I have absolutely no idea which player the Green Bay Packers will choose in the first round, and anyone who tells you differently is lying. Ted Thompson is as tight-lipped as any general manager in the league and his staff is every bit as secretive. Therefore, nothing he does should really surprise anyone. In fact, I’d only be surprised if our picks actually turn out to be the same. So for whatever it’s worth, here’s my annual exercise in futility:
Picking so late in the first round is good if you’re a fan of the Packers, but it’s brutal if you’re also a writer trying to predict which player Thompson will select. This is no exaggeration – in the past week I’ve had nine different players going at 28. Offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler, defensive linemen Jerel Worthy, Devon Still, Brandon Thompson and Kendall Reyes and linebackers Courtney Upshaw, Dont’a Hightower, Shea McClellin and Andre Branch have all at one time or another been my choice. And in each case, doubt quickly crept in and I changed my mind. I’ve been the epitome of indecisiveness for the past week. In short, I’ve been to this particular mock draft what Mike Tice and the Vikings were to the real one in 2003.
On second (and sometimes third and fourth) thought, I came to the conclusion that Upshaw and Hightower aren’t going to be available and that Worthy, Still and Reyes simply don’t rush the quarterback well enough to merit being picked at No. 28. That left Zeitler, Thompson, McClellin and Branch. I dismissed Zeitler because of the position he plays. I just don’t see the Packers spending a first-round pick on an offensive lineman for the third year in a row. And while McClellin and Branch both look the part, I didn’t see enough on video to think either would be an impact player at the next level.
And then there was one. I originally dismissed Thompson because of the school he attended and his size. As I said before, there are more busts at Clemson than at Hooters. And at 6’2, 315, he projects more to nose tackle than end in a 3-4. But the more I watched him play, the less I cared about those things. What I saw was a powerful and explosive defensive lineman – basically the type of player Justin Harrell was supposed to be. The difference is that Thompson has a much cleaner medical history and far more potential as a pass rusher. In Green Bay, the 22-year-old would start immediately at defensive end and move inside in the nickel. The fact that he could also take snaps on the nose only makes him more valuable.
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY:
Clemson's Brandon Thompson would make sense for Packers
National Football Post’s Wes Bunting: A guy who should be able to come in and be a lineman who can win inside vs. the run game. Looks a bit limited as a pass rusher, but will be able to push the pocket and threaten gaps off the ball. A starting caliber 4-3 nose inside.
NFL.com: “Thompson brings value to the NFL in that he can play both defensive tackle or nose tackle at the next level. With his size and athletic ability, Thompson has been a disruptive force for Clemson. He plays stout against the run and will plug the hole well for an NFL team. He is able to find the ball as a defender and is effective after the snap in making plays in the backfield. He doesn’t bring a ton of pass-rush ability, but he will be able to serve as a strong presence up front. He has the talent to warrant a late first or early second-round pick.
Pro Football Weekly’s Nolan Nawrocki: “Thickly built, powerful, versatile defensive tackle with starter-caliber size, strength and quickness… Disruptive pass-rush skills – can win with quickness or bull his way to the quarterback…Is best-suited on the nose in a 4-3 paired with an attention-demanding three-technique, but also could draw interest as a 3-4 five-technique given his stellar run defense.”
Lindy’s: “Penetrates through gaps, often forcing running backs to elude him or the back end of the offensive lineman he’s pushing before they even reach the line…Explodes out of his stance, demonstrating a burst upfield to slip gaps and the lateral agility once past the line to chase down quarterbacks.”
I was hoping he’d be a trade back or trade up option for the packers in round two, but you just never know how TT has these guys graded. If TT deems him worthy of a 1st round selection then that’s good enough for me. I do hope we get a high quality option at ROLB .. we so desperately need an upgrade over the mediocre we’ve had to watch the past few years.
I worry about the Clemson thing as well but just remember, until the Packers took Rodgers the same could be said (busts & Hooters) about Tedford QB’s.
