Green Bay Packers: 2018 NFL Draft will be the answer at tight end
By Hunter Noll
The Green Bay Packers could really use a tight end. This year they should look to the draft instead of free agency to fix their problem.
Remember when the Green Bay Packers had Bubba Franks? What about a healthy and in-his-prime Jermichael Finley? The days of having a threatening tight end in Green Bay aren’t that long ago. At the same time though, it feels like it’s been generations.
This year, everyone (myself included) thought Martellus Bennett was the clear solution to this problem. He had fantastic seasons in the past, and seemed like the perfect fit in an Aaron Rodgers offense. For multiple reasons, this wasn’t the case though. Bennett was gone well before the season ended, and the Packers are once again looking for a tight end.
No one on the roster looks like the solution, so the Green Bay will head into the offseason with a question. Should they attack the tight end situation in free agency, or the draft?
This time they should be looking at the draft. After last season’s Bennett debacle, there’s a ready-made excuse to steer clear from the position in free agency. That’s not the only reason though. Other than saving money on a potential bust, the Packers can mold a player into their offense. When you go after a free agent, they’ve already established themselves as a player. Even if it appears they would love your system, it might not be the right fit for them.
A lot of NFL players can make themselves work wherever they go, the right system makes a difference though. With so many years already under their belts in a different system, coming to Green Bay could prove a downfall for them.
That being said, it’s not like NFL prospects don’t have preferred systems. They’ve all been in an offense all throughout high school, then all throughout college. Nevertheless, they’re still being molded.
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If the Packers decide to attack the problem in the NFL draft, they can hand pick their tight end, and mold him into their offense. In doing so, they can get a fresh mind and find a way to make the system work for him instead of having him work for the system.