Around the NFC North: An insider's look at the Packers with the Green Bay Press-Gazette's Pete Dougherty

We continue our offseason insider’s look at the Vikings’ NFC North opponents with today’s Q & A with the Green Bay Press Gazette’s Pete Dougherty.

MC: Where do you think the Packers have improved themselves the most so far this offseason and where do you think the biggest holes remain?

PD: I guess you’d have to say they’ve improved, or will improve, mostly because Jordy Nelson will be back from his ACL injury. Ted Thompson disdains free agency, so there’s not a lot of help there, though he did just sign Jared Cook at tight end. That was their weakest position on offense, and he still can run, so if nothing else he gives them a tall threat down the middle seam, something they lacked last year. The draft will determine if they make any other significant improvements from last season.

MC: What players and positions do you think the Packers are focusing on as possibilities for their first pick (No. 27) in the draft?

PD: My best guess is they’ll take the best player available from among four positions: inside linebacker, outside linebacker, defensive line and tight end. They’re moving Clay Matthews back to outside linebacker for the pass rush, and they badly need to replace him at inside linebacker with  a guy who can run and cover. Even if he plays only in the nickel and dime, that’s something like 75 percent to 80 percent of their defensive snaps. And the best way to slow passing games is with the pass rush, so outside linebacker is a real possibility. A guy like Kamalei Correa of Boise State could be a possibility there. I don’t know if they consider Arkansas tight end Hunter Henry a first-round talent. If not, then tight end might be out of the running for the first round. Defensive line is the best and deepest position in this draft, and they have to replace the recent (and surprisingly) retired B.J. Raji. So any number of attractive players might be available at No. 27 overall at that position.

MC:  What do you think the Packers will have to accomplish by the end of all seven rounds for this to be considered a successful draft for them?

PD: The big thing is finding that inside linebacker. It could end up even being a glorified safety who moves to linebacker, like Arizona has done with Deone Bucannon and St. Louis with Mark Barron. That appears to be the way the league is going. It’s all about matchups, and you need linebackers who can run and match up with tight ends and running backs in the passing game. That’s the short-term view of this draft. Long term, they have a lot of holes to fill. Aside from the positions already mentioned, they need a backup tackle who maybe even could move to guard in 2017 and replace either Josh Sitton or T.J. Lang, both of whom will be free agents. They could use a backup running back who’s different than Eddie Lacy – smaller and quicker and more explosive – and possibly could replace Lacy as starter in ’17 if he leaves in free agency. But the one must is finding the inside linebacker for the nickel and dime. If they don’t get the right guy, they’ll spend all season trying to compensate.