Packers Offseason Position by Position Preview: Quarterbacks

Projected Starter: Aaron Rodgers, California 

The Packers have the luxury of employing the best quarterback in the NFL and possibly the most accurate passer the National Football League has ever witnessed. His fluidity around the pocket, pinpoint accuracy, and pure arm strength make him without a doubt the best signal-caller on the planet. 

Rodgers was injured throughout the home stretch of the regular season and for the duration of the postseason, and still put up incredible numbers. He willed the Packers to an exciting divisional round victory over the Cowboys at Lambeau Field to end the season undefeated while playing in the state of Wisconsin. 

He had one of the most efficient seasons at the quarterback position, and in fact had the most productive and consistent year while playing at home, throwing for zero interceptions, while tossing 25 touchdowns. 

The Packers are the most set at the starting quarterback position of any other franchise in football, and all members of the Packer faithful should feel beyond comfortable about the way their franchise is trending, as they will be backing the top quarterback for quite a while. 

Free Agency

The Packers two backup quarterbacks from the last two seasons, Matt Flynn and Scott Tolzien, will both come off the books this offseason, leaving a very large hole behind Aaron Rodgers at the signal-calling position.

The question that every Packer fan wants to know is which one of these fan favorites are the Packers going to bring back?

If I had to put my money on either of these quarterbacks, it would be Scott Tolzien, as he is a younger quarterback with a strong arm and more potential to thrive into a solid backup for years to come.

The Packers could also elect to look at the free agency market for the quarterback position, however the class this offseason looks mighty bleak. The Packers may take a look at guys like Jake Locker, who at the age of 26, still has some quality upside, as continued stretches of injuries have derailed the dual threat gunner out of Washington's season.

NFL Draft Options

There are actually some very interesting directions in which the Packers could go if they part ways with Flynn and Tolzien, and decide not to sign a brand new gunner from the unrestricted free agency class.

The prospect that has often been linked to the Packers lately has been a projected late round quarterback with the name of Brandon Bridge from South Alabama (Yeah I had to do some research on his game too.) He is an insanely athletic hurler from the small school. He is very raw, which makes the situation in Green Bay particularly bright for the southpaw. He may not be drafted, due to not attending top university, experience, and lack of even decent accuracy . The truth is, however, that he stands at 6-4, and is very strong at 226 pounds and is only 21 years old. Quarterbacks have thrived in a similar physical position as Bridge before, and with the great quarterback developing tools that the Packers coaching staff have with Tom Clements and Mike McCarthy, the Packers could flip the athlete for a higher draft selection in the future.

Throughout the college football season this last fall, I had a football crush on the former Baylor Bears quarterback Bryce Petty. He was just such a classy guy, and gave it his all on the football field, game after game. Petty kills deep zones over the middle with short, quick passes that would pair up nicely with slot speedster Randall Cobb in the mix, of course only if the Packers decide to spend money on #18, but more on that in your wide receivers position preview post.

Projected Backup: Scott Tolzien, Wisconsin

Conclusion

All in all, the Packers will be set if the Packers sign the younger, more promising former Badger quarterback Scott Tolzien. He is comfortable in the Packers offensive schemes and isn't getting impatient on the bench. The Packers should be set at the quarterback position for a long time, as Aaron Rodgers should have the Green and Gold in Super Bowl contention for the rest of his career, a colorful one already that hopefully will be spent all in the small town of Green Bay, Wisconsin.

7 round Packers Mock Draft

The Packers lost in a bitter defeat in the NFC Championship Game against the Seahawks, costing them a chance at hoisting the Lombardi trophy for the fifth time in the franchise's history.

As an avid Packer fan, I will not dwell on the past and turn my head and look forward to the NFL Draft, where the Packers front office, led by Ted Thompson, will look for the NFL's next best stars to fill holes on the roster.

In this article, I will go through each Packers draft selection, and pinpoint the prospects they should try to grab in each round of the 2015 NFL Draft.

This is hard, as the draft can go in all different directions, but this will give fellow Packer fans a few names to know and keep in mind for each of the rounds.

1st Round: Linebacker Denzel Perryman, Miami

Denzel Perryman is probably the hardest hitting inside linebacker in the draft class and he uses is speed and athleticism to take down ball carriers between the hashes. He is adept at stopping runners behind the line of scrimmage and it is rare when you see a back overpower the Hurricane linebacker. He also adds a little pass rushing to the table and would be a great addition due to his proficiency at stopping mobile quarterbacks, something the Packers have struggled mightily at. He brings a level of intensity on every play that the Packers haven't had at the inside linebacker position in quite a while and Perryman will be a great candidate to captain the defense for years to come.

