Prior to this month's draft, 1SBD's Mark Hogan takes an in-depth look into each team's current projected starters and identifies strengths and lingering team needs after the first waves of free agency.
Player stats collected from Pro Football Reference. Salary information per Over The Cap.
TAKEAWAYS
PROS
- The addition of linebackers Preston Smith and Za'Darius Smith fills some open spots in Green Bay's front seven -- with the team likely to add more depth in the draft. Green Bay ranked 18th in total defense last year but showed improvements on 2016 and 2017. The team should get stronger in year of defensive coordinator Mike Pettine's 3-4 scheme .
- Adding safety Adrian Amos in free agency reduces the team's need to pick a defensive back early in the draft. Former second round selection Josh Jones provides depth behind the aging Tramon Williams, while cornerback looks set after the team addressed it in rounds 1 and 2 last year. Jaire Alexander had an All-Rookie campaign and should continue to develop with Josh Jackson after a full year in the NFL behind them.
CONS
- Former head coach Mike McCarthy was identified as the cause of Green Bay's offensive problems and fired mid-2018. That puts a lot of pressure on first year head coach Matt LaFleur to help get the offense back on-track. LaFleur's first task will be getting the ball out of quarterback Aaron Rodgers' hand quicker - the team gave up 3.3 sacks per game last year, second highest in the league - and that may require adding a better wide receiver since the position lacks game-changing depth behind Davante Adams. Running back Aaron Jones is a solid rusher but lacks versatility in the pass game, so picking up a replacement at the position is also possible.
- The Packers let go of two more franchise players this off-season in linebacker Clay Matthews and wide receiver Cobb. While we wrote about the changing face of the Packers in March, the shift in culture will be most obvious after the draft. Matthews and Cobb were past their primes but offered tonnes of experience and knowledge in how Green Bay is run. It doesn't help that they are leaving two of the most bare positions on the team.
Projected Starters
NOTE:
NAME, Draft Round.Overall Pick (TEAM, year). Starts/Games Played. Age. Cap Hit 2019
QB has an additional 'total yards, number of attempts (yards per attempt)' figure.
RB, WR and TE have an additional ‘total yards / number of touches (yards per touch)’ statistic
Age as of Sunday September 8, 2019 (Week 1)
QUARTERBACK
AARON RODGERS, 1.24 (GB, 2005). 158/165. 42,944 yards/ 5,492 attempts. (7.8 y/a). 35-years-old. $26,500,000
RUNNING BACK
AARON JONES, 5.182 (GB, 2017). 12/24. 1,404 yards/ 249 touches (5.6). 24-years-old. $695,487
WIDE RECEIVERS
DAVANTE ADAMS, 2.53 (GB, 2014). 67/74. 4,197 yards/ 348 touches (12.1). 26-years-old. $10,850,000
GERONIMO ALLISON, undrafted (GB, 2016). 8/30. 758 yards/ 55 touches (13.8). 25-years-old. $2,456,250
MARQUEZ VALDES-SCANTLING, 5.174 (GB, 2018). 10/16. 610 yards/ 40 touches (15.3). 24-years-old. $624,389
Average: 161st overall pick. 85 starts/ 120 games played (70.8%). 5,565 yards/ 443 touches (12.6). 25-years-old. Total cap hit: $13.9M
TIGHT END
JIMMY GRAHAM, 3.95 (NO, 2010). 101/137. 7,439 yards/ 613 touches (12.1). 32-years-old. $12,666,666
OFFENSIVE LINE
DAVID BAKHTIARI, 4.109 (GB, 2013). 90/90. 27-years-old. $14,200,000
LANE TAYLOR, undrafted (GB, 2013). 47/76. 29-years-old. $5,475,000
COREY LINSLEY, 5.161 (GB, 2014). 70/70. 28-years-old. $8,150,000
BILLY TURNER, 3.67 (MIA, 2014). 25/40. 27-years-old. $4,250,000
BRYAN BULAGA, 1.23 (GB, 2010). 95/99. 30-years-old. $8,350,000
Average: 123rd overall pick. 327 starts/ 375 games played (87.2%). 28.2-years-old. Total cap hit: $40.4M
DEFENSVE LINE
ZA'DARIUS SMITH, 4.122 (BAL, 2015). 16/58. 27-years-old. $7,250,000
KENNY CLARK, 1.27 (GB, 2016). 30/44. 23-years-old. $2,978,704
MIKE DANIELS, 4.132 (GB, 2012). 72/102. 30-years-old. $10,712,500
Average: 281st overall pick. 118 starts/ 204 games played (57.8%). 26.7-years-old. Total cap hit: $20.9M
LINEBACKERS
PRESTON SMITH, 2.38 (WAS, 2015). 50/64. 26-years-old. $6,000,000
OREN BURKS, 3.88 (GB, 2018). 4/14. 24-years-old. $836,689
BLAKE MARTINEZ, 4.131 (GB, 2016). 41/45. 25-years-old. $2,120,848
KYLER FACKRELL, 3.88 (GB, 2016). 9/45. 27-years-old. $2,198,512
Average: 86th overall pick. 104 starts/ 168 games played (61.9%). 25.5-years-old. Total cap hit: $11.2M
CORNERBACKS
JAIRE ALEXANDER, 1.18 (GB, 2018). 11/13. 22-years-old. $2,738,803
JOSH JACKSON, 2.45 (GB, 2018). 10/16. 23-years-old. $1,421,841
Average: 32nd overall pick. 21 starts/ 29 games played (72.4%). 22.5-years-old. Total cap hit: $4.2M
SAFETY
TRAMON WILLIAMS, undrafted (HOU, 2006). 146/183. 36-years-old. $6,375,000
ADRIAN AMOS, 5.142 (CHI, 2015). 56/60. 26-years-old. $5,900,000
Average: 199th overall pick. 202 starts/ 243 games played (83.1%). 31-years-old. Total cap hit: $12.3M
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