pick #21
Look what fell in Mike McCarthy's lap. Clinton_Dix fell in the projections thru no fault of his own. It was a stacked early first round and you know the Green Bay Packers are absolutely thrilled getting a player of his talent level at a huge need position. The best ranged Safety in the draft. Smart football intellect allows him the ability to fast read a play and make his break early. With good height and weight, he has good hands to make a play on the ball, open field tackle or can hit so hard, he gets up, asking his victim, "Say my name." The guy is a BEAST. Starter from day 1 and will be for many years to come. Hope he likes cold and snow, that's the only x-factor since he played at Alabama and raised in Florida. No one knows how a player will react to the Tundra of Wisconsin.
Davante Adams WR, Fresno State Round 2 Pick #21
4.5 speed standing at 6'1" 215 pounds with a 40" vertical leap makes him an instant target by Aaron "Double Check" Rodgers. Will be a chain moving wide receiver and red zone threat. This guy is the real deal and Rodgers is going to make him a rich man one day. Future Hall of Fame wide receiver. I love this guy and can't believe with all the big Safeties in the league, he goes in the second round. He would have been an ideal pick for the Carolina Panthers or the San Francisco 49ers. The Packers got lucky getting him. If you play fantasy football, use your last pick on him.
Khyri Thornton DT, Southern Mississippi Round 3 Pick #21
Strong and fast interior line rusher. Moves with great agility and has 5 second flat 40 time, which is exactly the key to his success in the NFL. Plays with a high motor, and stuns people with his bear paws. If McCarthy wanted a 5 technique DT that could disrupt the middle of the line and create a pass rush, he found him. Plays bigger than his size with excellent technique. Some say The Packers reached to draft him, I don't think that at all. With Cutler, Stafford and now Bridgewater as the QBs in the NFC North it will be imperative that any team facing them can get the QB out of their rhythm. This is why I like this pick so much.
Richard Rodgers TE, California Round 3 Pick #34
Rodgers passing to Rodgers in the end zone, TD!! I can hear it now and read it on every sports page. Has a bit of a roller coaster weight issue but the NFL and the money cure that quick enough. He will burn a ton of calories in Green Bay, so no one needs to worry. He is a bit of a project player and that's okay for the Packers. Even a developmental player can be a star with Aaron Rodgers tossing the rock. He has the skills to be a Hybrid wide receiver Tight End. His career at Cal was weird cause of the coaching turnover and two mindsets developing one player. In Green Bay, he will be focused.
Carl Bradford OLB, Arizona State Round 4 Pick #21
Needs technique coaching on shedding blocks, played DE in college but too small for the pros at that position. Has good speed, but short, only 6'1 and weighs 250 so doesn't fit String Safety well. Maybe if he got lean and mean and got a bit faster he could play the nickel or transition to Strong Safety. Until then he is an undersized linebacker who plays hard. Strong guy with good broad jump numbers at Combine. Projecting as an OLB but I see him as a ILB in a 3-4 defense is the type of player that will go for the ball and keeps his eyes on the QB and his head on a swivel and could be a game changer in certain situations. Love the pick.
Corey Linsley C, Ohio State Round 5 Pick #21
Amazingly strong upper and lower body, ran a sub 5 second 40, benched 36 reps, a 9 foot broad jump and squats over 500 pounds. Ran the short shuttle and the three cone drills in under 4.6 and under 8 seconds respectively. Shame this guy didn't play Nose tackle, well that could be the plan but that's rare when it happens. Hew ill need to add 30 pounds if he doesn't want to get pushed around by big Nose tackles. Maybe switches to Right Guard, could be the plan as well. If he does stay at Center he will be replacing Center Evan Dietrich-Smith who was lost in free agency.
Jared Abbrederis WR, Wisconsin Round 5 Pick #36
Second wide receiver drafted by the Green Bay Packers. This guy is also a punt/kickoff return-man. Needs serious help with strength, as he had the lowest bench in the NFL Combine with 4 Reps. That' sad and could may be signal a sign of a poor work ethic. I am not sold on the guy with 4.5 speed but can easily be re-routed by a defender if he has no upper body strength. Don't like the pick at all. Might latch on as an "X" receiver but more than will be situational only and McCarthy paid too much for him. They could have gotten better talent in the 5th round. Should have taken Tajh Boyd at QB.
Demetri Goodson CB, Baylor Round 6 Pick #21
His brother Mike Goodson is currently a RB for the New York Jets but not for very much longer. Mike wore out his welcome in New York in the first month getting arrested for gun possession so you wonder if the brother is as dumb. Has skill but lacks desire and seems to favor the PUP list. I would have passed again on this guy.
Jeff Janis WR, Saginaw Valley State Round 7 Pick #21
Like this guy. 6'3" 220 pound receiver with 4.4 speed and 22 rep at the NFL Combine. Has hands of stone but catching can be taught. Can't teach size and speed. I like him immediately as a red zone threat cause they won't think he is target #1. Needs coaching on blocking and has to be toughened up, no better place to do that than Green Bay and the NFC North, well maybe the WEST but I am biased.
Overall Team Draft Day Analysis
Strange draft strategy by the Green Bay Packers. I expected some trading of picks to get in better position. Not sure why they stayed pat in every round. Would have loved to be a fly on the wall in that draft room. Overall, not a bad day, filled their biggest need in round 1. Got three wide receivers, one great, one in the middle and one project wide. Took a shot with a Tight End and wasted a pick on Demetri Goodson who wanted to play basketball but fell back on football when the NBA didn't call.
Draft Grade: B+
Would have been comfortable giving them a flat B grade but the first two picks are really both A+ so they offset the bum picks and I get the project picks. Overall an interesting yet boring day for the Packers.
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