As the Green Bay Packers season has reached the half way point, I will attempt to do (another) mock draft. I normally do mocks on the websites I post at, but I wanted to do one in "The Locker Room".

I also normally don't project signings or trades but I will add one in this mock draft because I believe it (the trade) will happen. I don't know if the team will be right, but I think the compensation will be.

I also believe the Packers will be picking in the 10-15 range in the draft.

Here we go.....

Coaching changes:

I think Mike McCarthy will be back but he also will have to make a few coaching changes.

Out: Joe Philbin (OC), James Campen (OL), Jerry Fontenot (Asst. OL), Shawn Slocum (ST)

In: Bruce Matthews (OL), Bobby April (ST), Brian Schottenheimer(OC/Asst HC)

Trade: Aaron Kampman to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a 2nd and 4th rounder.

Signing: Marcus McNeill- LT- San Diego Chargers: I know, I know Ted Thompson won't spend money in free agency, but even Thompson knows his best of winning is with Aaron Rodgers upright and McNeill would help him out in that department.

Mock:

Round 1:



Taylor Mays- SS- USC: Big, fast, strong, instinctive safety that has the work ethic to go along with his freakish skills. His play as a senior has not been as good as his junior complain, but he also has two new starting corners and a trio of first time starting linebackers. He will be more of a playmaker on the pro level than in college.

Round 2 ( A ): Jonathan Dwyer- RB- Georgia Tech: Dwyer is a running back that has a bowling-ball body. Dwyer is a north South runner with top end speed but it is his field vision and cut back abilities that set him apart from most. Playing in Paul Johnson's spread offense has helped his stats, but may hurt his stock.



Round 2 ( B ) : Mike Johnson- OL- Alabama: Johnson can play either guard ot tackle. Most scouts believe that he has the footwork to be a LT in the NFL. I believe that he wold be an All Pro guard. He is a winner and plays with the type of intensity the line lacks.



Round 3: Akwasi Owusu-Ansah- CB- Indiana (PA): A big, fast, physical corner that also returns kicks and punts. He is a playmaker that some project as high as a second rounder. The Packers were at his game on 11/8. He has five special teams touchdowns this season on returns so far.



Round 4 ( A ): Cameron Sheffield- OLB- Troy: Another of Troy St.'s outside linebackers that can get to the passer. Not as good as DeMarcus Ware, but a poor man's version and in time could be a very good 3-4 rush backer.



Round 4 ( B ): Alex Carrington- DE- Arkansas St.: This kid's stock is going up. He can do it all, stop the run and rush the passer. He has good size, 6'5, 284 lbs and is strong. By the way, he runs a 4.7 forty as well.



Round 5: Taylor Price- WR- Ohio- A big kid (6'1, 205) with sub 4.4 speed. He is a sleeper and is having a decent year for the 'Cats. Would help on special teams and depth at wide receiver.



Round 6: Michael Smith- RB- Arkansas: The small (5'6, 180 lbs) but fast (4.37) Smith is a do everything back. He can return kicks and punts, catch the ball well and run away from defenders. His size is his biggest knock, but he is a playmaker that is for sure.



Round 7: Zac Robinson- QB- Oklahoma St: He is a dual threat quarterback, but he needs to show he can play under center. He would provide the Packers with a QB that could play in a "Wild Pack" offense.

How is MM worthy of retention when he urns over his coaching staff (2/3 of it) in two years?

Good point. I think he's gone and TT stays. I don't necessarily want TT to stay, but I don't think GB will take a $16 million hit.

Joe...I love ya' man and it always makes me smile when you take USC players in the 1st. Is Mays as good as Berry? I know the Packers need a Safety, but I kinda wonder if they'll go OL early and often? The signing of McNeil would certainly help. I also like the idea of another 3-4 backer than can get to the QB besides Matthews (another USC grad! ). Why 2 RB's? You must feel this is a pretty big need. Any FA RB's available this next year?

Man, Ted has his work cut out for him!

that would be pretty sweet.

couple of questions:

do you think McNeil will hit the market? why would the Chargers let him?

also, has Bruce Matthews done any coaching since retirement, or do you see it as more of a Kevin Green-type situation?

I would prefer signing Logan Mankins over Marcus McNeil and drafting a LT in the first round.

I doubt Thompson would go after one of the better players in free agency, though.

