Draft Preview: Green Bay Packers
Homerism can hear the chanting from Lambeau now: "DE-FENSE! DE-FENSE!" Man, do the Packers need some tough guys to shore up that side of the ball, because they really aren't too far away from contending.
A nasty pass rusher is a good place to start, and Penn Stater Maybin definitely fits the bill. Maybin isn't quite the sure thing that Texas DE Brian Orakpo is, but he definitely has the kind of upside that makes an even more intriguing prospect. Despite the smallish sample size scouts have to judge Maybin by, his on-field production should be enough to alleviate any concerns about not having spent enough time developing in college.
Maybin also presents the Pack with the advantage of having played in the cold at Happy Valley and other Big Ten towns. That biting Green Bay wind and snow offers an advantage to the home team, but only if Pack players actually do deal with it better than their opponents. It may seems foolish to draft a guy based on weather, but ask teams like Tampa Bay how they like playing in Green Bay and New England in early January.