The Packers secondary was the team’s achilles heal for the 2016 season. The loss of Sam Shields in week one and injuries to practically every other corner were just a few reasons the Packers ranked 31st in passing defense. Fixing these problems starts at cornerback and likely through the draft.
When the Packers released Sam Shields it created a void for a veteran presence. Now, the current group of corners are in desperate need of a leader. Damarious Randall, Quinten Rollins, and LaDarious Gunter are entering their third seasons. Inexperience in Dom Capers 3-4 scheme caused the Packers top three corners to experience a lot of growing pains. Grasping hand signals and zone coverage adjustments plagued this group the entire year.
Many people think adding a veteran free agent would relieve these issues, but that is easier said when Ted Thompson is not your GM.
Free agency means nothing to a guy who lives and dies by the draft and develop method. Well all know the Packers will draft at least one corner in the 2017 draft. Here are some potential targets for each round.
Round 1 29th Overall:
Sidney Jones, CB, Washington
6’1″ 170 pounds
The Packers need a cover corner and Jones is every bit of that. He finished with nine interceptions in three seasons while earning first-team All-Pac 12 honors twice. Jones’ eyes could be the best in the draft. He batted away 14 passes his sophomore year displaying great speed and audacity to challenge any receiver. His ball skills are incredible and allowed him to force two fumbles last season. Experts have him as the second or third best corner in the draft. Jones would be a steal at 29.
Round 2 61st Overall:
Adoree’ Jackson, CB, USC
5’11” 185 pounds
Jackson won the 2016 Jim Thorpe Award for the nation’s best defensive back. He accumulated five interceptions while returning two kickoffs and two punt returns for touchdowns. Jackson was one of the most exciting players in the NCAA last season and would add much needed speed to the Packers secondary.
Round 3 93rd Overall:
Rasul Douglas, CB, West Virginia
6’2″ 200 pounds
Douglas led the nation with eight interceptions in 2016. His size and ball skills make him an ideal press coverage corner. He was a junior college product who played only one collegiate season leaving a question mark over his head. However, he may be worth a third round gamble.
Round 4 134th Overall:
Howard Wilson, CB, Houston
6’1″ 185 pounds
Wilson is entering the draft as a sophomore, but shows a lot of promise. He missed all of 2015 because of a knee injury yet he bounced back with five interceptions last season. Wilson has great burst to the ball and can hang with any vertical receiver he faces. His limited experience will keep him out of the early rounds, but adding strength could help him pan out into a great pro.
Round 5 174th or 184th Overall:
Corn Elder, CB, Miami
5’10” 180 pounds
Elder is a rare four year player out of Miami. He was a leader on defense given his competitiveness and feel for the game. He may of only had three career interceptions, but he was a productive tackler. Elder plays bigger than his size tells and makes unexpected plays. He had 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2016. His lack of size will keep him from playing outside in the NFL and his durability is also a concern. His potential as a return man and slot corner could have teams eyeing him in the later rounds.
Round 6 214th Overall
Brendan Langley, CB, Lamar
6’0″ 200 pounds
Langley started his career at Georgia but transferred to Lamar after being moved to receiver. He intercepted six passes last year and returned two punts for touchdowns. He is still very raw, but works harder than everyone else. Langley’s willingness to become an elite corner is something Capers would love to cultivate.
Round 7 247th Overall:
Des Lawrence, CB, North Carolina
6’0″ 190 pounds
Lawrence improved his coverage skills every season for the Tar Heels. As a Sophomore he had 71 tackles and three pass breakups. Over the next two years he broke up 24 passes. He lacks the speed to play consistent man coverage, but he is a great plug in for a zone system in the NFL.
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Brandon Carwile was a Cheesehead at birth. His dad grew up attending games at Lambeau and passed on the legacy. He has covered the Packers for over five years and currently works with packerstalk.com. Find him on twitter at @PackerScribe.
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12 responses to “All Corner Mock Draft”
Packers may have to RUN Ted Thompson and DUMB Capers OUT of Green Bay before this team competes in another Super Bowl. Capers lack of defense has never been more clear than it was this season–for every year his defense slightly improves–it FALLS the following season as it did in ’16. Capers has NOT put a top ten defense on field since the ’10 SB champs, despite Thompson providing more than 70 NEW players over past SIX seasons! Either Capers CAN’T COACH defense he schemes or Thompson CAN’T get the talent to FIX this team because he WON’T spend the money to do so. They are WASTING the prime years of NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers and when Rodgers is gone–a LOT of Packers fans are gonna CRY Lambeau tears for a LONG time until the next great QB arrives in Green Bay. The twenty five years between Starr and Favre was a LONG, miserable time for those Packers fans who’ve lived through it. Thompson needs FA and picks to FIX this defense, ’cause DUMB Capers hasn’t shown ANY improvement for SIX consecutive years now.
Well said and every word so true…Packers hierarchy knows what the problem area is on the team but seems to care more about keeping money in their back pocket and turning Lambeau Field into a theme park than doing everything possible to win the Super Bowl next year
And they won’t win next year, odds are. Rodgers gave them the theme park and they’ll reward him (again) with one of the worst defenses in the NFL.
It’s a combination of Capers and Thompson. Do you know how much these guys are compensated yearly? I’d think they’d rather go to Hell than give up their comfortable gigs even if they fail year in and year out.
You got it Peter. WHY Thompson, McCarthy can sit idly KNOWING that Capers defense has COST them playoff losses for SIX consecutive years and they’re NOT ready to change? I’m CONVINCED that’s why LB Coach Kevin Greene resigned and left. I think he expected an opportunity for DC after Capers lack of any improvement since ’10, when he realized they would rather stick with FAILURE instead, he saw handwriting on the wall that they would NOT give him an opportunity. Capers has reached the peak, his schemes won’t fool anybody anymore. Keep doing the SAME thing over and over, expecting a different result is classic definition of INSANITY! IF they make playoffs and Capers defense blows it again–Packers should NOT hesitate to FIRE McCarthy, Capers AND Thompson, if it’s up to Mark Murphy or maybe HIS job should be on the line.
So sad.
The Packers number one priority is to fix the secondary. We’re also going to need an EDGE rusher and running back. I personally like T.J. Watt first round Fabian Moreau second round and D’onta Foreman in the third round.There will still be corners in the fourth or move up and pick another in the third. This class also has TE talent.Another TE couldn’t hurt.
Not quite sure if Adoree will still be available so late in the second round. I’d also be more confortable with taller guys, I’d go with Takkarist in 1st round and Gareon Conley in second round
I don’t think so either, but I would trade up for him if he falls. As if Ted is even considering that…
Creative idea for an article – I like it!
I can’t disagree more, the better option would be to get rid of Capers’ complex and sometimes unintelligible defensive schemes. schemes. The reason I say so is the fact that Damarius and Rollings were draftees 1 and 2. So where did thi get us? Number 31 in pass protection. The failure with draft and develop is that you may draft untilyou’re blue in the face but you may never develop. Unless, of course, you’re willing to say Randall has developed. Then, I think the argument goes out the window.
You can’t put all the blame on Thompson and Capers. Blame the NFL for letting the teams finishing with the worst records always getting to draft first.
Take last year: Do you think the Packers would like to have drafted Joey Bosa who went number 3 as opposed to getting Kenny Clark in the 23td slot?
Consider that the Packers have been primarily stuck in the bottom 1/4 of the draft for the last decade or more while all the Ezekiel Elliott’s and Armari Cooper’s go off the boards and they get the left overs. After a while, it weakens the team by having fewer difference makers take the field on Sunday, just as it’s designed to do.