The Point of the Draft Picks

[Deleted member 6794]

Fans and the media can speculate stuff like this all they want to try and declare it a bad draft pick, but none of us can be sure we know what the actual plan is.

The writing is on the wall after the Packers drafted a quarterback in the first round and spend their day two picks on a running back and fullback though.

Sounds like in this draft, the board didn't fall in a way that allowed them to draft a WR that they valued at a particular pick.

In my opinion Gutekunst telling the media there was no value available at wide receiver at any of their picks is utter nonsense, especially considering this year's draft class was one of the deepest in history.

It seems either he's confident the current group has enough talent or MLF plans on focusing to run the ball. I don't agree with either idea.

I know no one really wanted a QB before the draft but Love seems to have grown on many. The mass has a way of influencing others. The more you read and hear the better an idea becomes. It happens to the best of us. I had no thought about an heir apparent for Rodgers but now I think its a smart idea ( obviously not love.) Now I’m wondering how many of you would trade Love for a Queen, Josh Jones, Mims, or pitman right now? I’m not saying to go back to the draft because losing that fourth would be a deal breaker. I’m just saying a strait up trade for one of those players. I really don’t think many on this board would.

I still don't like the selection of Love. That won't change until he proves me wrong with his performance on the field.

Then either LaFleur is one of the best coaches in the league, or the FO is better than you think. They can't both suck!

The Packers won a lot of games because of their defense. There's no doubt the offense lacked talent at several positions.

So then LaFleur is one of the best coaches in the league? Great to hear! The offense lacked talent, yet was in the top half of the league in scoring. Impressive!

The Packers finishing 15th in points scored while starting a future HOF quarterback for all 16 games isn't impressive at all.

Last year, the packers were lacking in WR talent beyond Adams and in TE talent generally.

But they did have a great WR1, RB1, and offensive line.

So to say that they lacked talent is incorrect. They were working with more than some and less than others.

There's no doubt the Packers didn't have enough legit pass catchers last season though. They were one of only two teams in the league that didn't have at least two players with 500 receiving yards on their roster.

 

[Mondio]

I think the plan for the offense is pretty obvious, and kind of expected considering who and why we hired a certain head coach. I don't think the plan at QB is what we really know. Some seem to think it signals the end for Rodgers sooner than later, I still don't think it will be sooner unless something catastrophic happens.

and Gute didn't say there was no value at WR, he said outside of the top guys they missed out on, which I happen to agree with, he didn't really think the talent level brought any more to the team than what they already had in terms of developing someone. By the end of Round 2 I'm starting to agree with him.

 

[Dantés]

There's no doubt the Packers didn't have enough legit pass catchers last season though. They were one of only two teams in the league that didn't have at least two players with 500 receiving yards on their roster.

That is basically what I said.

 

[Dantés]

In my opinion Gutekunst telling the media there was no value available at wide receiver at any of their picks is utter nonsense, especially considering this year's draft class was one of the deepest in history.

It seems either he's confident the current group has enough talent or MLF plans on focusing to run the ball. I don't agree with either idea.

He didn't say there was no talent. He said that the guys they were targeting as immediate help at the position were gone.

If you look at the 6 receivers taken before their 1st round pick, and the run before their pick at #62, that's eminently believable... not "utter nonsense."

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

In my opinion Gutekunst telling the media there was no value available at wide receiver at any of their picks is utter nonsense, especially considering this year's draft class was one of the deepest in history.

As deep in talented WR's as this draft was reported to have, I imagine there were some that were not on Gute's draft board for various reasons. I also imagine that he had those on his list tagged with where he would consider drafting them. Not sure why it isn't plausible that some of the 6 WR's taken before the Packers were getting ready to pick at #30 were a part of that list and the 7 that were taken in the 2nd round, before the Packers selected at #62 weren't rated high enough to take at 30 and the remaining ones weren't valued at #62.

After the Packers selected at #94, there wasn't another WR drafted until pick #128. So I doubt there was anyone that Gute valued enough to take with the 3rd round pick either.

