Packers Need to Draft an Offensive Tackle

By Todd Mishler  |   Thursday, March 13, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Green Bay Packers
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If cornerback isn’t Green Bay’s top priority in the upcoming NFL draft, then offensive tackle should be.

Don’t get me wrong. Current starters Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton form one of the best and maybe most unsung combinations in the league. It’s just that they’re getting a little long in the tooth and Green Bay needs to add depth and look to the future, something that General Manager Ted Thompson is adept at doing.

Clifton, who played in the Pro Bowl as an alternate, and Tauscher were selected in the second and seventh rounds of the 2000 draft, respectively, two of Ron Wolf’s many excellent picks. Clifton’s current deal runs out after the 2009 campaign, while Tauscher’s contract is up after 2008. They also were two of the highest seven cap figures on the roster in 2007, although that won’t be a worry with the cap freedom the team enjoys after quarterback Brett Favre retired.

The biggest concern is depth behind them, where Tony Moll enters his third season after an injury-plagued sophomore year as an expected heir apparent to Tauscher, who according to rumors might be contemplating retirement after the upcoming season. After that it’s a handful of nondescript guys who fill out the 80-man roster and likely would be inactive on game days.

One option that’s been discussed on the left side should Clifton go down is to move Daryn Colledge over from left guard. However, he failed miserably in just such a scenario versus Miami, albeit against Jason Taylor, during his rookie season in 2006.

So, it behooves Thompson and Coach Mike McCarthy to grab a talented, athletic specimen as quickly as possible, even with the No. 30 pick of the first round if one of the top prospects slides and the cornerback they covet is off the board already.

Scout.com’s top five rated offensive tackles are Jake Long of Michigan, Chris Williams of Vanderbilt, Jeff Otah of Pittsburgh, Ryan Clady of Boise State and Sam Baker of Southern Cal.

It’s likely that all five will be gone when the Packers go on the clock, but if one of them is still sitting there, my guess is that he’ll be in a Green Bay uniform.

Free agency offers little if anything, unless Green Bay wants to give up draft choices and trade for Cincinnati franchise player Stacy Andrews or Pittsburgh transition player Max Starks, but they’re starting material, not bench warmers. Besides, I doubt that Thompson would or should forfeit picks at this point.
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