Packers 2017 NFL Draft – 10 Last-Minute Whispers, Predictions and Opinions

One again, we resume our annual tradition of draft day pontification on what may happen or should happen for the Packers in this year's draft.  I wrote in last year's "whispers" column that my "Packers Whisperer" might be riding off into the sunset. Well that didn't happen, but at the same time the Whisperer's involvement was not as full-on as usual. So while I still have some whispers for you, I fear they may not have carry the conviction of years past. I guess we'll find out.

Of course all is dependent on who is available when, but over the last five years the Whisperer correctly identified these players as being of great interest to the Packers: Derrick Sherrod, Randall Cobb, Casey Hayward, Terrell Manning, BJ Coleman, Johnathan Franklin. Brett Hundley, Jason Spriggs, Blake Martinez and probably some others I don't remember.

So when he whispers, I listen.

Here's my list:

1) Whisper: Not sure what to make of this, but the player the Packers did the most research on this draft season: Christian McCaffrey.

2) Prediction: Based on probable positions of value at the time, my predictions for the first four picks are EDGE, CB, OT/OG, RB/WR

3) Opinion: The biggest need on this team is generating some type of pass rush. Make quarterbacks uncomfortable and you will see  Randall and Rollins play better than they showed last year

4) Whisper: Surprisingly (to me, anyway), Joe Mixon is not off the Packers' board and if he slips to their 2nd round pick, he will be a serious consideration.

5) Prediction: Look for a player from a University in the state of Utah to be drafted by the Packers. They have reportedly spent a lot of time on those campuses.

6) Opinion: Under no circumstances should the Packers be tempted to draft a running back with their first pick. I don't care who it is.

7) Whisper: Packers did an inordinate amount of pre-draft research on Dion Dawkins (as a guard) and Issac Asiata. Late round OT/OG types getting their attention: Andrea Knappe UCONN, Max Rich Harvard, Avery Gennesy Texas A&M.

8) Prediction: The Packers will draft a running back on Day 3. Choice of  Kareem Hunt, James Connor, Joe Williams, Jamal Williams. If Kareem Hunt were to drop into Rd 4, 

9) Opinion: Kenny Clark will turn out to be one of Ted's rare 1st round DL hits. He will still be just 21 yrs old when this season starts. 

10) Final Whisper: Packers have Kevin King higher on their board than his teammate Sidney Jones.

Bonus Prediction: While I didn't include one in my mock draft, I'm starting to get the sense the Packers will take a QB on day 3. Two names to watch are Mitch Leidner-Minnesota & Jerod Evans-Virginia Tech.

Bonus Whisper: (forgot to include this earlier). Packers' scouts spent a ton of time at Kansas State checking out Jordan Willis.

Let the Draft Begin!

 

 

 

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"Jersey Al" Bracco is the Editor-In-Chief, part owner and wearer of many hats for CheeseheadTV.com and PackersTalk.com. He is also a recovering Mason Crosby truther.  Follow Al on twitter at @JerseyalGBP

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Comments (59)

Fan-Friendly This filter will hide comments which have ratio of 5 to 1 down-vote to up-vote.
Denver's picture

April 27, 2017 at 05:20 pm

I never like to pick on a college kid, but Leidner is not worth a draft pick. I'll become a Gophers fan if he ever starts an NFL game.
Would be fine with Joe Williams as a Day 3 pick.

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Denver's picture

April 27, 2017 at 07:30 pm

And if Trubisky ever wins a playoff game for the Bears, I'll become a Bears fan.

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dobber's picture

April 27, 2017 at 07:41 pm

I think they completely outsmarted themselves. Nice job, Bears!

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fthisJack's picture

April 27, 2017 at 08:57 pm

good...they gave up a lot of picks....thanks Bears!

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PatrickGB's picture

April 27, 2017 at 05:30 pm

Draft a QB? Really? If its higher than a 6th its a waste of a pick!

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Zack Mcdonald's picture

April 27, 2017 at 05:50 pm

At first it may seem that way... but it actually makes a lot of sense. Think about it. Hundley is on the 3rd year of his rookie deal. He has been extremely impressive in the preseason and probably wants the opportunity to compete for a starting job. If the Packers pickup a viable backup option they will be able to at least shop hundley around for trades. That is a luxury that they don't have right now because if the unspeakable happens... well you can do the math. The other option is let him walk after next year and get nothing in return. I'd love to trade hundley and get a mid round pick for him. That's really the best we can hope for with him because he's going to be leaving one way or another.

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JerseyAl's picture

April 27, 2017 at 06:04 pm

exactly. Ron Wolf always had a QB in the hopper that could be trade bait.

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MarkinMadison's picture

April 27, 2017 at 05:53 pm

I'm a fan of picking Asiata. Might be a perfect fit in the fourth round.

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JerseyAl's picture

April 27, 2017 at 05:59 pm

Was also told Packers thought there were a couple of teams interested in him as early as round 2.

