Green Bay Packers: Full 2016 Draft Guide and Preview
The Green Bay Packers own nine selections in the 2016 NFL draft, and they have a handful of positions they need to address with them.
Thankfully, the Packers don't look to have many starting jobs available heading into training camp this year.
Positions they may target in the draft that could catapult players into starting roles this season include inside linebacker and nose tackle, but for the most part, Ted Thompson is drafting for depth.
However, don't underestimate the importance of depth for this team, especially given that the Packers are eyeing a Super Bowl berth and facing an early Week 4 bye.
If things get dicey down the stretch, the Packers need to have the personnel on the bench to keep them in playoff contention.
In this comprehensive guide to the Packers' 2016 draft, we'll break down which selections Green Bay holds this year; the compensatory picks, the team's major needs and top targets, the latest rumors and finally, examine how a potential seven-round mock draft could unfold.
Draft Picks
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Draft Picks
Round 1: 27th overall
Round 2: 55th overall
Round 3: 88th overall
Round 4: 125th overall
Round 4: 131st overall (compensatory)
Round 4: 137th overall (compensatory)
Round 5: 163rd overall
Round 6: 200th overall
Round 7: 248th overall
What to Know
1. General manager Ted Thompson has drafted a defensive player in the first round in every year since 2011, when he selected tackle Derek Sherrod. Eight of the Packers' last 11 first-round selections have been defensive players. Thompson has never selected a pass-catcher in the first round, which makes the popular tight end Hunter Henry mock draft pick historically unlikely.
2. Under Thompson over the last 10 years, the Packers have made a draft-day trade in every year except 2014.
3. Per the Green Bay Press-Gazette, in 2014 the Packers lead the NFL with 1,860 starts and 3,267 games played from drafted players. Arguably, no NFL team relies more on the draft to acquire players than Green Bay.
Top Needs
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The Packers will not focus solely on the following positions in the draft, but these are nonetheless their top five needs:
1. Inside linebacker
Some will argue that defensive tackle, not inside linebacker, is the Packers' biggest need. But with Clay Matthews moving back outside, there are questions as to whether Jake Ryan is ready to start on the inside next to Sam Barrington. There's a lack of depth at both positions, but the Packers seldom operate out of a base 3-4 defense; however, they always need two inside linebackers on the field.
2. Defensive line
Because Ted Thompson takes a best-available-player approach to the draft over a need-based outlook, it's more likely that he targets a defensive tackle in Round 1. And there are so many impact players to choose from. With B.J. Raji on a hiatus from football and Mike Pennel serving a four-game suspension to start the season, finding a plug-and-play nose tackle early in the draft could boost the Packers' line immeasurably.
3. Tight end
Veteran tight end Jared Cook is a band-aid, not a long-term fix, at the position. The Packers have been missing an impact player here for years, and it's showed in their offense. Richard Rodgers is developing nicely, but he needs to share snaps with a big, athletic and fast player who can threaten the seam. Look for the Packers to target tight end as early as Round 2.
4. Offensive line
The Packers have four offensive linemen headed for free agency in 2017: guards T.J. Lang and Josh Sitton, left tackle David Bakhtiari and center JC Tretter. Yikes. While Thompson should be able to re-sign two or three out of the four, one of them will likely walk. Reserves Lane Taylor and Don Barclay aren't going to cut it, so the Packers need to invest in a future starter now.
5. Outside linebacker
Pass-rushers Julius Peppers and Nick Perry will become free agents at the end of the season, and Mike Neal was allowed to walk in free agency this offseason. While the Packers still have a solid stable of pass-rushers for the 2016 season, anchored by Matthews' move back outside, the landscape will look different in 2017. Better to be prepared than forced to scramble.
Top Targets
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Inside linebacker
1. Reggie Ragland, Alabama: The top prospect at his position this year, Ragland is a run-stuffing force in the middle who is trying to prove that he can also remain on the field on third downs. The 2015 SEC Defensive Player of the Year has the size you look for in the middle and the open-field tackling skills you want against the run.
2. Deion Jones, LSU: A Butkus Award finalist as the nation's top linebacker, Jones projects as an inside linebacker for a 3-4 NFL team. He has limited starting experience but had an eye-popping 2015 season as a senior, leading the Tigers with 100 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and five sacks.
Defensive line
1. Sheldon Rankins, Louisville: Of course the Packers would be interested in a player such as DeForest Buckner or Shaq Lawson, but Rankins feels like the first defensive lineman they could feasibly land at No. 27 if he fell. Rankins had an impressive 2015 season for the Cardinals, starting 13 games and totaling 13 tackles for loss and six sacks as well as 58 tackles, four quarterback hits and a fumble recovery.
2. Jarran Reed, Alabama: Chances are high that Green Bay could walk away from Day 1 with a new Alabama player for its roster. Like his teammate Ragland, Reed was a leader of the Crimson Tide championship defense in 2015, finishing with 56 tackles, one sack, two pass breakups, eight quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.
Tight end
1. Hunter Henry, Arkansas: Though it's unlikely Ted Thompson would select a tight end in Round 1, Henry may be available for the Packers at No. 27. The Razorback finished second on the team with 51 catches for 739 yards and three touchdowns in 2015. His speed and athleticism are what is missing from the Packers' pass-catching corps currently.
