Inbox: First-round picks who perform just expect it

Cheesehead

Well-known member
Mar 19, 2019
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Justin from Oliver Springs, TN


Do you, like I, think there is more value trading up in the second round of the draft this year? With all the need at QB, it seems like every mock I see still has studs left at 29 and beyond.


If Gutekunst doesn't trade up in the first round (or trades back), to me the odds rise considerably, if not exponentially, for a trade up in the second round.


Shannon from Ovilla, TX


Mike from Somerset mentioned Sheldon Richardson. Do GMs ever look at a draft like this year and say DT is weak and I can sign a veteran, like Richardson, for a year or two and revisit the position when the draft is deeper?


Some might, but the price of the free agent is a factor, and most will still wait and see how the draft falls first.


Brian from Trego, WI


All of the young men who are being considered for the draft are extremely talented and have been committed to their craft and development. How much emphasis do teams place on assessment of a prospect's passion for the game knowing that could be the difference between a good player and a great player, or maybe even a player who losses their will to play at the next level, aka Chris Borland?


Borland was a very unusual case no one saw coming, because he was as passionate about the game as anyone when he entered the league. All teams try to gauge how much a player loves the game, because in the NFL it's your full-time job, and yeah the money is nice, but the physical, mental and time demands go way beyond the college level. It's not for everyone, and the attrition rate among high draft picks proves it.


Roger from McGrath, AK


Mike, you asked BG a question regarding college players who opted out. There's a lot to digest there. Do you have comments on his answer?


I thought it was interesting his answer didn't mention the on-field/film evaluation of the player really being an issue, but the motivation behind the opt-out decision is what they really want to know. I think that speaks to the commitment element noted above.


Robbie from Guelph, Ontario


We have had very few coaches on our staff poached by other teams over the last few years despite our success. Other contenders haven't been so fortunate. It has to be a contributing factor to the stability of our win-loss record. Do you have any ideas why Packer coaches aren't as hot a commodity?


Shhhhh. No, seriously, I think it's partly because the staff isn't loaded with coaches who have experience as coordinators in the NFL. But I also think it's only a matter of time before the interest ramps up.


Ray from Phoenix, AZ


The draft is such a crapshoot. In my opinion, if you have your franchise QB, then the next obvious for me is a BIG GUY. There are so few of those that if you land one, if healthy, he could be a 10-12 year guy. For my money, if we can get Teven Jenkins, a true tackle, that is the pick. Then you do not have to move Elgton Jenkins. Your thoughts please?


Wes and I are both high on Teven Jenkins, as we've discussed on "Unscripted." He makes a ton of sense, and he strikes me as a player who'd be very difficult to pass on if he's there at 29. What's harder to gauge is whether he's worth trading up for if he's there in the low to mid-20s. Only Gutekunst knows how the Packers really feel about him.


Al from Green Bay, WI


A non-draft question, if I dare: As I look over the past 50 years, it's very easy to create a Mount Rushmore of Packers QBs. Starr, Favre, Aaron Rodgers, Dickey. Easy. But it you had to create the top four from the rest of the NFC North, who would make the cut? Fran Tarkenton and Matthew Stafford? Probably. Jim McMahon? Greg Landry? Maybe? The pickings are surprisingly thin. What have you got?


If the timeframe is since the creation of the Central/North division in 1967, then it is difficult because that rules out Sid Luckman and Bobby Layne. There's Tarkenton for sure. McMahon would be the only Super Bowl winner for another Central/North team, so I think you'd have to include him for that reason alone. Stafford would be a worthy choice. But then it gets tricky and it feels like throwing darts at a board. Tommy Kramer? Daunte Culpepper? Doug Williams from his Tampa Bay days? I don't know.
 
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