For the first time in what seems like forever the Green Bay Packers finally looked penetrable with some glaring and obvious flaws.  

While the team has had the advantage of riding the arm of one of the most deadly accurate quarterbacks in the league with Aaron Rodgers the skill of their signal caller simply wasn't enough.

Things got off to a bad start early on when star and go-to receiver Jordy Nelson went down for the year, but many including myself foolishly scoffed at the idea that Rodgers would skip a beat with a “next man up” mentality.

Such was far from the case however, as Davante Adams proved still too raw and undeveloped at this stage in his career, and when the team then tried relying on the run game the outcome had inconsistent reviews.  

On the other side of the ball Ted Thompson continued to revamp his defense building and relying on the draft choosing players with raw yet highly talented skill sets.  

Last year Thompson plucked two Senior Bowl standouts Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins to add to fellow first-rounder Ha-Ha Clinton Dix.  While the trio seems to be headed in the right direction as one of the better up and coming defensive backfield tandems, other areas of the defense have declined in play after not receiving the same amount of attention.  

Linebacker specifically looked vulnerable after the inside spots were so depleted for talent the coaching staff was forced to move pro-bowl edge rusher Clay Matthews to the middle in a desperation decision to help fill the void.  

The outcome was deflating though as Matthews was ineffective and seemed outmatched against bigger interior offensive lineman.  The switch was a double edged sword as the defense also lost Matthews playmaking ability around the edge disrupting plays in the backfield.  

To make matter worse the team's anchor in the middle B.J Raji recently announced his retirement which came to the surprise of many. This puts another pressing need on Thompson's laundry list of to-dos come draft weekend.  

1. Nose Tackle

Whether its speed, power, or toughness the Packers defense has lacked a true identity over the past few seasons as the front office continues to try and rebuild the once dominating and opportunistic unit.

With the surprising retirement of B.J. Raji general manager Ted Thompson is suddenly behind the eight-ball when it comes to ranking his most pressing needs forced to value the interior line more than ever.   

Throughout time every great 3-4 defensive team has had a nose tackle that can flat out dominate and take over games in the trenches by chewing up blockers and allowing teammates behind them to fly to the ball.  

While the best pure nose tackle in the draft class will be long gone at pick 27 in Baylor’s Andrew Billings luckily for Thompson this class is loaded with valuable interior lineman that could be had later in the round or later in the draft altogether.  

2. Inside Linebacker

The team was so depleted and thin inside at the linebacker position they were forced to move Clay Matthews inside while starting a raw rookie next to him in Michigan’s Jake Ryan.  

While Ryan may prove to be an adequate starter down the road it's vital for the front office to replenish the position with talent early in the draft to at the very least allow Matthews to move back outside where he is at his best working in space.  

3. Defensive End

Mike Daniels busted out of his proverbial shell last season and turned into one of the best five-techniques in the game.   

However, opposite of Daniels was a heavy rotation of mix-and-match players Dom Capers hoped could fill the void of former first-round pick Datone Jones who failed to develop into the player they hoped he would be.  

While the backend of the defense is chalk full of young and emerging talent, focusing on adding depth in the trenches in a game that is still won and lost upfront will be a quiet priority inside the war room.  

4. Offensive Line  

When a quarterback can get rid of the ball as quickly as Rodgers does their offensive lineman are happy campers.  The Packers have never owned a dominant protecting unit but have never needed to.  Until now.  

When the team lost Jordy Nelson to injury the rest of the world watched Rodgers hiccup through reads and progressions more than usual forcing the offensive line to hold up longer than they were use to. The offensive line struggled with the majority of same starters they've always flourished with before.

Once injuries were put into the equation things went from ugly to worse as the lack of depth was tested mightily and failed more times than not.  

After ignoring the position for years early in the draft this should finally be the year Thompson pulls the trigger on a top tier prospect to infuse the unit with more talent and depth.   

5. Tight End

In an “off year” compared to the Packers offensive standards it's tough to say Richard Rodgers was bad, but he has yet to live up to the high expectations that comes with being Aaron Rodgers’ tight end.    

After watching the offense sputter last season Mike Mccarthy may be banging the table for another red-zone weapon that offers up more versatility with athletic traits that he can move all over the field to create new mismatches.    

Packers Mock Draft

1. (27) Reggie Ragland, Inside Linebacker, Alabama

2. (57) Vernon Butler, Defensive Tackle, Louisiana Tech

3. (88) Carl Nassib, Defensive End, Penn State

4. (125) Nick Vannett, Tight End, Ohio State

4. (131 Compensatory*) Le’Raven Clark, Offensive Tackle, Texas Tech

5. (137 Compensatory*) Sean Davis, Cornerback, Maryland

5. (163) Graham Glasgow, Center/Guard, Michigan

6. (200)  D.J. Reader, Nose Tackle, Clemson

7. (248) Aaron Green, Running Back, TCU