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A loss in the high-scoring affair would have given Green Bay a higher draft selection White Ty Summers Jersey , but would the team have picked any differently?"The conclusion of the 2018 season was far from what anyone expected for the Green Bay Packers prior to the beginning of the season. With just three wins in the final 10 games, the Packers’ postseason hopes were dashed well before the final few weeks of the season. As a result, Green Bay found itself in one of its highest spots in the draft pecking order of the past decade.Almost unfortunately, the Packers rather improbably won an additional game in the final stretch of the season that dropped them several slots down in the first round. Green Bay still landed a legitimate prospect with a high ceiling at pick 12 with the choice of Michigan’s Rashan Gary. But would things have played out differently with a top-10 pick?Some alternative draft options, as well as how the Packers’ draft haul stacked up against that of another divisional rival, are analyzed in today’s musings.Is Montravius Adams’ roster spot in peril?It was one thing for Green Bay to bring defensive lineman Fadol Brown back for the 2019 training camp, but it was another for the Packers to draft Kingsley Keke. Although he was a fifth-round selection, Keke will be a versatile player along the Packers’ defensive line next season and is already someone team personnel is drooling over. While many talked about Keke, who will wear a number 96 jersey to theoretically put an end to Muhammad Wilkerson’s short-lived stay in Green Bay, it could also put pressure on Montravius Adams.A 2017 third-rounder, Adams spent his rookie season on injured reserve before making minimal contributions in his second season. There was some boom-or-bust potential when the Packers initially drafted Adams and the addition of Keke could put him on the bubble. Last year, the Packers kept five defensive linemen at the final cutdown. Mike Daniels, Kenny Clark Davante Adams Jersey , and Dean Lowry figure to be locks to make the roster unless something unforeseen happens. Tyler Lancaster found a niche on the roster in 2018 as an undrafted free agent. The addition of Keke would give the Packers five solid rotational players for 2019 even before Adams and Brown.The Packers cut ties in the past with former third-round pick Khyri Thornton in short order when it became apparent he would not be a strong rotational piece for the team. Adams has work to do to make sure he does not become the next far-too-early casualty.Would a loss to the New York Jets in Week 16 have changed the Packers’ draft plans?Green Bay came out on the winning end of a back-and-forth, 44-38 overtime duel with the Jets in Week 16. But had they not left MetLife Stadium with a win, the Packers would have owned the eighth overall pick with a 5-10-1 record, one pick ahead of the Detroit Lions.At that spot, Green Bay would have had the opportunity to pounce on a defensive player such as Ed Oliver or Devin Bush. With a higher pick in the second round as well, the Packers could have been afforded the opportunity to take a tackle like Dalton Risner or quarterback Drew Lock, whom the organization was rumored to be keenly interested in. General Manager Brian Gutekunst said the Packers were “locked in” on Rashan Gary since February, but it would have been interesting to have been a fly on the wall in the Packers’ war room had Ed Oliver been available. While everyone in Titletown is certainly hoping for Gary to become the next great edge rusher to wear number 52, it will be fascinating to watch the career trajectories of both Gary and Oliver for years to come.The Packers’ draft is one that Detroit Lions fans might wish they had Looking back at the early draft results, the Packers look to have had perhaps the strongest draft from top to bottom in the NFC North. While time will tell about the success of Green Bay’s eight selections, especially on the first day of the draft, I personally would be jealous as a fan of another divisional squad.One could argue the Lions’ best two value picks were their first two picks of the third day in Austin Bryant and Amani Oruwariye. Detroit passed on an opportunity to take one of the top defensive players on the board in round one to grab T.J. Hockenson, which is not a bad pick in itself. However Ray Nitschke Jersey White , the Lions could have easily swiped another quick-fix, high-potential tight end like Irv Smith with their early second-round pick and still addressed the position without a premium choice. Instead, they reached mightily in the second and third rounds with Jahlani Tavai and Will Harris to fill defensive holes.Watching the NFL Draft with a Lions fan, it was hard to ignore his agony over the team’s first three selections. After all, the team’s rocky experience with another top-ten tight end, Eric Ebron, still looms in the rear-view mirror despite the differences between him and Hockenson. But with the draft as top-heavy in defensive talent and loaded with tight end depth as it was, Green Bay did better to take Gary early and add Jace Sternberger later in the third round.The Takeaway, Bills vs. Packers: Mike Pettine’s defense dominates third down A trend emerged over the first three games of the Green Bay Packers’ 2018 season.While the overall numbers painted the picture of a team still largely unable to halt opponents with regularity, a