Green Bay Packers Final 2014 Draft Board

Jared Abbrederis

Wisconsin Badtgers WR Jared Abbrederis was drafted by the Packers in the 5th round of the 2014 NFL draft.

The 2014 NFL Draft finally arrived and is now over, which means the Green Bay Packers have made all of their selections and we know who will be joining the team in training camp and hopefully helping bring another Lombardi Trophy to Titletown.  Our team at ALLGBP.com has done a fantastic job in breaking down each of these players. Be sure to check out each breakdown and get to know the newest Packers.

Let’s take a look at this year’s full slate of draft picks:

Round 1

21st overall – Ha’Sean “Ha Ha” Clinton-Dix, S, Alabama

What the heck would Ted Thompson have done if the Arizona Cardinals stayed put at pick No. 20 and selected Clinton-Dix? That would have meant Ryan Shazier, C.J. Mosely, Calvin Pryor and Clinton-Dix — all targets for the Packers — would have been gone. Good thing Arizona traded back and Clinton-Dix was there for Thompson to take. Safety is the most glaring hole on the Packers roster and Clinton-Dix should be able to step in on day one and provide an upgrade.

Round 2

53rd overall – Davonte Adams, WR, Fresno St.

The Packers needed another big WR after James Jones left for Oakland. Thompson has a good track record of finding WRs in the second round, and if Adams works out, expect to see a receiver who runs precise routes, goes up and gets the ball, and is strong enough to gain leverage and make catches even when covered. Adams won’t wow you with his speed, but he’ll fit right in if he does, in fact, develop into the next James Jones.

Round 3

85th overall – Khyri Thornton, DT, Southern Mississippi

An under-the-radar need for the Packers heading into the drat was defensive line depth. With Thornton, the Packers add another big guy to the rotation who has the potential to develop into more than just a rotation player. Thornton doesn’t appear to be as explosive as Mike Daniels or as athletic as Datone Jones, but he does seem like a player who could anchor the edge of the line in a 3-4 scheme if he improves his conditioning and irons out a few technique quirks.

98th overall – Richard Rodgers, TE, Cal-Berkley

Rodgers probably isn’t strong enough to be a dominant blocker in the NFL, but if he can turn his athleticism into production in the passing game, we won’t complain too much about his blocking. I like Rodgers’ potential to be a red-zone threat, something the Packers desperately needed last season. It’s probably going to take some time for Rodgers to develop, but the tools are there to build a good receiving tight end.

Round 4

121st overall – Carl Bradford, LB, Arizona St.

If you want versatility, Bradford is your guy. He played outside linebacker, inside linebacker and defensive end at Arizona St. and also appears to have the athleticism and attitude to stand out on special teams. Bradford’s got a bit of a mean streak in him, something the Packers defense desperately needs. I want to see what Bradford can do at inside linebacker. He reminds me a lot of Desmond Bishop.

Round 5

161st overall — Corey Linsley, C, Ohio St.

For the first time in forever, Thompson drafts an actual center instead of taking a tackle with the hopes of turning him into a center. Linsley is more of a physical run-blocker than precise pass-protector. His skillset matches up nicely with the bulldozing style of Eddie Lacy. But if Linsley is going to succeed in a Packers uniform, he’ll have to get better as a pass-blocker. Linsley could also play guard, which I suppose means T.J. Lang could move to center. I hope that doesn’t happen because Lang looked awful at center when he was forced to play it a few times in 2013.

176th overall – Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin

The former walk-on at Wisconsin begins his pro career with the Packers. We’ll be hearing a lot about Abbrederis’ worth ethic and smarts, but I’m most excited about seeing what he can as a kick and/or punt returner. The Packers seem to always be scrambling to find returners so having another option like Abbrederis will be nice.

Round 6

197th overall – Demetri Goodson, CB, Baylor

This pick was kind of a head scratcher. The Packers are wrecked by injuries every season, and Goodson has had a hard time staying healthy. He’s also 25 years old, which makes you wonder if he’s already hit his ceiling. On the positive side, he’s really fast and could team with, or compete against, Abbrederis for a kick/punt returner role. He switched from basketball to football so he’s got a lot to learn. Maybe his ceiling is higher after all.

Round 7

236th overall — Jeff Janis, WR, Saginaw Valley State

I didn’t even know Saginaw Valley State was an actual school until this pick was announced. Janis sounds like he’s got all the physical tools to be a successful NFL WR, but needs to be polished up and tested against big-time competition. Aaron Rodgers has to be happy with the Packers draft. He already had Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb to throw to, now he has three more new receivers and a tight end.

Undrafted free agents

( check back at 8AM Central for a separate post with a complete list and more details, but for now, here are some early reported signings)

OG John Fullington, Washington State

RB Rajon Neal, Tennessee

LB Jake Doughty, Utah State

QB Chase Rettig, Boston College

CB Ryan White, Auburn

OLB Jayrone Elliot, Toledo

RB James Sims, Kansas

DT Mike Pennel, Colorado St. – Pueblo

OG Jordan McCray, Central Florida

DT Carlos Gray, NC State

TE Justin Perillo, Maine

LB Joe Thomas