Sucks they didn't find a top WR in this draft and whether that was unintended or not, I understand how it may have played out and didn't go the way that was ideal for the Packers to grab a WR in any of the first 3 rounds.

 

[Patriotplayer90]

As deep in talented WR's as this draft was reported to have, I imagine there were some that were not on Gute's draft board for various reasons. I also imagine that he had those on his list tagged with where he would consider drafting them. Not sure why it isn't plausible that some of the 6 WR's taken before the Packers were getting ready to pick at #30 were a part of that list and the 7 that were taken in the 2nd round, before the Packers selected at #62 weren't rated high enough to take at 30 and the remaining ones weren't valued at #62.

After the Packers selected at #94, there wasn't another WR drafted until pick #128. So I doubt there was anyone that Gute valued enough to take with the 3rd round pick either.

Sucks they didn't find a top WR in this draft and whether that was unintended or not, I understand how it may have played out and didn't go the way that was ideal for the Packers to grab a WR in any of the first 3 rounds.

At the end of the day, if some or most of the WRs selected have great rookie seasons or flash potential while ours are mediocre again, or if Patrick Queen or someone like Logan Wilson do the same while our ILBs are boat anchors again, it will be a good indicator that the GM and scouts' system for grading prospects is bad.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

At the end of the day, if some or most of the WRs selected have great rookie seasons or flash potential while ours are mediocre again, or if Patrick Queen or someone like Logan Wilson do the same while our ILBs are boat anchors again, it will be a good indicator that the GM and scouts' system for grading prospects is bad.

I wouldn't necessarily conclude that. First, how did the guys we take fare? How would all of those guys that you are talking done in Green Bay, do you think the same, better or worse? I am sure Jordan Love is part of your analysis, are you going to wait and see how he turns out or just declare him a failed draft pick after one year because he didn't play?

Nothing wrong with "grading" the 2020 draft class now it makes for good conversation. However, you should be ready to revisit that grade at the end of each season.

Tell me, which grade is ultimately more important for you, the one you give it now or the one you give it after 4 years? How did you grade the Packers 2005 draft class initially?

 

[easyk83]

At the end of the day, if some or most of the WRs selected have great rookie seasons or flash potential while ours are mediocre again, or if Patrick Queen or someone like Logan Wilson do the same while our ILBs are boat anchors again, it will be a good indicator that the GM and scouts' system for grading prospects is bad.

I haven't been thrilled with Gute's drafting, but then again i dont think anyone expected a hall of fame quarterback with our first pick in 05 or that our 3rd pick Nick Collins would play at an HoF level(3 All pro selections in three consecutive seasons says youre on your way) before having his career cut short to injury, AT ANY POINT UP UNTIL we won a Super Bowl 6 seasons later.

With respect to LBs you can find physical 1st and second down thumpers pretty much anywhere while true 3 down types are harder to find. Thing is that if Savage takes another step or two forward we might not notice that our LBs cant cover, not when you have a legit center fielder and can just stick Amos up in the box on every snap. We certainly didn't notice that Hawk and Bishop weren't good in coverage during the 2010 campaign with Collins playing single high.

 

[easyk83]

As for WRs, once Aiyuk was gone I don't believe that there was anyone worth drafting at the position at 30 save for Huggins and he has an injury red flag. By the time we were picking at 60 I dont think that there was anyone around at the position worth picking up. Think about this, Lazard didn't emerge until the tail end of the season. But if you look at his production it was pretty solid. He came out of a small school, signed with a bad team and arguably didn't get much of a chance until his second year in the league. But he's an intriguing player with Rodgers skill set, he's not a burner but he's big strong plays like a big TE and he goes up strong for the ball. Rodgers tends to like receivers with a big catch radius which not only sets up good back should tosses but double moves as well. It's true that he had less than 500 yards but what would he have accomplished with 16 games starting?

 

[Heyjoe4]

The writing is on the wall after the Packers drafted a quarterback in the first round and spend their day two picks on a running back and fullback though.



