Could The Packers Draft Another Tight End?

As a general draft strategy for the Green Bay Packers, I like it that GM Ted Thompson usually selects at least one receiver in every draft. He hasn't selected a wide receiver since Jordy Nelson and Brett Swain in 2008. But I count the addition of a tight end as adding another receiver too, and he's taken Jermichael Finley in 2008, and Andrew Quarless in 2010. It's understandable that he skipped 2009 since he took three receivers, all of whom are still with the team, in 2008. 

With the release of veteran TE Donald Lee, and the uncertain status of free agent FB John Kuhn (and potentially FB Korey Hall) there is a spot or two for a tight end to fill the role. Their first job will be to block, but that doesn't mean the Packers will look for a blocking specialist. Quarless was a great receiver in college who wasn't known for his blocking, but the Packers asked him to spend most of his time blocking in 2010 anyway. Based on the recent selections of Quarless and Finley, I'd expect them to look for someone they know is a good receiver, and they'll coach them up on the blocking.

So this video of Blake Griffin hyping USC TE Jordan Cameron caught my eye. As Rob Rang points out, the original video, which has more of Griffin in front of the camera, is funnier, but both display Cameron's athleticism. He wasn't very productive in college, which makes me think the Packers wouldn't be interested in someone who's all workout/no performance, but there are a couple other mid-round tight ends that the Packers could be interested in. Both them are big receivers who could cause mismatch problems for defensive backs in the same way that Finley does.

They might go no further than target Wisconsin's Lance Kendricks, who's always been known as a great athlete, but it took him a couple years before he became a major part of their offense by his senior season. He's currently projected to be drafted in the third round.

Another guy is Nevada TE Virgil Green. He was another guy who burst on the scene with an impressive workout at the NFL combine, but he's not all about his workout. He caught 35 passes as a senior at Nevada, which was second best on a great college team that was built around the running game.