1. The Chargers have to make a choice, McNeill or Sproles. I think they choose Sproles and let McNeill walk. It also doesn't help that he (like other Chargers players) doesn't get along with AJ Smith (their GM). Remember he hasn't played AS GOOD as he did his rookie year, so it may be a moot point.

I was struggling with the Packers signing McNeill, Jamaal Brown (NO) or Alex Barron. Insert any of the 3 names in McNeill's spot and go from there. Brown is hurt and Barorn is playing well (2 sack allowed this season so far). Logan Mankins is another to keep an eye on. He can play both LT and LG. Rumor is the Pats will let him walk.

2. Matthews is working with the Texans as the OL coach. There are a few others (Golden Pat Ruel-USC, Hudson Houck-Dal to name a few) that I would be REALLY happy with.

My point was Philbin, Campen and Fontenot need to go and a VERY GOOD OL coach is needed.

Would McNeil's free agency status be impacted with an uncapped season? If there is no cap next season, a player must play six seasons in the NFL to qualify for UFA

Taylor Mays is the most overrated college football player Ive seen in a long, long time. Great athlete, extraordinary measurables. I used to watch Mays play in high school when he was a 2 way starter at WR/DB. If Im looking for an athlete, Mays is on my team. Yes, he is big, he is strong, he is fast, but instinctive?. You want somebody to defend a pass. Dont look here. After 4 years of playing with some of the best front seven units in college history Mays has come up with 6 picks. Not this year, IN HIS CAREER. This includes all those USC linebackers that came out last year, I would hardly call him instinctive. Taylor Mays is going to have Roy Williams,(Dallas old safety) impact. he'll make the ESPN highlights with a hit or two, but he's going to get smoked like a cheap cigar by the smaller WR's in the NFL. He's too big, great straight line speed but he doesnt have the stop and go quickness to play safety at the next level.

Mays is a far better athlete than he is a football player. Great work ethic , great kid, with great parents, but he will be exposed in the NFL. That gimmick big guy in centerfield postion he plays at USC wont work at the NFL level.

Isn't Kampman an unrestricted free agent? So are you saying the will franchise him and then trade him?

I like Mays but he just doesn't make enough big plays. He goes for the big hit rather than the tackle or go for the ball. Very tight in the hips and just doesn't turn and run well. He made so many plays deep at USC largely because Carroll played him so deep.

Only other guy I have an issue with is Sheffield. For a guy that is supposed to be a good pass rusher he has alarmingly low sack totals IMO...especially for playing at Troy. He's not even the best pass rusher on his team in my opinion, Brandon Lang is much better and may fall to the 4th because of an injury history.

I would also rather sign Logan Mankins than have Marcus McNeil. There's a reason the Chargers haven't locked him long term already. I take issue with any starter that plays a premium position that is available in free agency and his team doesn't have a replacement or any cap issues. Kind of raises some eyebrows.

+1

Yeah I was a little puzzled when he mentioned instinctive. I was excited to watch him in the game that he got hurt and wasn't impressed at all. I did see some explosive speed, but also saw him out of position. Great players make others around them better. He was spoiled with what he had in front of him, now that he doesn't, the freelancing days are over.

Taylor Mays is a big hitter but very poor tackler- pass

Not a Mays fan. Like the Tennessee kid much better in terms of making plays and being instinctive. I would not like to see our first OL taken late in the second. Even if we get a starting OT in FA, we still need another top quality lineman. IF we got McNeil, which I doubt, we should still grab another OT in round 1. I would consider trading Kampman and our first to move up to get the #1 lineman in the draft. It'd be worth it.

Exactly.... We have already bombed out once, drafting an athletically gifted 6'4" Safety in Rouse, who did absolutely nothing.

Rouse may not have been in the class of Mays athletically, but 6'4" is just too tall for a Safety. I never liked the Rouse pick from the day it was made (purely because of his size), and I wouldn't like to see a top pick spent on Mays. The only way guys that tall can succeed, is if they have sensational instincts to make up for the limitations their size imposes on them in coverage.....and Mays doesn't have top instincts, or even good ones (same as Rouse).

I guess Mays could pan out as a strictly in-the-box safety (though his tackling is suspect at the moment), but that does not fit the way the Packers play, and still doesn't warrant a top pick. Let another team make the mistake of drafting this kid based on his freakish measurables (Hello, Al Davis).