closer look revealed that the Green Bay defense thrived on third down with 4 or more yards to go. Forcing those situations proved to be the challenge at times, but once there new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine could dial up exotic blitzes and consistently short-circuit drives.Against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Pettine and his defense put on a show on those third-down situations. The Packers forced third-and-4 or longer an impressive 13 times, eight of which resulted in a stop. That third-down defensive success largely won the game for Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers Jersey White , given the context of the previous three weeks, suggests meaningful progress for the unit after just one quarter of the season.But those numbers don’t fully illustrate the Packers’ third-down dominance. All three of the Bills’ turnovers -- two interceptions and a fumble loss -- came on third down and at least 4 yards to go. Pettine’s exotic blitzes, particularly his affinity for rushing defensive backs, turned the defense into a play-making unit.And perhaps that explains why Aaron Rodgers referred to the defensive performance as “championship” level during his post-game press conference. During the Packers’ best defensive seasons under previous coordinator Dom Capers, the group finished near the top of the league in turnovers. Those takeaways hadn’t totally evaporated in Green Bay over the past few years, but that production needs to improve in order to take the pressure off an offense that remains a work in progress. Forcing more long third downs seems like a reliable way to up those numbers.Ultimately, the Bills present one of the weaker challenges on Green Bay’s schedule, and that factors into any discussion of Sunday’s shutout. At the same time, a good defense should give up few if any points to an offense led by rookie quarterback Josh Allen and arguably the worst collection of offensive talent in the league, and the Packers pulled it off with minimal mistakes.Aaron Jones shows off more than just his running abilityMidway through Aaron Jones’ rookie season, it became clear that the UTEP product had the skills and physical tools to lead the Packers’ ground attack. Injuries derailed that effort, but even so, it seemed Jones would take over the backfield during his second season.Despite missing the first two games of 2018 with a suspension Womens Ray Nitschke Jersey , Jones has once again emerged as a dangerous part of the Packers offense. In his season debut, he led the team with 42 rushing yards on just six carries. Jones built upon that start with an 11-carry, 65-yard performance against the Bills, which also featured his first touchdown of the year. Already, he has moved ahead of Ty Montgomery in rushing yards on the year. At some point over the next week or so, Jones should eclipse Jamaal Williams as well.Since he entered the league, pass blocking has proven to be the biggest obstacle standing between Jones and a larger role. He finished third among the Packers’ running backs in snaps during Week 3, and he remained in a timeshare with Williams and Montgomery seven days later despite far superior production.However, the existing split could change in the near future. Against Buffalo, Jones showcased improved pass protection and willingness to take on difficult blocking assignments. The best demonstration came on third-and-1 with 8:26 remaining in regulation. With Rodgers’ back turned to the defense during a play fake, the second-year running back came up and de-cleated defensive end Trent Murphy, ensuring the necessary time for the play to develop. Such a “wow” moment would have seemed inconceivable a year ago, but Jones appears to have made a concerted effort to develop that part of his game.Blocks like that could encourage the coaches to increase Jones playing time in the future. He might never reach Williams’ proficiency as a pass protector Womens Aaron Rodgers Jersey , but Jones only needs to earn the trust of Rodgers and the staff to further tilt the backfield rotation in his favor.Aaron Rodgers’ wheels returnFrom the moment Rodgers returned from his Week 1 knee injury, it became evident that he lacked the mobility to extend plays and punish defenses with his legs. Though Rodgers did scramble at times against the Minnesota Vikings and Washington over the past two weeks, such plays made up a smaller percentage of his plays than usual.Though Rodgers’ knee probably remains significantly below 100 percent healthy, he looked more comfortable and mobile against the Bills Sunday than at any time since the injury. The veteran quarterback scrambled five times for 31 yards, including a 15-yard sideline scamper that set up a field goal just before halftime. Just as importantly, Rodgers looked fluid and comfortable moving around in the pocket, working outside the play design when necessary.Those developments, combined with the fact Rodgers’ practice workload increased this past week, suggest that the most dangerous version of the Packers’ quarterback could return soon barring a setback. The next two weeks feature matchups with the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers, two teams with middling-at-best pass rushes, followed by Green Bay’s bye. If Rodgers can safely navigate that stretch, he could look fully recovered in time for the all-important Week 8 tilt with the currently undefeated Los Angeles Rams.