2009 Draft: Green Bay Packers Needs

The Green Bay Packers have a pretty solid core of talented players, there is no denying that. However with their decision to switch to the 3-4 base defense this year under new coordinator Dom Capers they now have a handful of major holes along the defensive front.

They have a number of very good players in place. Nick Barnett and A.J. Hawk will work very well together in the middle linebacker slots. They have Aaron Kampman and Brady Poppinga slotted as the outside linebackers, I think they need an upgrade over one or both of those players. They were both good in the 4-3, but a different athlete is needed to play the outside in the 3-4. Along the front Cullen Jenkins looks like he should make the transition nicely at defensive end and Ryan Picket has the size to hold up inside. They don't really know who is going to play the other defensive end slot, and they really don't have all that much to back any of them up. As far as the secondary, they have a solid group of corners and safeties. Charles Woodson and Al Harris on the outside is a good combo, but both are getting old, however Tramon Williams looked good starting half of the year in relief of Harris. The lack of depth at safety showed as injuries wore on the defense last year.

Overall the offense is pretty well set. They have drafted a few solid wide receivers years in a row and have built a very good group of pass-catchers. Jennings has emerged as a star, and Driver still has a couple very solid years ahead of him. They re-structured and extended Ryan Grants contract last off-season following a break out year. He underperformed this year, but I think missing all of the camps last off-season due to contract dispute and injuries early in the year really slowed him and I look for him to improve this year. Brandon Jackson has shown flashes and deserves his chance. Aaron Rodgers showed a lot of strengths and a large upside this past year, after dealing with the unfortunate Brett Favre divorce he emerged as one of the top young quarterbacks in the game.The interior offensive line has been focused on recently in the draft. They have a handful of quality young starters in the offensive guard and center positions. There is a huge hole in the offensive tackle position. Chad Clifton and Mark Tauscher have been stars for years, but both are well past their prime. Clifton is getting old and slow and Tauscher is coming off of a serious knee injury. Clifton is also in a contract year, and neither of them have a replacement ready. There literally is no one on the roster behind them, when either went down Darryn Colledge the starting offensive guard was forced to move outside if necessary.

Now on to the needs in this draft and who might potentially be available. The top three needs are the DE/OLB hybrid to fit into the 3-4, an offensive tackle, and defensive line. There are handful of elite athletes in those positions that will likely be available at the 9th pick overall. I would be happy if they filled any of those holes, and stay tuned as I will go deeper into what I believe they should do with their pick.