The Green Bay Packers draft needs are pretty well documented, with the leading contenders by position being cornerback and left tackle. Secondarily, the Packers need a backup tight end, backup quarterback, and possibly another defensive lineman, all for various reasons, which are well documented here.
Personally, I feel the pick is a cornerback, if the chips fall as expected. Then again, I thought Brady Quinn was the obvious pick last year when he slid down the board in the first round, and instead we took Justin Harrell – a defensive tackle with knee problems.
The popular choice is Jim Thorpe winner, Antoine Cason, a physical cornerback from Arizona, who by some accounts may be too slow for the NFL.
With that in mind, I’m going to take a flyer and say the pick is Fred Davis, the tight end from USC, who is a big, bad motherfucker with great hands that when paired with Donald Lee, would give Aaron Rodgers a tight end duo reminiscent of the Keith Jackson/Mark Chmura tandem that helped the Packers win a championship.
Here’s what the rest of the Internet has to say.
NFL.com: Keith Rivers, LB, USC
They could easily go with an offensive tackle if a good one happens to fall this far, but they would have a very hard time passing up on the best linebacker in the draft.
Sports Illustrated: Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech
The Packers could address their need for youth at offensive tackle by taking USC’s Sam Baker, but most have him graded as a second-round choice.
About.com: Tracy Porter, CB, Indiana
Drafting a top corner this year would allow the team to work him into the rotation slowly and offer a little insurance in case one of the starters begins to break down.
Fox Sports: Dustin Keller, TE, Purdue
Miami FS Kenny Phillips is a possibility, but with Purdue’s athletic TE Dustin Keller available, the Packers decide to give Aaron Rodgers another offensive weapon.
CBS Sportsline
The Sports Xchange: Jarod Mayo, ILB, Tennessee
Compares To: Randall Godfrey, Washington. During his prime, Godfrey’s ability to play on the outside or inside proved invaluable. While Mayo proved that he has the field smarts to handle middle linebacker, he might lack the bulk to do so at the next level, unless the team has big defensive tackles to absorb the blocks and protect him.
Pete Prisco: Kenny Phillips, S, Miami
Compares To: Sean Taylor, Washington. Like Taylor, Phillips is a very efficient tackler working inside the box, sort of like a linebacker with the way he squares his shoulders and sticks his hat into the action. He has good pass-coverage skills, but can be fooled by the receiver’s head fakes or by the play-action in the backfield.
Clark Judge: Antione Cason
A shutdown cornerback in the mold of former Arizona standout Chris McAlister (Baltimore), Cason ranks with the elite defensive prospects eligible for the 2008 NFL Draft. With his added responsibility handling punt returns as a senior, he is the first Arizona player to earn All-Pac-10 Conference accolades on defense and special teams in the same season.
LA Times: Duane Brown, OT, Virginia Tech
Brown could be the sleeper pick of the first round. He’s a converted tight end who is extremely nimble for a 6-4, 315-pound man.
WalterFootball.com: Antoine Cason
Charles Woodson and Al Harris will be 32 and 34, respectively, by December. Youth is desperately needed at this position.
NFLDraftCountdown.com: Antoine Cason
Depending on who you speak to Antoine Cason would either be a good value or a major reach here but there are plenty of teams that have stamped a first round grade on him.
TheFootballExpert.com: Antoine Cason
This is a really deep draft at the cornerback position and the Packers could find a good one in multiple spots. During the combine Cason ran well enough to quiet talk his is too slow for the NFL.
There’s some disagreement on the pick, obviously, but what we do know is this. It’s a certainty that Matt Millen will bungle the Lions draft pick, per usual. I hear they need a receiver.
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