We really have no desire to report on every draft prospect the Green Bay Packers might be interested in. That’s a futile effort, since no one knows what is inside Ted Thompson’s (empty) head (answer: nothing at all).
However, we do find this guy intriguing — Western Kentucky tackle Forrest Lamp.
Of course, the Packers don’t need a tackle, what with David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga situated with long-term deals and 2016 second-round pick Jason Spriggs seemingly relegated to rotting on the bench.
Despite spending most of his career at left tackle and earning third-team All-American honors there in 2016, Lamp is projected as a guard in the pros.
Who needs a guard?
The Green Bay Packers could roll into 2017 with Don Barclay in T.J. Lang’s old spot, but we can probably all agree that it would be great if they had a better plan than that.
Lamp is supposedly on the rise in terms of draft status. It now seems likely that he’ll be a first-round pick. Along with the Packers, the Vikings and Seahawks are reportedly the most interested teams.
Both of those teams pick before Green Bay.
However, if Lamp is available, the question ultimately becomes this: do you draft the Lang replacement in the first round over other seemingly greater needs like cornerback or edge rusher?
That answer surely comes down to who is available and graded highest at those three positions when the Packers pick in round one. We well know they don’t chose the “best player available” — they choose the best player available at a position of need.
On the positive side, Lamp can play up and down the line, much like another guy the Packers lost in free agency, J.C. Tretter. That’s a valuable asset.
On the negative, Lamp can’t play cornerback, so he’s just another Damarious Randall…
Another conversion project in the first round? No thanks. Even if it just to guard, Thompson is terrible at picking lineman in the first round.
No way GB goes G in the first round.
Pointafter website had an interesting article on the worst draft pick at each of the 32 slots since 2000: TT has 2! Both lineman. 16th- Justin Harrell, 32- Derrek Sherrod. Pretty awesome whiffs, and that doesn’t even include Worthy, Thornton, Jones, etc. Ted needs to step it up.
Derrek Sherrod had a catastrophic freak injury so I don’t know if you can really count that as a “whiff.”
TT is good at picking up his linemen in the later rounds. I don’t really think anyone with any knowledge could argue with that.
Sherrod had a mismanaged injury by the crack Packer medical, requiring a 2nd surgery to repair the 1st surgery.
Derrek Sherrod sucked before he injured his leg. Sure it didn’t help him at all, but I didn’t see him making some sort of all star leap in his skills. Guess we’ll never know. Justin Harrell on the other hand, TT knew he was injured and still drafted him!! What an idiot!
Exactly….Marshall Newhouse beat out a healthy Sherrod….twice.
No rookie is going to replace Lang, but If I was forced to pick someone in this draft I would try to get Taylor Moton in the 3rd round rather than Lamp in the first. I don’t think Moton would be able to step in early in the season but he may make Barclay expendable.
Howard has it right, thinking a rookie comes in and plays lights out is foolish. The only thing more foolish than that is thinking your rookie draft class is going to come in and turn around this defense. But these are….The Days of our Packers.
Alright “Bonham”, good news and bad news.
Good news is your last couple lines were very well done. Very funny and very true.
Bad news — as per your accuracy but good news for the Packers — is that the Vikings do not actually pick before the Packers. They traded the pick last year for Sam Bradford. A decision mocked by this site at the time but one which was since proven nigh brilliant.
Lamp will go in round one for certain barring injury and is well worth a #1 pick. In fact, I have him worthy of a pick in the 11-20 range. To put him in perspective, I believe he is a better pick than OG Martin of the Cowboys who is a pro bowler.
If the Packers get Lamp with their #1 pick this year it is almost a steal. But I agree with some of the other posters that this is not likely. TT does not value guard much.
Drafting Lamp would put even more attention on the losses of Sitton and Lang due to petty insecure vengefullness (McCarthy/Sitton) and block-headed player management (TT/Lang).
If Lamp worked out perfectly he would be as goo as Sitton or Lang. OK, you saved a little money but then… you never spent that money you saved anyway! And, meanwhile, you used up your #1 pick when you have needs all over the team (OG, RB, NT, DE, OLB, ILB, CB, ‘nother CB, ‘nother CB). So the end equation even in a best case scenario, is management by buffoonery, strategy of baboons.
On the other hand not addressing the OG hole will certainly be questioned when Aaron’s snapping tibia makes a crackling echo at Lambeau Field.
alright “Nancy”…good news and bad news.
The bad news is, only the most pathetic of teams miss the playoffs after starting 6-0, and 5-0.
The good news is the CFL is looking for teams to expand. Which i go into detail in my new book…”THE VIKINGS JOIN CFL…GLIMMER OF HOPE”.
“They traded the pick last year for Sam Bradford. A decision mocked by this site at the time but one which was since proven nigh brilliant.” – Nancy
Nancy makes a good point, if Bradford can lead the queens to 3-8 in it’s last 11 games, it was well worth giving up a 1st round pick for Sam Bradford.
NIGH BRILLIANT
Sam Bradford, in a new offense with new teammates, and with a terribly tore up and injured o-line starting third stringers and street free agents, and with the worst running game in the league, achieved a QB rating just a hair behind Aaron Rodgers who had none of those disadvantages — an offense he is deeply familiar with and tailored to him, an o-line with multiple pro bowlers, a decent run game. (Aaron also has a better set of wide receivers! = 2nd round superstar Jordy Nelson, 2nd round multi-milionaire Randall Cobb, and 2nd round Davante Adams vs. our 5th rounder, street free agent, and ?….)
Getting a QB like that (as good as or better than Aaron but still much younger) for a mid-first and a 4th is an absolute brilliant stroke. It took a lot of guts to make the move and Trader Rick deserves respect for it. Teddy B. may never play again and certainly not this year. (And if he does recover then he will be great trade bait so some of what we spent may come back to us — picture us getting a real shot at 2016 and 2017 we otherwise would have lost, + a better QB than Teddy, and maybe all for a 1 and a 4 and a 2 back in exchange. What an incredibly great deal!) Without Sam we would have been worse than the Bears and we’d be forced to reach for a QB this year that would have a 50% chance to be competent in 3 or 4 years.
It really was a brilliant move. Not recognizing brilliance is a common shortcoming among intellects of your low caliber.
Essentially that 2017 #1 pick was going to go for a QB either with or without the trade. Would we rather have a pro bowl level proven QB entering his prime or throw the dice on a rookie who, best case scenario, in 3 or 4 years has a 50/50 chance to maybe be as good as competent?
Yes, the question was rhetorical. Because the answer is obvious. Even to you now that I have explained it slowly.
I’m sure you saw it. You at least watched the two Vikings games where they played the Packers. Bradford tore your team up with impunity. 668 yards. 5 TDs. 56 of 81 (69.13% completion), 8.24 yards per attempted pass. I’m sure you wished old man Shaun Hill was creaking back and forth in the wind back there or, this year, some rookie. Measure your own fear and dread and you will come to realize how smart we were to obtain Bradford.
I’m not trying to brag or lord it over you. We just need to clear the air of your brain fart.
Gee, a below average QB piled up yards on the Packer 2016 defense….WOW…that’s never been done before….lol, moron