Ted Thompson Drafts for Need?!

The Packers’ offense in 2011 was virtually unstoppable. With the league’s most valuable player at the helm, veteran and young talent on the perimeter, and consistent play up front, the group was able to amass a league-best 35 points per game. That total would be good enough for the second most prolific scoring offense in the history of the NFL (second to the 2007 Patriots, eventual Superbowl losers to the Giants). These staggering statistics make it no surprise that the team went 15-1 in the regular season, the best record in the history of the franchise. The flipside, of course, is the overall disappointing and occasionally horrendous play of the defense, which collectively allowed a league-worst 6585 total yards. So with the league’s best offense and arguably worst defense, it was clear what side of the ball needed to be addressed during the offseason. Most folks outside of Wisconsin would therefore not have been surprised to see the team go heavy on defense in the draft. However, anyone that has followed the Packers’ drafts during the Ted Thompson era should have been surprised when the stubborn GM did just that.

                Ted Thompson has an undeniable history of drafting for the best talent available, regardless of need. Not only has the GM been outspoken about this strategy year after year, but his picks have clearly been talent based. In 2005, his first pick as GM was Aaron Rodgers out of Cal with the 24^th pick in round one. While we can all look back and applaud his decision now, it was less than universally cheered at the time. The team had 3-time MVP Brett Favre on the roster, coming off a season in which he threw for over 4000 yards and had a quarterback rating of 92.4. In the years to follow Thompson steadfastly refused to draft according to perceived team need, particularly at the top of the draft. In fact, it was not until 2010, with the selection of Bryan Bulaga, that Thompson’s first round pick coincided with an immediate team need. He drew heat for refusing to select offensive linemen to fill the voids created by the departures of Mike Wahle and Marco Rivera (though he did give those positions attention during the later rounds), and also for continuing to draft receivers even though the position seemed to be stocked. Although not all of his picks turned out to be gems (like every GM in the history of football), nobody could have described Ted Thompson as a slave to need.

                After seven years of consistent strategy (and one world championship to show for it), I expected nothing but the same for the 2012 draft. When asked my opinion on who we might draft, I’d simply throw my hands up and admit total ignorance. I’d scoff at the so-called draft experts insisting Green Bay was drafting a pass rusher to complement Clay Matthews. When Thompson did just that with his first round pick of Nick Perry (OLB from USC), I thought, ‘Oh, that’s nice. Talent happened to coincide with need at the top of the draft this year.’ When he traded up to draft Jerel Worthy near the top of the second round, I thought, ‘Huh, they must REALLY like that guy.’ It wasn’t until the Packers traded up two more times to draft defensive players at positions of need, and refused to draft an offensive player until the seventh and final round, that I was forced to admit that Ted Thompson was drafting for need. Now I have always been a fan of Thompson’s draft for talent strategy (ok, maybe not always, but most of the time at least), but I have to admit that I found this draft both refreshing and exciting. It’s clear to me that TT recognizes that the core of the team is intact, and there comes a time when you have to get more specific with talent acquisition. The team went 15-1 last year with a downright bad defense. The pass rush was anemic, and the defensive line looked complacent at best. The talented secondary had a bit of a down year, with safety being the thinnest of positions in the back. Not one, but all of these needs were met with picks in the early to middle rounds of the draft. It’s a virtual certainty that one or a few of these picks won’t work out, but they will at the very least increase competition within position groups that simply have to get better.

                Thompson showed maturity in going against his typical strategy, and did what he thought he had to do to get his team back to the Superbowl. Having never once given in to pressure from Green Bay’s rabid fan base in the past, I continue to believe that the decisions made in this year’s draft were purely football based. Yes the Packers are owned by their fans, but there is a reason the organization pays big bucks to retain the type of talent that Thompson has shown. Count his decision to address current needs as one of many reasons for optimism in the 2012 season.