Here's another pevsrectipe: The disproportionate time, attention, and energy invested in early-round draft picks are warranted, at least if the Packers are representative.Of the 2011 offensive â??startersâ??, and excluding the single undrafted free agent, the 10 remaining players included two first-round picks and an average â??draft-round rankâ?? of 3.5. Of the 2011 defensive â??startersâ??, and excluding the single undrafted free agent, the 10 remaining players included 5â??count â??em 5â??first-round picks, with an average â??draft-round rankâ?? of an even higher 2.8. The 20 on both sides of the ball included 10 players drafted in rounds 1-3; only 5 were drafted in the sixth round or lower, although lower-round picks play key roles as backups or bargaining chips.If the past is prologue, it appears likely that future Packersâ?? front-line starters will come predominantly from the first three rounds of the draft, another illustration of why very careful spending of early-round draft currency combined with canny trading-up strategy are crucial.

by Teresa 10:45:16 PM 2013.03.14