2. Austin Hooper, Stanford: In a shallow tight end class, there's a noticeable drop-off between Henry and Hooper: the latter amassed 74 catches for 937 yards and eight touchdowns in two seasons at Stanford, only slightly more than Henry had in one season at Arkansas. However, Hooper is athletic with long arms and soft hands.
Offensive line
1. Jason Spriggs, Indiana: While it's unlikely Thompson would target an offensive lineman this high (Spriggs is projected to go late in the first round), the Indiana prospect is near the top of the Packers' big board and would be feasible at No. 27. If the Packers aren't able to re-sign David Bakhtiari next offseason, they'll need a future starting left tackle on the roster. Spriggs could be it.
2. Germain Ifedi, Texas A&M: Thompson values versatile college offensive linemen, and Ifedi had experience at both right tackle and guard for the Aggies. That could make him a nice target as insurance in case the Packers have to let either T.J. Lang or Josh Sitton walk in free agency.
Outside linebacker
1. Darron Lee, Ohio State: Thompson would likely show some rare emotion if Lee happened to fall to the Packers in the first. He started all 13 games in 2015, finishing with 66 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. He has experience rushing off the edge and defending the run in coverage. He could move inside in the NFL, but would be a versatile linebacker in a 3-4 or a 4-3 scheme.
2. Leonard Floyd, Georgia: Floyd moves fast for a player his size, getting into the backfield quickly to disrupt the quarterback. He had a whopping 74 tackles in 2015 and is without a doubt one of the best athletes at any position in this draft class.
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Latest Rumors
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Don't get too attached to the idea that the Packers hold the 27th pick in the first round of the draft.
According to a recent report by Charlie Campbell of Walter Football, Green Bay has discussed a trade with the Denver Broncos, who hold the 31st pick.
Campbell's sources believe that the Broncos are looking to target Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, but they would likely have to trade up in the first round (and ahead of Kansas City at No. 28) to do so.
Also according to Campbell, the Cleveland Browns are looking to trade back into the first round and have been in discussions with the Packers as well for their pick at No. 27.
If the Packers do make a trade, it will likely be announced on draft day, not before. Thompson likes to acquire picks to move down, especially if it's only a few spots; the only year in which he did not make a draft-day trade was 2014.
In other Packers rumors, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller reports that within the Packers' draft room, Clemson safety T.J. Green is "viewed as a hot candidate in Round 2 if he's on the board." The fan reaction to the Packers selecting a safety in Round 2 would be interesting, to say the least.
Miller also confirms that Packers scouts view Alabama inside linebacker Reggie Ragland as a "late first-round option," which suggests if he's still on the board at No. 27, Thompson is comfortable with his value as a selection there.
7-Round Mock Draft
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Round 1: Reggie Ragland, ILB, Alabama: It's hard to see how the Packers pass up Ragland if he falls to No. 27. Per Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, they have a late first-round value on him, and Green Bay loves Alabama players. Ragland is the hard-hitting run defender the team is missing in the middle.
Round 2: Austin Hooper, TE, Stanford: Perhaps Round 2 is early to be targeting a tight end, but in a class this shallow, the drop-off is steep. Hooper brings the athleticism and speed the Packers so desperately need from the position. He was a top performer at the NFL combine in the 40-yard dash (4.72 seconds), bench press (19 reps), and 3-cone drill (seven seconds).
Round 3: Kyler Fackrell, OLB, Utah State: Fackrell can cover in space and rush off the edge, and if he hadn't missed the 2014 season with a torn ACL, he could be a lot higher on draft boards. He causes mayhem in the backfield; in his final season at Utah State, he had 15 tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries.
Round 4: Adolphus Washington, DT, Ohio State: There's a wild difference in opinion on where Washington will be drafted; some think he won't make it past the first round, while others don't see him cracking the top 100. In December 2015 he was charged with solicitation, though the charge was later dismissed after he completed a program. Green Bay could be a positive environment for him. He has impressive quickness for a man his size and could fit multiple positions on the defensive line.
Round 4: Cole Toner, OT, Harvard: Toner became Harvard's starting right tackle as a true freshman because of injury, and he held on to the job. Some have questioned his true talent given his conference, but he held his own at the Senior Bowl and only looks to get stronger with time spent in an NFL weight room.
Round 4: Daniel Lasco, RB, California: Lasco isn't built to be an NFL workhorse, but he's quick and agile. He had an impressive combine performance, benching 23 reps of 225 pounds, topping all running back prospects with a 41 ½-inch vertical jump and 11'3" broad jump, and running a 4.46-second 40-yard dash.
Round 5: D.J. Reader, DT, Clemson: Defensive line is enough of a need for the Packers that they address it for a second time in Round 5. Reader told 247Sports' Brian Carriveau the Packers interviewed him at the Senior Bowl, and they likely discussed his leave of absence from the Tigers for the first six games of last season. If he can convince teams he's ready for the next level, he's a talented nose tackle for this late in the draft.
Round 6: Mitch Mathews, WR, BYU: The Packers have already shown interest in Mathews; per his agent, Brett Tessler, Mathews had plans to visit with the Packers in the second week of April. He is known for his game-winning Hail Mary catch but also offers great size and athleticism at 6'6", 222 pounds.
Round 7: Morgan Burns, CB, Kansas State: Per Hobie Teope of the Topeka Capital-Journal, the Packers had a pre-draft visit with Burns. The former high school sprinter is a speedy kick returner who returned four kicks for scores in 2015.
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