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cpabandit's picture

April 27, 2017 at 06:37 pm

I wouldn't mind seeing Alvin Kamara of Texas (RB) taken in the first round by the Pack. He's fast, quick and can run through tackles.

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chugwater's picture

April 27, 2017 at 06:47 pm

It's amazing how much changes in a year.

Last year many said we should take a risk on Myles Jack as ILB. He was touted as a game changing special player. We instead picked what many thought was a pedestrian D Lineman.

After year one, looks like we made the right choice.

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Samson's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:11 pm

A little premature at this time to draw any conclusions. One year, come on. Jack at least started 10 games in his rookie year. Clark played sparingly mostly due to suspensions and injuries.

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dobber's picture

April 27, 2017 at 07:23 pm

Thank you, Chicago. I think you just outsmarted yourselves.

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TKWorldWide's picture

April 27, 2017 at 07:41 pm

And SF added a lot of draft capital!

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dobber's picture

April 27, 2017 at 07:44 pm

...and got the player they were likely to take, anyway.

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TKWorldWide's picture

April 27, 2017 at 08:34 pm

Rookie GM lookin' good!

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dobber's picture

April 27, 2017 at 08:33 pm

Basically, the Bears got schooled by a former broadcaster/novice GM with little to no experience in management.

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TKWorldWide's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:12 pm

Another fine take.

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Since'61's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:29 pm

TT traded our #29 pick in round to Browns for #33 pick in round 2 and # 108 pick in round 4. Probably means that whoever the Packers wanted with their first round pick is already off the board so they drop 4 spots and pickup another 4th rounder. We now have 9 picks in this year's draft. Let's see how it works out tomorrow. Thanks, Since '61

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JerseyAl's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:32 pm

Disagree. I think it means they still have 3-4 players on their board they would be happy with. So move back a few spots, get an extra pick and still get a guy they like.

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dobber's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:46 pm

I prefer this interpretation.

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TKWorldWide's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:28 pm

Not only does the TKstinator prefer it, he also thinks it's more accurate.
He is also amused by using the third person.

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Since'61's picture

April 28, 2017 at 07:23 am

Al - I agree, I'm sure the Packers still have players on their board. My comment was based on the fact that the Packers made the trade after Jabrill Peppers and Takarist McKinley were taken. I'm speculating like the rest of us but I think the Packers were hoping one of those players would be there at #29. Once they were gone they traded down to pick up another pick in the 4th. I think it's a good move by TT. Let's not be so defensive, it's only round one. Thanks, Since '61

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JerseyAl's picture

April 28, 2017 at 07:43 am

who's being defensive? I'm just telling you your premise is wrong. McKinley is one dimensional - not what the Packers look for. And no way they had a first round grade on Peppers. Neither player fits.

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Finwiz's picture

April 28, 2017 at 11:24 am

@ Jersey Al - correct!
Whole bunch of players ALL graded the same, or very closely.

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NickPerry's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:49 pm

Well TJ Watt just went to the Steelers. To me it wasn't worth losing out on Watt for a 4th round pick. Hell it took the Steelers about 10 seconds to turn in the selection.

Still lots of good picks..

Cook, Willis, Cunningham, King, or Awuzie.

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dobber's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:56 pm

Scouts were divided on Watt. Clearly the Packers didn't see him as being clearly ahead of the other players left on the board at this spot.

Foster, Njoku and Ramczyk are the other guys who go at this point (who the Packers weren't likely to take, anyway). I'm going to wait to see how they use rounds 2-4 before I pass judgement on this trade-back, but it's not the end of the world to miss out on Watt.

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NickPerry's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:09 pm

Yup we'll see. We'll REALLY see week 12 on Sunday Night Football when the Packers play at Pittsburgh. Like you said we have to see who the Packers draft with the picks . I just really like Watt and thought he would have been a solid pick for GB. That and I hate the Steelers!

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Spock's picture

April 28, 2017 at 12:00 am

Nick Perry, as someone who does not follow college ball, I'm not as invested in a Badger prospect. I DO however like the fact that TT picked up an additional 4th round pick by dropping only 4 spots! I'm already stoked about tomorrow!

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stockholder's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:24 pm

Dobbler when have you ever seen the steelers miss on a #1 defensive pick. This is TT saying he's bigger then the fans. Keep on kissing his ass and will be picking #1 when A-rod leaves.

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dobber's picture

April 28, 2017 at 05:14 am

I don't really care what Pittsburgh does.

"This is TT saying he's bigger then the fans."

Who cares? The fans are a rabble. They know little about team management or player procurement. I don't want TT pandering to the fans. THAT is the faster path to picking #1 when ARod retires.