In my opinion Gutekunst telling the media there was no value available at wide receiver at any of their picks is utter nonsense, especially considering this year's draft class was one of the deepest in history.

It seems either he's confident the current group has enough talent or MLF plans on focusing to run the ball. I don't agree with either idea.



I still don't like the selection of Love. That won't change until he proves me wrong with his performance on the field.



The Packers won a lot of games because of their defense. There's no doubt the offense lacked talent at several positions.



The Packers finishing 15th in points scored while starting a future HOF quarterback for all 16 games isn't impressive at all.


There's no doubt the Packers didn't have enough legit pass catchers last season though. They were one of only two teams in the league that didn't have at least two players with 500 receiving yards on their roster.

To your last point, that’s still pretty ugly for a team that emphasizes the run. IMO, we’ll need two WR’s above 1,000 yards this year. Adams will fill one of those roles, barring injury. My question is who is the other guy? Even a running team has to have an air attack.

 

[Heyjoe4]

I think the plan for the offense is pretty obvious, and kind of expected considering who and why we hired a certain head coach. I don't think the plan at QB is what we really know. Some seem to think it signals the end for Rodgers sooner than later, I still don't think it will be sooner unless something catastrophic happens.

and Gute didn't say there was no value at WR, he said outside of the top guys they missed out on, which I happen to agree with, he didn't really think the talent level brought any more to the team than what they already had in terms of developing someone. By the end of Round 2 I'm starting to agree with him.

I think you’re right. Even running teams need an air attack. Who will be their #2 WR with 1,000 yards? I don’t know. Best guess is Lazard.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

and Gute didn't say there was no value at WR, he said outside of the top guys they missed out on, which I happen to agree with, he didn't really think the talent level brought any more to the team than what they already had in terms of developing someone. By the end of Round 2 I'm starting to agree with him.

I don't believe for a second that there wasn't a wide receiver available who would have been an upgrade over MVS, EQ, Kumerow and all the others currently on the roster behind Adams, Funchess and possibly Lazard.

That is basically what I said.

You didn't agree that the Packers offense lacked talent compared to other teams though.

He didn't say there was no talent. He said that the guys they were targeting as immediate help at the position were gone.

If you look at the 6 receivers taken before their 1st round pick, and the run before their pick at #62, that's eminently believable... not "utter nonsense."

Taking a look at the current depth chart at wide receiver there's no way Gutekunst makes me buy into the theory that there wasn't a single one available at any point in this year's draft offering an upgrade at the position.

Not sure why it isn't plausible that some of the 6 WR's taken before the Packers were getting ready to pick at #30 were a part of that list and the 7 that were taken in the 2nd round, before the Packers selected at #62 weren't rated high enough to take at 30 and the remaining ones weren't valued at #62.

Even if that's true it would have been smarter to reach for a wide receiver at #30 than to trade up for a quarterback.

As for WRs, once Aiyuk was gone I don't believe that there was anyone worth drafting at the position at 30 save for Huggins and he has an injury red flag. By the time we were picking at 60 I dont think that there was anyone around at the position worth picking up.

It's mind-boggling that fans who were raving about the talent level of the draft class at wide receiver before this year's draft now are adamant about there not being a single one available at the end of the second round who would have been able to upgrade the Packers unit.

IMO, we’ll need two WR’s above 1,000 yards this year.

I don't think the Packers need to have two 1,000 yards receivers this season but need better production out of the group as a whole.

 

[GleefulGary]

You know what else is mind boggling?

How somebody who has admitted he doesn't watch the draft prospects somehow knows so much about all the players now.

 

[Dantés]

You didn't agree that the Packers offense lacked talent compared to other teams though.

Taking a look at the current depth chart at wide receiver there's no way Gutekunst makes me buy into the theory that there wasn't a single one available at any point in this year's draft offering an upgrade at the position.

I said less than some and more than others. Deficient at TE and the WR's beyond Adams were not inspiring. But Adams, Jones, and the offensive line were all plus pieces within the offense. If you're trying to say that the Packers were one of the least talented offenses in the NFC, then I would challenge you to back that up, because it's asinine.

