NFL Draft 2012: Best Options to Fix Green Bay Packers' Weaknesses

The Green Bay Packers were thought to be unbeatable during the 2011-2012 season. After the Week 13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, their weaknesses were put in the spotlight. In the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the Packers had a horrible game on both sides of the ball, which ended their season.

The Packers have a great group of young talented players who can lead the team to multiple playoff appearances. It is clear though that the Packers need to fix some of the holes on their roster to be Super Bowl champions again.

Whitney Mercilus

Outside linebacker has been a well-documented need for the Packers. Erik Walden will most likely not be with the team next season and using a first-round draft pick for a replacement is a good possibility.

Whitney Mercilus is versatile and can help fill that hole. In college, Mercilus played both sides of the line, including the interior. His style fits well into the NFL with his good mix of mobility and strength.

Outside linebacker in 3-4 defenses now feature players like Mercilus, such as Mario Williams and Demarcus Ware, who are quick off the edge but can also rush the through the interior.

Mercilus would make an immediate impact for the Packers and can significantly help the 27th-ranked defense in sacks.

Leonard Johnson

Leonard Johnson was a shutdown cornerback for Iowa State last year. His ability to lock down wide receivers will help the Packers' 31st-ranked pass defense.

The Packers secondary is full of playmakers. They led the league in interceptions with 31, which helped keep opponents points down. Johnson can add depth to a position that is very helpful in the NFL's pass-friendly league.

Depending on the health of Nick Collins, Charles Woodson may be asked to move to safety which will hurt the cornerback position. Johnson would be a good fit for the team and his style of play goes along with the team.

He has proven he can cover the top guys in the league, as he held future first-round pick Justin Blackmon to under 100 yards in Iowa State's upset win over Oklahoma State. He also held All-Big East receiver Mohamad Sanu to 67 yards on just six catches.

Antonio Allen

Antonio Allen played the majority of his career at linebacker at South Carolina. However, when drafted, he will most likely be transitioned into a safety.

Allen is a physical player who will be a force in the secondary. He forced four fumbles and recovered three last season and finished in the top 10 in interceptions in the SEC.

This transition may take some time, as he will need to learn the intangibles of being a strong safety. What he can provide right now is help stopping the run. With his previous experience at linebacker, he has proven that he can tackle and add extra help in stopping the run.

Morgan Burnett was a solid player for the Packers last year with five interceptions. However, Allen has bigger potential and can help the secondary become more physical and help with stopping the run.

Kendall Reyes

Kendall Reyes was All-Big East for Connecticut last season at defensive tackle. If drafted by the Packers, he can easily move over to defensive end since they play a 3-4 style defense.

When there is talk about the lack of a pass rush the Packers have, it is usually generated towards outside linebacker. However, the defensive ends did generate any push at the line to help the linebackers get free runs at the quarterback.

Reyes is 6'4", weighs 299 pounds and has nice speed for someone of his size. He has the ability to push offensive lineman back into the quarterback's face and create pressure up the middle. The Packers only had six sacks from their defensive line in 2011. With the addition of Reyes, that total should help that total go up along with the linebacker sacks.

David Wilson

The Packers' passing game is one of the best in the league. However, they still have a difficult time finding a running back.

Ryan Grant is a free agent and the Packers will probably cut ties with him. James Starks has proven that he has some value to the team, but is not someone they can trust as there every-down back.

ACC player of the year, David Wilson, can help bring more stability to the Packers' running game. Last season was his first year as a starter. He averaged 5.9 yards per carry and had a total 1,709 yards along with nine touchdowns.

He has good quickness, which was shown during the combine with his 40-yard dash time of 4.40.

Wilson will help the 27th-ranked running attack and provide more balance in the offense, which can make Aaron Rodgers even more dangerous.