Who is kissing his ass? Some feel that a door was closed by this deal. I tend to be more optimistic and feel that potential opportunities have been created. You know that I like Watt and thought he was a great fit for GB...was I disappointed? Yes. All I've been saying is that I want to see what TT does with the picks before I form an opinion on the draft. Does that not seem prudent?

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Finwiz's picture

April 28, 2017 at 11:26 am

I never thought they were going to take Watt. He's very weak against the run and needs to add strength to take on a tackle in their scheme.
Not to mention his limited ability to drop in coverage.

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JerseyAl's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:49 pm

Read TT's comments tonight. To paraphrase, "our board was still strong at the end " In other words, they guys they wanted were still on their board.

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Lphill's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:42 pm

And of course Reuben Foster goes pick 31 to San Fran .

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JerseyAl's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:52 pm

Packers don't value ILBs that high. You should know this.

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NickPerry's picture

April 28, 2017 at 05:22 am

And there defense has sucked for years Al......Just saying

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JerseyAl's picture

April 28, 2017 at 11:44 am

doesn't change what the facts are. it's not a position they want to sink money or a high pick into.

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FAN24583's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:44 pm

Ok it must be totally evident now to everyone that TT is senile. He trades out of the 1st round and passes on TJ Watt. Just have some balls and go for an impact player. TT is totally incompetent. Wow!!

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dobber's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:48 pm

This is hilarious! How many people here were calling for a trade-back out of round 1 for picks? Sometimes you can't win...

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Samson's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:54 pm

Ya --- everyone was calling for TT to swing a move out of the 1st round to pick up that "valuable" 4th rounder. Perfect spot to grab another BU OLineman. -- Seriously, few wanted out of the 1st round especially with TJ still around.

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dobber's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:00 pm

Pick 108 is still going to be a pretty valuable pick. There's enough there to move up from #61 to close to #50. Let's see what they do with this pick, first.

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JerseyAl's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:12 pm

Buckle your seat belt - Ted is going to trade back again...

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WKUPackFan's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Several very good DBs still available.

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FAN24583's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:46 pm

I can't wait until this idiot retires!!!!

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Irish_Cheesehead's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:48 pm

It's going to be a fun Day 2! Nice job dropping only 4 spots and picking up another pick at the top of the 4th!

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FAN24583's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:51 pm

Maybe Teddie can trade the down in each round and we can have 15 picks in the 6th and 7th rounds. Boy that would be great!!!! What a genius!!!

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Samson's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:59 pm

TT has had wet dreams where the Pack have 16 picks in the draft -------- all in the 7th round.

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FAN24583's picture

April 27, 2017 at 10:55 pm

The point is we don't want or need players we "like" we need players that opposing QB's fear!!

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dobber's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:03 pm

How long have people been saying here that there are more holes than the Packers can patch? Pick 108 is a pretty good pick and allows the Packers to pick another player from a pretty good group, or to improve their position on existing picks. Chill, folks. Too hung up on a single player.

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hobbes's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:05 pm

This is literally the worst trade ever; I'm on the west coast so there's 0 chance I get to see the packers pick now.

In all seriousness, I think this is a pretty good deal, the packers get the 1st pick Friday and Saturday so they'll have plenty to time to decide or trade.

I get the feeling based on the whispers that the Packers are targeting king and things fell the right way to to get some more picks by trading back.

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NickPerry's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:12 pm

Now Rappaport is reporting the Packers are already getting offers for 33.

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Otto's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:10 pm

Predictions! Now they've traded out of the 1st round who are they taking?

I haven't followed this draft as closely as I have in the past, so I'm going with Bucky Brooks and picking Joe Mixon.

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dobber's picture

April 28, 2017 at 05:19 am

My prediction is that the Packers don't use pick #33.

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JerseyAl's picture

April 27, 2017 at 11:13 pm

Buckle your seat belt - Ted is going to trade back again...

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Spock's picture

April 28, 2017 at 12:08 am

Love the trade: 4 spots lower and pick up a round 4? TT has made his best picks in round four!!! Can't wait for tomorrow!

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FAN24583's picture

April 28, 2017 at 07:39 am

Wow you TT die yards will never get it!

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FAN24583's picture

April 28, 2017 at 07:41 am

Die Hards. I'm not drinking the kool aid. He's a horrible GM period!!

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JerseyAl's picture

April 28, 2017 at 07:47 am

Every GM has hits and misses, it's the overall body of work, including cap management, providing stability, etc that matters. Too bad you can''t talk to people actually in the NFL - scouts, personnel people, etc. Anyone I talk to tells me he is a top 5-10 GM in the league. But go ahead and believe what you want. I'm sure you hsve better qualifications.

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PatrickGB's picture

April 28, 2017 at 09:37 am

I liked this decision to trade back. I think that King might just be the pick. Its a deep draft at many positions. Better to have a couple more swings at the plate. I preferred a CB with first pick but figured an edge rusher would be the choice by the team. I want us to do everything the team can to find an effective defense esp. the db's.

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