Looking back at the draft, I totally believe it. Given what the offense needed/needs at WR-- a YAC threat-- it makes sense. Reagor was gone at #21, the 49ers traded up for Aiyuk. 7 more receivers went before #62. After Mims at #59, there was a 20 pick stretch where no one took a WR. After Duvernay went at pick #92, no one took a WR until pick #128, more than a full round.

You say that it would have been better to reach for a WR rather than take Love, but you and everyone else will change your tune if Love hits.

 

[easyk83]

It's mind-boggling that fans who were raving about the talent level of the draft class at wide receiver before this year's draft now are adamant about there not being a single one available at the end of the second round who would have been able to upgrade the Packers unit.

Wimm this was heralded as a deep draft, and just as a number of receivers were taken in the middle of the first round a number of receivers were taken in the second round. Yes its possible that the FO determined that the talent at our positions of our first and second round picks was not sufficient to justify the taking one of the available receivers.

 

[GleefulGary]

Wimm this was heralded as a deep draft, and just as a number of receivers were taken in the middle of the first round a number of receivers were taken in the second round. Yes its possible that the FO determined that the talent at our positions of our first and second round picks was not sufficient to justify the taking one of the available receivers.

Just remember that a couple years ago the all knowing media thought EQSB was a 2nd round talent, and we got him in the 6th!

So clearly there's talent on the roster.




/I'm just copying cap's argument.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

It's mind-boggling that fans who were raving about the talent level of the draft class at wide receiver before this year's draft now are adamant about there not being a single one available at the end of the second round who would have been able to upgrade the Packers unit.

I am guessing that some of those fans will monitor the 31 WR's that were taken after the Packers selected Love, pick out the ones who have the best season and come back here and post that Gute was an idiot for not selecting them instead of Love. Will that one player be the missing link to a Super Bowl? I doubt it. Who has the potential to make the biggest impact from this draft class? I would have to say Love. Had they instead taken one of the WR's that other teams took in Round 2, many of us probably would have cheered. However, that doesn't guarantee anything as to how that WR will perform, nor does it do anything to answer the question of "Who replaces Rodgers eventually?"

As someone who didn't have as much confidence as some seemed to have in a rookie WR making an immediate impact, I was at least hopeful that Gute would still be able to land one for the future. However, given the position he was at on the board (end of each round) and the way the draft played out, without a trade, he would have had to go Round 1 or Round 2 to probably grab such a prospect. With that in mind, people here talk a lot about BPA, why is it so hard to understand that in both of those rounds, the Packers saw better options than a WR on their board?

 

[Heyjoe4]

I don't believe for a second that there wasn't a wide receiver available who would have been an upgrade over MVS, EQ, Kumerow and all the others currently on the roster behind Adams, Funchess and possibly Lazard.



You didn't agree that the Packers offense lacked talent compared to other teams though.



Taking a look at the current depth chart at wide receiver there's no way Gutekunst makes me buy into the theory that there wasn't a single one available at any point in this year's draft offering an upgrade at the position.



Even if that's true it would have been smarter to reach for a wide receiver at #30 than to trade up for a quarterback.



It's mind-boggling that fans who were raving about the talent level of the draft class at wide receiver before this year's draft now are adamant about there not being a single one available at the end of the second round who would have been able to upgrade the Packers unit.



I don't think the Packers need to have two 1,000 yards receivers this season but need better production out of the group as a whole.

Sure I’ll take that. As long as WR production is significantly up - yards and TDs - I’ll be happy.

 

[Pugger]

As for WRs, once Aiyuk was gone I don't believe that there was anyone worth drafting at the position at 30 save for Huggins and he has an injury red flag. By the time we were picking at 60 I dont think that there was anyone around at the position worth picking up. Think about this, Lazard didn't emerge until the tail end of the season. But if you look at his production it was pretty solid. He came out of a small school, signed with a bad team and arguably didn't get much of a chance until his second year in the league. But he's an intriguing player with Rodgers skill set, he's not a burner but he's big strong plays like a big TE and he goes up strong for the ball. Rodgers tends to like receivers with a big catch radius which not only sets up good back should tosses but double moves as well. It's true that he had less than 500 yards but what would he have accomplished with 16 games starting?

