If they need a guard, draft a guard. Stop trying to turn tackles into guards! They drafted an actual center a few years ago, rather than drafting a guard and trying to turn him into a center. And our center is very, very good. This is part of the Packers problem with their draft and develop mentality. Draft people who have actually played the position you want them to play. First off they will develop much quicker. And you don't have to wonder if they can actually make the switch to another position. And don't tell me about guards and tackles being interchangeable, they're not. So if they need a guard, draft a guard!
We've been doing thiss for several years now, and we've consistently had one of the better OLs. I think it's disingenuous to be judging at this point.
It is amazing that someone is casting stones at the Packers drafting and developing of OLinemen. When how little draft capital is spent on OL in comparison to other teams and the quality of play they get from that unit year in and year out.
At one point when J.C. Tretter was starting at center, the Packers OL was made up of 5 guys that were college tackles. Which should give people a pretty good hint at what the Packers are looking for in drafts in the future. In college and all levels before that, a coach is going to take his most gifted OL prospect and put him at left tackle in most cases. So common sense should get most people to, if you want to draft the most gifted OL prospects, you are in most cases drafting left tackles.
In the Packers system guards and tackles are all just OLinemen, they are for the mostpart interchangable. Which has been proven out many time over in the past decade and none more so than last year. Taylor started at LG and LT last year, McCray started at RG and RT last year. And Spriggs started at RG and RT in the past two years.
The Packers have in the past and will again in the future draft someone who was not a tackle in college, but in those cases the players measurable and testing numbers will be comparable to the tackles being considered.
What would be hilarious in this years draft is if Quenton Nelson slipped to the Packers and they drafted him and moved him to RT. I could see peoples heads exploding when that move went public.