Morning Buzz: Packers continue to throw draft picks at defense

Welcome to your Morning Buzz for Day 3 of the 2018 NFL draft, rounding up news and views regarding the Green Bay Packers from around the web and here at PackersNews.com. Grab a cup of coffee (or brew some tea, if that’s your thing) and get caught up on everything you need to know about the Packers.

We’ll start with Pete Dougherty’s latest column looking at another draft that indicates a lack of urgency in addressing the Packers pass rush.

From Pete:

Brian Gutekunst most definitely targeted the Green Bay Packers’ pass coverage in the first three rounds of this year’s draft.

But the Green Bay Packers’ rookie general manager did it at the expense of outside pass rush, a position the Packers have mostly neglected in the prime rounds of the draft for six years now.

Gutekunst clearly was hell bent on building up his pass defense after the carnage of the last two years, which saw the Packers finish No. 26 in defensive passer rating in 2016 and No. 31 last year. In a passing league, that’s a tough way to win games. This had to be the priority.

Gutekunst went all-in for coverage on the first two days of the draft by selecting cornerbacks Jaire Alexander (No. 18 overall) of Louisville and Josh Jackson (No. 45) of Iowa in the first two rounds, and trading into the third round for a coverage inside linebacker, Vanderbilt’s Oren Burks (No. 88). Fair enough. The Packers need all the help he can get there.

But when you take a player at one position of priority, you’re neglecting another position of priority. And Gutekunst’s first draft continues a run in which the Packers at the top of the draft have neglected the most important part of pass defense: rushing the quarterback. In the last six years, they’ve picked an outside rusher in the first three rounds only once, and that was Kyler Fackrell, a third-rounder in 2016 who after two seasons is looking very much like a miss.

Pete also wrote on the revamped Packers secondary:

Ben Steele looks at the pipeline between Iowa and Green Bay:

Scott Venci writes on the Packers jumping back into the third round to select Oren Burks:

I chatted with readers via Facebook Live to wrap up Day 2:

Elsewhere, Mike Freeman writes that Aaron Rodgers is winning the draft:

Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson are excited to get going:

Pro Football Focus is liking the Packers draft:

Bleacher Report has a look at Jackson’s game:

As does Ben Fennell:

Dave Schroeder has a look at Oren Burks:

People are liking the Packers draft:

Cynthia Frelund says Jackson was the best value in Round 2:

Jackson will wear Sam Shields’ old number:

Burks is excited to be a Packer:

ACME Packing Company looks ahead to Day 3:

James Reynolds looks at the value of next year’s extra first-round pick:

Mark Daniels wraps up Day 2: