Mel Kiper Jr.: Replacing aging stars - NFC North Blog - ESPN. Over the weekend, Mel Kiper Jr. looked at a few NFC North veterans. He concluded that the current teams for these veterans should select their eventual replacements in this April's draft. For the Green Bay Packers, he discussed CB Charles Woodson.
Woodson is really old for a cornerback, he'll turn 36 during the 2012 season, so this is somewhat of an obvious choice. Even if he did look good enough in 2011 that he should have at least a couple more seasons left in him.
GM Ted Thompson hasn't used a lot of picks on cornerbacks, but he might have drafted CB Davon House last April as a future replacement. Based on playing time, it wasn't clear whether someone on the current roster could really step into Woodson's shoes in the future. When he didn't play last season, CB Jarrett Bush often filled in for him, but he can hardly be considered a long-term replacement himself.
Thompson doesn't seem to have a big school or small school preference for his defensive backs. While Morgan Burnett and Pat Lee came from big schools and conferences, he's also drafted House and selected Nick Collins from Bethune-Cookman.
While cornerback shouldn't be their top priority, maybe the Packers would be interested in someone like Chase Minnifield in the second round. He had a good eye for the ball in college (13 interceptions), and tackling is considered "one of his better traits." They might prefer a player who already has good fundamentals.