Draft Day: Recap and Evaluation By The Others

I was reading the draft evaluation on Packers.com and almost had a diabetic reaction with all the kiss-ass sugary pap about the genius of Ted Thompson and the absolute greatest of all 10 of his draft picks. The evaluations of the rest of the local media weren't much more objective.

I then moved out of Wisconsin and to check on the national media, who are far enough away from the evil clutches of Thompson, who doesn't like criticism (or at least he seems to with the way the local media praise him at every opportunity) to see what they what grade they gave the Packers draft.

Chad Reuter of NFL.com:

Day 1 grade: A; Day 2 grade: A; Day 3 grade: C
Overall grade: B+
The skinny: The Browns presented Green Bay excellent value in a trade out of the first round, so the Packers took it. Instead of trading down for more picks, Ted Thompson stayed put and got the difference-making cornerback he needed in Kevin King. Then they selected safety Josh Jones, who will play in the Micah Hyde role for the Packers despite being a solid 220 pounds. Bulking up the defensive line with Montravius Adams is a big help, as he can play nose tackle or five-technique. He's an excellent value at No. 93.

On Day 3, Green Bay continued to improve the defense. Vince Biegel is a solid inside/outside linebacker, which they needed. They also found an excellent replacement for power back Eddie Lacy in Jamaal Williams, and then hit the position twice more with UTEP's Aaron Jones and Devante Mays. That's probably overkill for a position where there will be plenty of undrafted free agents available. Receiver DeAngelo Yancey was one of the hottest names among prospects who weren't invited to the combine this year.

SB Nation: B+

Like Baltimore, Green Bay is a team with a veteran general manager in Ted Thompson who got high marks for picking needs on defense. The team got potential starters Kevin King and Josh Jones with its first two picks. The key to this draft could be Vince Biegel, who could be the team’s future as an edge rusher.

Sports Illustrated: B+

The defense was priority No. 1 for GM Ted Thompson, so he delivered CB Kevin King (pick No. 33, after a trade out of Round 1), versatile S Josh Jones (No. 61) and underrated OLB Vince Biegel (No. 108). He also used a third-rounder on DT Montravius Adams (No. 93), which at best is a decent—probably not eye-popping—value and at worst is a throwaway pick. Later, it was the run game on the docket, and the Packers doubled up at the RB spot with Jamaal Williams (No. 134) and Aaron Jones (182). That could be a very good duo alongside Aaron Rodgers. At the bare minimum, they’ll free up Ty Montgomery to roam the scheme more.

CBS Sports: A

Some general managers seem to always do it right in the draft, and Green Bay's Ted Thompson is one of those guys. He had another good draft, trading out of the first round and still landing a lot of good players. He took Washington corner Kevin King in the second round, and he will be a big-time player. Second-round safety Josh Jones is a nice player who helps offset the loss of Micah Hyde. I love third-round defensive tackle Montravius Adams. Fourth-round running back Jamaal Williams will be a 1,200-yard rusher in a season at some point in his career.

USA Today: B+

The Pack's Swiss cheese secondary submarined Super Bowl aspirations in last season's NFC Championship Game, so GM Ted Thompson spent both second-round picks (lanky CB Kevin King and hard-hitting S Josh Jones) to address it. Fourth-round LB Vince Biegel could get Julius Peppers' vacated role on passing downs. Jamaal Williams (Round 4) will be a nice option for a running back depth chart in flux.

Sporting News: B+

There’s no doubt, with 10 picks, Ted Thompson made sure the Packers took care of their weak spots in the secondary first. He also increased the depth of their defensive front seven and offensive backfield. They probably could have taken an interior offensive lineman much earlier, and other than King and Jones, none of the picks look in line to start anytime soon.

Fox Sports: A+

Yes to everything on this board. They added two of the best secondary players in this draft in the second round, a perfect fit for them in the middle of their line in Montravius Adams in the third round, a high-floor outside linebacker in Vince Biegel and three really good running backs — Aaron Jones could be a stud. Don't sleep on Malachi Dupre, pick No. 247, either.

ABC: Mel Kiper: B+

Top needs: Running back, outside linebacker, cornerback

After trading out of Round 1, Green Bay got an uber-talented, rangy (6-foot-3, 200) corner in Kevin King, a guy who could have been picked in the 20s. For a secondary that fell apart because of attrition last season, that's a pick at value and need. Josh Jones will help at safety, and I had him No. 38 on my board. Could he challenge Morgan Burnett at strong safety immediately? Montravius Adams could be a steal if Green Bay can get him to play to his talent every down. That's a nose tackle I thought might go higher because of the upside.

We knew the Packers would be in the market for a running back -- converted wide receiver Ty Montgomery is their No. 1 -- but they passed on Dalvin Cook, Joe Mixon and others and instead took Jamaal Williams in the fourth round. That's solid value for a guy who reminds me of Jordan Howard. Vince Biegel, who was named after legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi, is the Badgers' best pass-rusher not named Watt. He had 21.5 sacks in his career. Malachi Dupre has some tools as a developmental prospect late on Day 3.

Overall, Green Bay hit the jackpot with King and got a pass-rusher named after the most famous Packer ever. There's little not to like.

Washington Post: B

Other Evaluations:

From Fox Sports Article "15 steals in the 2017 NFL Draft " by Dieter Kurtenbach

Josh Jones, a safety out of North Carolina State, was a late bloomer in the evaluation process, but he was a fringe first-round player thanks to his incredible athleticism. Even in a generationally great class for defensive backs, for him to go at the bottom of the second round was a bit of a shock.

Montravius Adams is a divisive prospect, but anyone who saw him at the Senior Bowl saw a player capable of wreaking havoc from the middle of the defensive line — a rare and powerful weapon. Even in a defensive line class that had a concentrated amount of players poised to be taken on the second day, it was surprising Adams went at No. 93. He was a player who could have been selected in the pick No. 50 range.