I’d be okay w/ TT taking Shea McClellin, Kevin Zeitler, Amini Silatolu, or Lavonte David at 28. But if all 4 are still on the board I see TT trading back to the 36-40 range picking up an extra 3rd round pick and still getting one of them or taking Brandon Thompson, Coby Fleener, Doug Martin, or Stephen Hill.
Thompson has eluded me in my evaluations of potential first rounders but I have to say he looks pretty good on film to me. I also like Worthy and Still as potential 5 techs in the first round. Still have McClellin, Mercilus, Upshaw and Curry on the brain but DL might just be the way to go especially is we can land a guy like Bruce Irvin in the 2nd(with a trade up?).
There’s a lot to like about Thompson but 28 seems too rich. Maybe a trade back if that’s the guy he is targeting. Do you really think Thompson gives you more pass rush than Worthy?
Funny how Nick Perry has gone from everybody’s pick at 28 to nobody’s.
My Packer draft:
(1) Nick Perry
(2) Josh Robinson
(3) Ben Jones
(4) Jared Crick
I also think they might take the QB from Boise St – Kellen Moore with their first pick in R7. Smart lefty that is extremely accurate. Worst Case: Perfect back-up type.
I agreee w/ your first 4 picks. Not sure Perry will be there but we’ll see.
I hear ya. I’m not sure Crick will be either. Latter depends on how people view his injury history. Would be a value pick at 4 and is definitely packer people.
Trade Talk – Bucs want Richardson and if they can’t get him, they want D Martin. Latter scenario would have them trading up with Pack. Supposedly Pack wants Perry and don’t think he will be available at 36 (I don’t either). Thus, for this trade to happen, Perry would have to be off the board at 28.
I also read that Pack wants Perry for DE, not OLB.
If they like him that much, maybe they should trade up w Chargers and get their man.
The good think about not trading up in R1 is that leaves your powder dry for moving up in rounds 2, 3 and 4!
Trading down could lead to another R2 and R3. The extra R3 could be used to move up from 60. Maybe the other 3 and a 4 could get them a 3rd pick in R2 if somebody they like slides.
Can’t wait!
My favorite sentence of the year…..It’s draft day!!!
Ya gotta ask yourself….would TT pass on Courtney Upshaw? Methinks not. Will he be there at 28? Methinks very likely.
Well, true to form, Ted drafted for need once more, taking USC DE Nick Perry. Was he drafted as a DE/inside rusher or an OLB? #280 is a lot of beef for a 3-4 OLB. I am content with this pick. In fact, I predicted it.
Will TT trade up in R2? Since he didn’t use his powder in R1, I say there’s an excellent chance he will trade up in both R2 and R3. Josh Robinson and Brandon Thompson have got be live choices on Ted’s board for R2. Thompson looked better than Still on tape. With Worthy, Reyes and Still still on the board, along with other possible DE/DTs, Thompson has a good chance of falling a long way in R2. To 60? Possibly. But to at least pick 50 for sure. Same for Robinson. As soon as one leaves the board, trade up for the other. Perry/Thompson could be just what the doctor ordered for our anemic front 7.
I didn’t love Perry, but I won’t complain. On his worst day, he’ll be an improvement over Walden, Zombo and Jones. And if he ever learns to play hard on every snap, he could be an impact player.
Agreed. And that’s what we have Kevin Green for. Weight for OLB, lack of lateral agility for OLB, and on/off motor, are the negatives. Kid came off intelligent and dignified in interview and in NYC. I figure if he fails at OLB, he can be a DE for them. If he makes it big at OLB, it’s a huge piece to the defensive puzzle. Now let’s get Robinson/Thompson in R2 with maybe a small trade-up from 60 to 50 to 55.
They said the exact same things about Lamarr Woodley. He still plays at 265. Perry is 272. Terrell Suggs plays at close to 270. Both Suggs and Woodley are pretty damn good football players. Also, trust and believe that Perry is there to rush QB. Just like Woodley he’ll learn to cover. One more thing, remember Tim Harris and the Elephant position… Capers will have fun with this guy.