The Green Bay Packers have the No. 29 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, and finding the right fit will be the team's focus during this week's NFL Scouting Combine.
Green Bay came close to reaching the Super Bowl in 2016, but a 44-21 loss in the NFC championship game exposed a few weaknesses the Packers could address in the first round with that pick.
MORE: 5 things Packers must do for Rodgers
Here are seven directions in which the Packers could go in the first round.
1. Cornerback, duh
That's the initial reaction after watching Green Bay's cornerbacks struggle throughout the season. Sam Shields is gone, too.
The Packers, however, have been down this road several times. Green Bay has drafted eight defensive backs in the first round since the 1991 NFL Draft, and Ha Ha Clinton Dix is the best of that bunch. That list also includes Vinnie Clark (1991), Terrell Buckley (1992), George Teague (1993), Craig Newsome (1995), Antaun Edwards (1999) and Ahmad Carroll (2004).
The Packers drafted Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins in the first two rounds in 2015 before picking up LaDarius Gunter via free agency. Those three, however, struggled the most last season.
If Green Bay does go for cornerback, the ones to watch are Alabama's Marlon Humphrey, USC's Adoree' Jackson, Florida's Teez Tabor and Quincy Wilson and Washington's Sidney Jones. Of that bunch, Jones has been the most popular in mock drafts.
2. Hometown hero
It's almost too easy. The Packers need an edge rusher. T.J. Watt is from Pewaukee, Wis., played for Wisconsin and is the younger brother of J.J. Watt.
T.J. is disruptive as hell off the edge, too. He had 11.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss for the Badgers in 2016 and could develop into a Clay Matthews-like player at the next level. It would be difficult for Green Bay to pass up on Watt.
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3. That sounds familiar
Derek Barnett's projections are all over the board, but there's no question he was an effective player at Tennessee. He had 32 sacks and broke the school record held by Reggie White. That alone would be enough for some Green Bay fans, but there are questions about how Barnett's game translates and whether he could fit in a 3-4 scheme.
If Barnett can show the same versatility and game-changing ability in the NFL that he did in college, he could be a first-round bargain in a draft loaded with pass rushers. If not Watt or Barnett, then Green Bay could opt for an edge rusher like UCLA's Takkarist McKinley.
4. Give Capers Peppers
Michigan played Jabrill Peppers all over the place, but he might benefit from a more defined role in Dom Capers' defense. Remember how Capers employed Charles Woodson late in his career with the Packers as a hybrid safety playing near the line of scrimmage? That could be Peppers in the Packers' scheme, and he also could help in the secondary as a slot cornerback.
There's added value in the return game, too. Peppers is an all-around talent who could help Green Bay mix it up on defense. This would probably require moving up in the draft, however, and Peppers would have to be worth it.
MORE: Why all eyes are on Peppers
5. Another Badger
Ryan Ramczyk left Wisconsin as an All-American-caliber tackle, and the track record for Badgers' offensive linemen at the next level is solid. With T.J. Lang testing the market, Ramczyk is insurance and is versatile enough to slide over to guard.
It's a safe pick if it needs to be made.
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6. The all-around back
Eddie Lacy's future with Green Bay is uncertain, and Ty Montgomery won't be an every-down back. Green Bay needs to address the position one way or the other with the loss of James Starks.
LSU's Leonard Fournette and Florida State's Dalvin Cook likely won't be available here, but Stanford's Christian McCaffrey could be. McCaffrey averaged 41 catches out of the backfield the last two seasons and would be a nice fit as another option for Rodgers. If Green Bay doesn't do it, the Patriots probably will.
7. Another target
The Packers could add a receiver like Western Michigan's Corey Davis or Clemson's Mike Williams, but the more interesting pick might come at tight end. Jared Cook and Richard Rodgers filled that role that last season, but Miami tight end David Njoku provides the type of mismatch that could be an interesting fit in the middle of the field.
Cook was good late in the season, but Njoku or Alabama's O.J. Howard would add depth to a position coach Mike McCarthy loves.