Yes, there were good WRs in this draft but we got skunked in this draft because of our positioning. Every time our pick came up there wasn't a WR worth taking after the first without major reaching.

 

[tynimiller]

Yes, there were good WRs in this draft but we got skunked in this draft because of our positioning. Every time our pick came up there wasn't a WR worth taking after the first without major reaching.

I 100% get the thought, I only disagree with us at #64 I still had one of my top picks of Bryan Edwards out there. You are 100% correct though otherwise in my opinion the board just wasn't there for a guy that had a surefire chance at WR2 for us, we didn't need another WR3/WR4/WR5 type guy on our roster....we have plenty of those.

 

[Heyjoe4]

Yes, there were good WRs in this draft but we got skunked in this draft because of our positioning. Every time our pick came up there wasn't a WR worth taking after the first without major reaching.

Yeah there didn’t seem to be a plan B if the preferred pick disappeared.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

I 100% get the thought, I only disagree with us at #64 I still had one of my top picks of Bryan Edwards out there. You are 100% correct though otherwise in my opinion the board just wasn't there for a guy that had a surefire chance at WR2 for us, we didn't need another WR3/WR4/WR5 type guy on our roster....we have plenty of those.

I think this statement best encapsulates why so many fans each year don't like what their team does.....it didn't jive with what they thought the team should do.

Not picking on @tynimiller...since we all are guilty of it at various levels.

While I love playing the "Draft Game", I will never fool myself into thinking I know more than the Packer Scouts, coaches or GM.

 

[tynimiller]

I think this statement best encapsulates why so many fans each year don't like what their team does.....it didn't jive with what they thought the team should do.

Not picking on @tynimiller...since we all are guilty of it at various levels.

While I love playing the "Draft Game", I will never fool myself into thinking I know more than the Packer Scouts, coaches or GM.

I agree with you 100% and I also believe that IF Gute & Co. was as high on Edwards as I was he would have picked him. I watched a lot of his tape, but I guarantee you they watched more..noticed more and knew more. Now I had Edwards circled as a mid-3rd rounder so perhaps they did like him, but clearly had Dillon weight strongly enough over him to not "reach" (hate that term to a degree).

Now if at #64 you had Edwards/Van Jefferson/Claypool and say Hamler all setting there and we didn't pick one I'd have maybe argued issue more over it - because I just would have found it tougher to believe none were rated high enough on their board to take....but you cannot expect a team to like the players you do, and I trust that they just weren't as high on Edwards or at least not enough to say let's pick him this far ahead of where our board shows him.

 

[GleefulGary]

I agree with you 100% and I also believe that IF Gute & Co. was as high on Edwards as I was he would have picked him. I watched a lot of his tape, but I guarantee you they watched more..noticed more and knew more. Now I had Edwards circled as a mid-3rd rounder so perhaps they did like him, but clearly had Dillon weight strongly enough over him to not "reach" (hate that term to a degree).

Now if at #64 you had Edwards/Van Jefferson/Claypool and say Hamler all setting there and we didn't pick one I'd have maybe argued issue more over it - because I just would have found it tougher to believe none were rated high enough on their board to take....but you cannot expect a team to like the players you do, and I trust that they just weren't as high on Edwards or at least not enough to say let's pick him this far ahead of where our board shows him.

With Edwards, the one thing I can think of is that he was injured an awful lot. I was really hoping we could have gotten Bowden and Edwards, but the stinkin Raiders...

 

[tynimiller]

With Edwards, the one thing I can think of is that he was injured an awful lot. I was really hoping we could have gotten Bowden and Edwards, but the stinkin Raiders...

Yeah, honestly I was shocked to see Bowden go as early as he did...a gimmicky guy with a ton of things he can do but arguably nothing he is amazing at...a fun piece to have.

Also, yup! I 100% get the injury issue with Edwards.