2012 Mock Draft: Green Bay Packers 7-Round Predictions

Ted Thompson and the Green Bay Packers have not given anything away on their player evaluations for the 2012 NFL draft, but eleven possible picks will be discussed here.

Thompson has made a name for himself by making great choices at the draft, and several gems will be available for the Packers.

The roster is far from perfect, and many positions, especially on defense, need to be upgraded if the team wishes to get back to the the Super Bowl.

Here are predictions for all 12 of the Packers' picks in this seven-round, all-Green Bay mock draft.

Round 1, Pick No. 28: Nick Perry

Position: OLB/DE

School: USC

Height/Weight: 6'3", 271 pounds

Nick Perry is a prototypical size for an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense.

This position is the greatest need for the Green Bay Packers. The team completely lacked the ability to rush the passer in 2011 and finished the year with just 29 sacks, which tied them for 27th in the NFL. Erik Walden and other players that played opposite Clay Matthews at OLB were completely ineffective last year.

Perry is a fluid athlete with excellent strength, and he used these abilities to terrorize Pac 12 quarterbacks last year, finishing with 9.5 sacks.

His pass-rushing skills make him an ideal complement to Matthews—also a former USC Trojan. Teams double and triple-teamed Matthews last season because Green Bay had no other legitimate threat to pressure the quarterback.

With Perry on the roster, the pass rush, and the defense as a whole, would improve drastically.

Round 2, Pick No. 28: Trumaine Johnson

Position: CB

School: Montana

Height/Weight: 6'2", 204 pounds

Trumaine Johnson is a freak athlete that could help revive the Green Bay Packers secondary.

The Packers allowed 4,796 yards passing last year, which is the wrong kind of NFL record. Charles Woodson, Tramon Williams and Sam Shields all played at a high level in 2010, but all took a step back in 2011—especially Shields. The second-year man was an undrafted free agent, and he may not be the talent many thought he'd be during the Pack's Super Bowl run.

Johnson, on the other hand, has no shortage of talent. He is very tall for a cornerback and has a 35.5-inch vertical leap. The embarrassing, and now infamous, Hail-Mary play against the New York Giants this past postseason would not have happened with Johnson on the field.

The biggest knock of the cornerback deals with his character. Johnson was involved in an incident that led to him being tasered and arrested in October of 2011. His ESPN draft profile also cites concerns over effort in practice, and all of his talent will go to waste if he can't stay focused and out of trouble.

But the Packers secondary needs help badly, and Johnson could infuse energy and athleticism into the unit. He has special skills that few other players have and could be a star in Green Bay.

Round 3, Pick No. 28: Billy Winn

Position: DT/DE

School: Boise State

Height/Weight: 6'4", 294 pounds

Billy Winn is a versatile lineman who has all the skills to play defensive end in a 3-4 scheme.

The Green Bay Packers front-three were ineffective too often last season and sorely missed Cullen Jenkins, who left the team in free agency prior to the 2011 season. The Packers attempted to replace him with players on the roster, but no one stepped up to the challenge.

The team desperately needs a player like Jenkins who is effective against both the run and the pass, as Raji is the only other player on the roster who can do both at a high level. Having two effective pass rushers along the defensive line allows Green Bay to use nickel packages and still pressure the quarterback.

In 2010, the Packers' allowed their opponents to convert on third down 36.2 percent of the time (fourth lowest in the NFL). In 2011, they allowed a 42.6 percent conversion rate (26th lowest). This spike is because of the teams inability to pressure other quarterbacks when it counts.

Thompson will continue adding to his ranks of lineman on draft day, and Winn is a great fit with this pick. He would be a steal at the end of the third round if he fell that far. He could contribute as part of the defensive end rotation immediately and could eventually be as good as Jenkins was in this role.

Round 4, Pick No. 28: Chris Rainey

Position: RB

School: Florida

Height/Weight: 5'8", 180 pounds

Chris Rainey has the speed and elusiveness to score every time he touches the ball. He is a versatile player who has excellent hands and would be a pick that would appease Aaron Rodgers and the offense.

After spending the first three picks on defense, the Green Bay Packers need to address their need for another running back. The team split carries between James Starks and Ryan Grant last season, but both players played inconsistently. Green Bay hoped to have a back who could be a threat in the passing game, but Alex Green was lost in Week 7 to a knee injury.

Green should be healthy to start the season, but Rainey would be a great addition if Grant, who is a free agent, does not return. Rainey complements James Starks, who excels when running between the tackles. The Florida Gator would provide a change of pace and would be a threat to go the distance on a reception from Rodgers. 

The biggest concerns over Rainey's ability to compete at the next level deal with his durability. He is small for a running back, and he missed time due to injuries on several occasions while at Florida.

But the upside is still worth it at this point in the draft, and the Packers must hope he can stay healthy long enough to score some touchdowns.

Round 4, Pick No. 37 (Compensatory): Tom Compton

Position: OT

School: South Dakota

Height/Weight: 6'5", 315 pounds

Tom Compton started every game of his career at South Dakota and was a fist-team FCS All-American in 2011. 

The Green Bay Packers have a concerning amount of questions surrounding the left tackle position. Chad Clifton may not be back with the team and has struggled with injuries while Marshall Newhouse will need to play better than he did last season to earn a starting spot going into the year.

Derek Sherrod is the other player expected to compete for the position, but he too had injury problems and has had almost no experience in the NFL. 

Compton is a blue-collar midwesterner who would be a great prospect for the Packers' offensive line. He has great drive with enough talent to be a productive starter a few years down the road. 

Having uncertainty at left tackle is not a quality of a championship-caliber roster, and the team needs to add as much depth at the position as possible. Compton is exactly the type of player the team should target, and according to CBSsports.com, he will be available late in the fourth round.

Round 4, Pick No. 38 (Compensatory): Jonathan Massaquoi

Position: DE/OLB

School: Troy

Height/Weight: 6'2", 264 pounds

Jonathan Massaquoi is a pure pass-rusher, which is exactly what the Green Bay Packers need. 

After dropping from 47 sacks in 2010 to 29 in 2011, the team will need to bring in players who can take down opposing quarterbacks.

Massaquoi had 18.5 sacks in his two seasons at Troy and has the necessary speed and bulk to take on offensive tackles. Cleveland Browns wide receiver Mohammed Massaquoi and Minnesota Vikings tight end Visanthe Shiancoe are his cousins, so his athleticism is a family trait.

The Packers need all the help they can get at outside linebacker, and Massaquoi could be a nice player to call on as a pass rusher. 

Round 5, Pick No. 28: Nate Potter

Position: OT

School: Boise State

Height/Weight: 6'6", 303 pounds

Nate Potter was a four-year starter at Boise State and can be a solid addition along the Green Bay Packers offensive line.

Potter is a perfect candidate to move from tackle to guard, just as Daryn Colledge, also a former Bronco left tackle, did for the Packers. He has trained with Colledge, so he knows what it will take to thrive in Green Bay.

The team appears to have solid players at the guard position with T.J. Lang and Josh Sitton, but injuries occur all the time along NFL offensive lines, and a team can never have enough depth.

Potter is a valuable addition because he could also stay at tackle. His versatility and pedigree make him a valuable pickup on day three of the draft. 

Round 6, Pick No. 28: Asa Jackson

Position: CB

School: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Height/Weight: 5'10", 191

Asa Jackson was a first team FCS All-American in his senior season at Cal Poly, and he has the necessary confidence to step up to the NFL level.

The Green Bay Packers secondary was gashed last year for the most passing yards in NFL history, and they will need at least a few new players to help fix the problems that persisted all of last season.

Jackson is the only defensive player ever to receive four first team FCS All-American honors and was a team captain as a senior. 

He has the maturity to consistently perform at a high level. Being in the Green Bay environment would fuel his competitive spirit and turn him into a decent NFL player.

Round 7, Pick No. 17 (From New York Jets): Phillip Thomas

Position: FS

School: Syracuse

Height/Weight: 5'11", 198 pounds

Phillip Thomas is an instinctive player who can give the team depth at safety. 

NIck Collins may not ever be coming back from the neck injury he suffered in Week 2 of last season, and Charlie Peprah filled in for him for the rest of the year. Peprah was inconsistent and often out of position, and the Packers need another player in the secondary.

Thomas is the sixth-highest rated safety according to ESPN, but CBS Sports predicts that he will be picked in the seventh round of the draft.

ESPN's draft profile stated the reasons why he was so highly rated when it gave him top marks for the "Instincts/Recognition" category:

"

Displays upper echelon instincts and awareness. Quick diagnostic skills allow him to plays faster than timed speed indicates. Flashes the ability to anticipate and read routes as well as read quarterback's eyes to get a quick bead on the ball. Rarely is caught out of position and does a nice job of getting into throwing lanes when aligned in the short robber position. Very quick to recognize and react in the run game.

"

If Thomas falls all the way to the final round, Ted Thompson will snatch him up and turn him into another draft-day gem.

Round 7, Pick No. 28: Mike Daniels

Position: DT/DE

School: Iowa

Height/Weight: 6'0.5", 291 pounds

Mike Daniels is a ferocious interior pass rusher and can help get the Green Bay Packers defensive line back to the form it had in 2010.

There was no bigger problem with the defense in 2011 than its lack of ability to pressure the quarterback. Some of that failure is because of poor outside linebacker play, but part of the responsibility lies with the defensive line. 

B.J. Raji needs help getting to the quarterback on third downs, and Daniels can provide that service. He is undersized for a defensive lineman but has an incredible motor.

The Green Bay defense often looked lackadaisical last year, and Daniels brings the kind of relentless energy that the team needs to re-establish itself as one of the better units in the league.

Round 7, Pick No. 34 (Compensatory): Kellen Moore

Position: QB

School: Boise State

Height/Weight: 6'0" 

Kellen Moore won 50 games in his career at Boise State, which is more than any quarterback in FBS history.

Matt Flynn is now the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, and Aaron Rodgers is the only QB on the Green Bay Packers roster that has thrown a pass in the NFL. The team needs to add another player to compete for the backup role.

Moore, like Flynn, was hugely successful in college but will drop to the last round of the draft because of perceived physical limitations. If the Packers end up picking Moore's left tackle, Nate Potter, earlier in the draft, they would be smart to take on the quarterback with this late compensatory pick.

The late rounds of the draft are the time to take a shot on someone with a highly competitive spirit, and Moore could learn to play bigger than he is at the next level.

Round 7, Pick No. 36: Charles Mitchell

Position: FS

School: Mississippi State

Height/Weight: 5'11, 202 pounds

Charles Mitchell was a three-year starter at Mississippi State and would be a steal if he falls to the Green Bay Packers with their final pick.

The Packers porous pass defense was a big part of the team's inability to get back to the Super Bowl last year, and they need to have a healthy amount of competition for starting positions this offseason.

Mitchell is too small to be an effective run-stopper but too slow to play the center field role at a high level. However, scrappy players like him always find their way onto rosters because of their abilities to make plays on special teams. 

Mitchell will provide constant motivation for the other members of the secondary and could help turn the unit around in 2012.