NFL Draft Reset Packers address secondary issues over needs at other positions

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When the ' season came to its inglorious Johan Franzen Jersey end on the Georgia Dome turf in the NFC Championship Game, and had played virtually every snap at cornerback. Randall, the team's 2015 first-round pick, and Gunter, a 2015 undrafted free agent, had been forced into extensive duties because of injuries. And while the hope is that their trial-by-fire experiences will serve them well going forward, both were routintely exposed down the stretch last season. More on NFL Draft Among all NFL cornerbacks, Gunter ranked 97th and Randall ranked 108th, according to Pro Football Focus. Against the , the Packers allowed to throw for 392 yards and four touchdowns, and didn't register a sack. Put another way: In addition to cornerback, there is a need for a pa s rusher because Clay Matthews can't do it all. And while is a great story, Green Bay needs depth at running back too. Let's take a look at how the perennial favorites in the AFC North made out over draft weekend. Packers addre sed their biggest needIt was pretty cut and dried: There was a glaring need at cornerback, and the Packers addre sed it. Not only that, they picked up an additional fourth-round pick for their troubles when they moved back four spots, allowing the to have the 29th selection. With pick No. 33, Green Bay took , a 6-foot-3 pre s corner who checks all the boxes. King is the prototype you draw up to slow down the Julio Joneses of the NFL world. (This is where we mention that Jones had nine receptions for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the NFC title game.) "I watched that game ," King told reporters on a conference call after he was drafted. "That was a -- I mean, that was interesting one." That's the diplomatic answer. "One of our goals this year was to try and get faster," Packers director of football operations Eliot Wolf said Friday after selecting King. "I think we got the tallest corner in the draft and a guy that runs really fast and a guy that can make plays on the ball. We're really excited about it." King is more than a tall drink of water; he blazed a 4.43 40-yard dash at the combine in February. "We've never had a guy here that's been a 6-3 corner, so we're really excited to get to work with him and see what he can do," Wolf added. Eighteen picks later, the Packers were back on the clock and back to fixing the secondary; they selected 6-1, 220-pound safety Josh Jones, who ran a 4.41 40 at the combine. Jones will replace in a defense that is suddenly much faster -- and that's by design. "I think you're always trying to get faster," general manager Ted Thompson said. "I don't think it's a negative thing. Football is about explosivene s, speed, athletic ability. This is not our grandfather's football that we're playing in this day and age. Everybody' Jimmy Howard Jersey s fast, everybody's explosive and I think that's what we're trying to get at." It might seem odd that the Packers used a second-round pick on safety when they already have and , but in a league where offenses run three (or more)-wide receiver sets more than half the time, you can never have enough capable defensive backs. Plus, Jones' addition means that Burnett might play more inside linebacker in the Packers' nickel defense, which he did last season. What about a pa s rusher, or the offensive line? has registered double-digit sacks once in the past four seasons, in 2014. Yes, had 11 sacks in 2016, but with and gone, that's it for the Packers' pash-rushing threats. Which is why finding another pa s rusher was on the team's to-do list. Green Bay pa sed on outside linebacker with the No. 29 selection, and instead traded down to take King four picks later. And while cornerback was a more pre sing need, the Packers didn't get around to drafting an edge rusher until Round 4, when they took Watt's teammate at , . The bad news: Biegel only had four sacks last season. The good news: He had 15.5 sacks the previous two seasons, when Watt was limited by injuries. You could argue that the Packers also addre sed this need in Round 3, when they selected defensive tackle Montravius Adams. Yes, he plays in the interior of the defense, and yes, he's listed at 6-3, 304 pounds, but he also blazed a 4.87 40 at the combine. Adams, who can play every position on the defensive line, ended his Auburn career with 13 sacks and 57 hurries, and he'll complement and (Daniels had four sacks in Andreas Athanasiou Kids Jersey '16). On the other side of the ball, the Packers let right guard and interior lineman JC Tretter walk in free agency. 's replacement, , is entering a contract year, as is center . And while the Packers used a 2016 second-round pick on , he played on just 22 percent of the snaps last season. The team did sign on a one-year deal. So it wasn't a surprise that Green Bay drafted an offensive linemen, though it didn't happen until the sixth round, when 's was selected. Amichia fits the profile of a college tackle who will move inside for the Packers. Were they right to pa s on ?Four years ago, the Packers drafted late in the second round. By that point, , Le'Veon Bell and had already come off the board. Ball hasn't had a regular-season carry since 2014, Bernard has been a steady contributor in Cincinnati and Bell has morphed into one of the league's most dynamic backs. Lacy, who struggled with his weight and injuries, wasn't re-signed this offseason and now he's in Seattle. The Packers had an opportunity to replace Lacy at the end of the first round with 's Dalvin Cook, who is as dangerous catching pa ses as he is taking handoffs. Instead, Green Bay traded down to fill a bigger need in the secondary. But was that the right move? Funny story: According to Bob McGinn of the , the Packers were down to King and Cook but went with King because he was a " ." Cook lasted until the 41st selection, when the moved up to grab him. But the Packers, well aware of needs in the backfield, didn't stand pat; they selected three running backs on Day 3, starting with 's , who is listed at 6 feet and 212 pounds and is downhill runner who has drawn comparisons to . Green Bay also selected 's in Round 6 and 's in Round 7. Put another way: The Packers will have a backs-by-committee approach in 2017, spearheaded by Ty Montgomery. The final analysisIt's a simple formula. As has been the case in the era, it starts with ... Rodgers (duh), and whether the offensive line can protect him. If that happens, the Packers are hard to beat. Things get complicated when the O-line struggles to keep him upright (the unit ranked 11th in pa s protection last season, according to ) and the defense can't get Andreas Athanasiou Women Jersey off the field (they ranked 20th overall, 22nd against the pa s last season). The front office, coaching staff and scouts are well aware of these shortcomings, which explains the addition of Evans to the offensive line and a defense-focused draft cla s that addre ses the biggest needs: the secondary, edge rusher and running back. And oh by the way, the Packers also signed tight end , who will go a long way toward simplifying Rodgers' life. If it all comes together, the Packers will not only be favorites to win the division, but the Falcons' biggest threat to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
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