253 draft picks transformed the NFL in a matter of days. Around the League will examine the aftershocks by asking one post-draft burning question for all 32 teams.
Will Ted Thompson's gambles pay off in another title?
When we think about Packers GM Ted Thompson, the following words come to mind: methodical, patient, calculated, and successful. The words associated with Green Bay's 2012 draft class are rather different: risky, boom or bust, bold, and "rolls the dice."
Coming off a 15-1 season, Thompson seemingly changed gears. He went all defense in the draft. He took chances.Â
First round pick Nick Perry is the biggest x-factor. He will convert to outside linebacker and his effort has been questioned in the past. Perry is raw talent that the Packers coaching staff needs to mold. Second round pick Jerel Worthy admits that he has taken plays off in the past.Â
"One scout maintained that if Worthy was a 70%-30% player in terms of giving effort, Perry was 30%-70%," Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
"There's a lot of potential that needs to be taken out of me," Perry said.
Perry is wildly talented, but he could be a bit of a workout warrior. There is a gaping hole on the Green Bay depth chart at outside linebacker, and Perry will be counted on to be a big difference-maker is he wins the job opposite Clay Matthews. Â
The Packers intend to play Worthy at end in their base defense and at defensive tackle in their nickel. He will try to fill a huge need for Green Bay's underperforming line.
"Scouts view Worthy as a likable though immature person who has little idea now what it takes to be a pro. Expectations will be high," McGinn writes.
The risks didn't end there. Fourth-round pick Mike Daniels doesn't have a natural position in a 3-4 defense. Fellow fourth-rounder Jerron McMillan may be asked to be the team's No. 3 safety after playing for Maine last year. Â Of course, the fourth round is time for risks. It's rarer to see Thompson take chances early in the draft.Â
The Packers defense is not far away from being solid. It's a talented group. If Thompson's draft day roll of the dice works out, they may just be a championship group again.Â