2nd Round: Defensive Tackle Carl Davis, Iowa

What makes me love Carl Davis so much is his motor. He gives his all on every play and is an incredible pass rusher for his size and speed. I watched him against the Badgers, and he was running all the way down the field with the running backs. He takes up a lot of space and can make impact plays in the backfield. His 6-5 321 pound frame helps him win battles up front, and take advantage of poor center play. He played in a 4-3 system in college, but I think he can make the switch to the 3-4 nose tackle position effortlessly. 

3rd Round: Cornerback Kevin Johnson, Wake Forest

Some consider Johnson to be gone by now but if he indeed falls this far the Packers should snatch him up while they can. Johnson is a great, effective tackler in space who has quick feet and uses his long strides to keep up with even the fastest receivers. At 6-1, he has the hight that Thompson loves in his corners and plays man to man about as good as any other cover man in this years class. He played off man at Wake Forest which allowed him to watch plays unfold in front of him so he would be able to pounce on the receiver or ball. Johnson doesn't do well while forced to break off of blocks and doesn't provide a whole lot of support in run defense. With some fixing, Johnson could become the next great great cover corner in Green Bay.

4th Round: Outside Linebacker Jordan Hicks, Texas

At 6-2 and a thin 241 pounds, Jordan Hicks excels at beating the offensive tackle on the edge, and reminds me a bit of a sleeker and faster Nick Perry, although the current Packer has the advantage in terms of strength. He is a flexible, balanced pass rusher, who uses his compact frame to add some pop on most of his hits. He has had some injury issues in the past, as he missed 19 games in the 2012-2013 seasons due to hip and achilles injuries. He struggles to break off of blockers once they have a firm grip on Hicks, and is a big liability in pass coverage. Hicks would fit perfectly in the Packers outside linebacker/pass rushing rotation as just a speed rusher who can force a QB to stick in the pocket and potentially force bad throws once he gets his hands on the signal- caller.

5th Round: Tight End Wes Saxton, South Alabama

The Packers may have a gem at tight end in Richard Rodgers, a rookie last season out of California, however, they may need another athlete to step up and compete at the tight end position to make the Packers already incredible offense more complete. Saxton is one of those rare prospects that have incredible upside, yet will not hear their name called until the later rounds due to going to a school who competes against lesser competition. After watching tape on Saxton, what stood out to me was in balanced athleticism. He has incredible strength, yet has unique speed for a guy of his size and has good leverage on his initial burst. One reason that Saxton will drop this late is because of rawness to the game of football. He has a tendency to drop open passes and gives up on routes to quickly. With a year or two of instruction in Green Bay, expect Saxton to be a stud. He will also be able to contribute early on special teams. 

Sixth Round: Offensive Tackle Tyrus Thompson, Oklahoma

Tyrus Thompson has a chance to rise a couple rounds if he has a good showing at his pro day and combine, however, it is his tendency to make mistakes and not utilize his strength to the full potential that is keeping Thompson from being a second day selection. He also will only be able to play right tackle effectively in the NFL, as the blind-side sacking professionals would tear Thompson a part, and that wouldn't be a reliable fit with Aaron Rodgers as your franchise signal-caller. I guess what intrigues me about Thompson is that he has unbelievable lower body strength and long arms so his problems with strength can be fixed. He also is a mauler in the run game, especially with power backs like Lacy scrapping for every yard they can get. 

Seventh Round: Defensive End Ryan Russell, Purdue

At 6-5, 267 pounds, Russell is a tall and sleek player for his position but makes up for that with his blend of power and versatility against both the run and the pass. He has great initial burst at the point of attack and holds on in gaps to gain leverage on powerful offensive linemen. Purdue University has had recent success at Russell's position as they have sent great players like Cliff Avril, Anthony Spencer, Ryan Kerrigan, and others to the League. He has displayed weaknesses in his game, however, as he needs a lot of time to develop to reach his potential as a pass rusher. 

Review

The Packers have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, and with their three headed monster of Rodgers-Lacy-Nelson and potentially add Cobb to the mix with an extension, and that equals to the most dangerous offense in the NFL. If the Packers are able to resign Bulaga as well, that would cement their offensive line as a top five machine in the NFL, as well. Most of their problems come on defense, especially along the front seven and at cornerback for depth. With a successful draft class mainly focused on the front seven talent, the Packers can make the next step and get closer to getting back to the Super Bowl.