2017 NFL Draft: Green Bay Packers Review

>It is often one’s dream to play for his hometown team, especially for Wisconsin’s Vince Biegel. He often fantasized about playing for his beloved Green Bay Packers. Within a few minutes of the start of Day 3 of the 2017 NFL Draft, Biegel didn’t have to be consumed by make-believe scenarios. The Packers selected him with the first pick of the fourth round.

 Just the second player from the Wisconsin Badgers to be taken by Green Bay on general manager Ted Thompson’s watch since 2005, an overjoyed Vince Biegel couldn’t wait to make a familiar two-hour drive from his family’s home in Wisconsin Rapids to Lambeau Field.

How the Green Bay Packers drafted:

General manager Ted Thompson gambled right by making a rare trade out of the first round. He obtained the guy he wanted four picks later to start the second round and fill the team’s biggest need. As the tallest prospect among this year’s bumper crop of talented cornerbacks in the draft, King gives last season’s 31st-ranked pass defense a fighting chance to match up with the NFL’s bigger receivers. Not only that, King is impressively quick with 40-yard speed in the 4.4 range.

The Packers are set with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Morgan Burnett at safety. The impactful Jones gives the defense a ready-made contributor who fills the hybrid void left by the free-agent departure of Micah Hyde. Defensive coordinator Dom Capers can move the fleet-footed, sturdy Jones all over, exploiting his ball-tracking skills in the open field and his willingness to hit and wrap up in the box.

The new daddy gives Green Bay’s defensive line more than just a big body. He has rare agility and quickness for a tackle with sub-4.9 speed in the 40 and proved to be disruptive in the backfield in a huge senior season that earned him second-team All-America status. Getting a consistent effort out of Adams will be vital, however.

Overshadowed by fellow Badgers outside linebacker T.J. Watt (first-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers) coming into the draft, Vince Biegel has the potential to be more than a nice consolation prize for his home-state Packers. He won’t unseat starting incumbents Clay Matthews and Nick Perry, but his high motor and athleticism will be hard to keep off the field as a situational contributor on defense and also on special teams.

The Green Bay Packers finally addressed their most pressing pre-draft need on offense by taking BYU’s all-time rushing leader to throw in the backfield mix with converted receiver Ty Montgomery and Christine Michael. The shifty and explosive Williams ran for more than 3,900 yards and averaged 5.4 yards per carry in four seasons with the Cougars, but knee and ankle injuries kept him from producing more.

Aaron Rodgers has another big-play pass catcher at his disposal. Yancey stretched the field for the Boilermakers last season. He finished with 49 catches for 951 yards and 10 touchdowns, with four scoring plays of at least 60 yards. Yancey, however, was prone to drops in his college career.

Jones ranked among the top five rushers in the FBS last season with a school-record 1,773 yards on the ground. He brings an added dimension as a capable pass catcher and could be solid in third down situations.

The Green Bay Packers offensive line needs work this offseason. The recent signing of six-time Pro Bowl right guard Jahri Evans will help. Amichia, a two-year starter at left tackle, projects to play guard at the next level.

The third running back in the team’s draft class brings plenty of punch. He had an appealing 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, showing quickness for a big man. However, Mays was limited to just five games and 37 carries last season because of knee and ankle injuries.

Dupre is a developmental prospect and joins a crowded position. He had flashes of production for the Tigers during his time. He led LSU the last two seasons with a total of 84 receptions for nearly 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns.