Support » Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst insisted he went

into the NFL draft prepared to go for the best available player with each of Green Bay's eight picks.He thinks that plan worked out well for its biggest need: Defense."I feel really good right now" about the defense Josh Jackson Color Rush Jersey , said Gutekunst on Saturday after finishing his second draft with Green Bay."These guys have to come together as a team, and that takes a lot of work and a lot of time. I'm excited about (second-year defensive coordinator) Mike Pettine and the second year in the system, but the additions we made, I think we're very optimistic about what these guys can do."First-round picks Michigan edge rusher Rashan Gary and Maryland safety Darnell Savage, who the Packers traded up to get, should have an immediate impact for Pettine.On Saturday, three of the Packers' four picks were defensive players: Texas A&M defensive lineman Kingsley Keke, Toledo cornerback Ka'dar Hollman and TCU inside linebacker Ty Summers."I think we've added a lot of playmakers on the defensive side of the ball," Packers first-year head coach Matt LaFleur said. "I think we definitely upgraded our ability to rush the passer. Being an offensive coach, there's nothing harder on an offense, especially if you can rotate guys through."In his first year as defensive coordinator, Pettine's injury-filled unit finished the season ranked 18th in total defense (354.4 yards per game) and 22nd in scoring defense (25.0 points per game). In his previous seasons as the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills, Pettine had never had a group finish outside the top 10 in total defense.Having already added three projected starters on defense in free agency in outside linebackers Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith and safety Adrian Amos, the Packers have only a few projected defensive contributors who are older than 26: Cornerback Tramon Williams (35), defensive lineman Mike Daniels (29) and outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell (27)."Again, a lot of these guys — last year's draft — and some of the guys we acquired ... obviously there's an adjustment period," Gutekunst said. "But I'm really excited about what we have."WHO THEY GOTWhile the focus turned out to be on defense, the Packers did fill two glaring offensive needs: Offensive line depth and a young, athletic tight end. In the second round, they took Mississippi State center/guard Elgton Jenkins, who should compete for the starting right guard job. In the third, they got Texas A&M tight end Jace Sternberger, who will develop behind veterans Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis. Sternberger https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Montravius-Adams-Jersey , who the Packers feel can be both an effective pass catcher and in-line blocker, could flourish in LaFleur's system."Jace, he's got a pretty cool skill set. He's a tight end who can separate," LaFleur said. "That becomes a little bit of a matchup nightmare for a defense."SURPRISE MOVEGutekunst used both of the team's fourth-round picks to trade up to get Savage. Gutekunst said he had to make that trade to ensure he got him — "I know for a fact we would not have gotten him at 30," he said — but it did make for a difficult morning."Historically, we've tried not to have those gaps," Gutekunst said. "It was a long wait. But our numbers were strong, which was nice."HOW THEY DIDWhen he watched the Packers defense last season, Gutekunst felt Pettine didn't have what he really needed — versatile players. And now Gutenkunst feels he's given Pettine a more flexible crew."Mike's big on moving pieces, and I thought we needed to get a lot more pieces for him to move around," Gutekunst said. "I feel much better now than I did previously."WHAT'S NEXT?Having been more active in free agency than they had been under Gutekunst's predecessor, Ted Thompson, the Packers have most of the pieces they plan to go into training camp with. That said, Gutekunst has said from the moment he got the GM job that he will use every avenue of player acquisition, and the team also has a history with undrafted players contributing.The team did stand pat at wide receiver, but having picked three receivers in last year's draft, that wasn't entirely surprising. Statistically, 2015 was Aaron Rodgers’ worst season in the NFL. However, his 2018 season looks worse to the naked eye when watching his performance game in and game out.The Green Bay Packers had a glut of injuries in 2015, when Rodgers was coming off his second MVP award. Jordy Nelson’s torn ACL robbed him of his favorite target, Davante Adams dealt with ankle problems all year long, and it became obvious that Randall Cobb could not be counted on as a true number one receiver. It was so bad that the team had to pull James Jones back in off the street to lead the team in receiving yards. However, much of the team’s struggles were also due to opposing defenses finally figuring out how to defend the Packers Jake Ryan Jersey , particularly when they did not have a true deep threat.In 2018, the Packers thankfully had their number one receiver, Adams, healthy all year. He’s now on pace for 1,502 yards and he already has triple-digit receptions this season with two games to go. Injuries to Cobb and WR3 Geronimo Allison have forced rookies into the lineup, but it is Rodgers’ uneven performance that is primarily responsible for the team’s struggles.His misses on easy throws are inexplicable. His misses on open receivers on deep balls are uncharacteristic and baffling. And these mistakes seem to come in the most critical situations — on third downs or late in games.Yes, Rodgers has made a few big plays late. He drove the Packers to a remarkable comeback against the Bears in week one and again against the 49ers in week six. Yes, Rodgers dealt with a significant knee injury early in the season, which likely hurt his mechanics. Furthermore, Rodgers is hardly the only Packer making mistakes; costly fumbles by Ty Montgomery and Aaron Jones cost the Packers opportunities to come back against two of the NFL’s best teams, while Mike McCarthy’s decision-making helped lose additional games and eventually his job.But if the Packers want to bounce back to contend in 2019, Rodgers absolutely must play better than he has in 2018. Today’s curds take a close look at his struggles and his plans for the remainder of this season.Aaron Rodgers wants to finish the season right | Packers.comThis is the first time since Rodgers' first season as a starter in 2008 that he will be on the active roster after the Packers have been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. Still, he has no plans to take a back seat over these final two games.Aaron Rodgers keeps missing the mark | Packersnews.comPerhaps one of the things that Rodgers can work on in these final two games is getting his mechanics and accuracy back to their normal levels. The two missed deep balls in a tie game set up the Bears to take the lead, and Rodgers' inaccurate pass to Jimmy Graham -- though still arguably catchable -- was deflected for a season-killing interception.Packers QB Aaron Rodgers tweaked groin in loss to Bears | Packers WireThankfully, Rodgers is not going to use this minor injury as an excuse for his play. It seemed to affect his mobility slightly, but should not have caused his inaccuracy in the second half.Packers go down with a fight; no hope left for the season - ESPNA team losing a lot more close games than it wins usually means it is primed for a rebound the next year. The Packers' record in close games (8 points or less) is 2-6-1 this season, and those breaks should even out a bit better next year.NFL Week 15: The 12 dumbest mistakes from Saturday and Sunday, ranked - SBNation.comMatt Nagy outsmarting himself with a fake punt and Tarik Cohen's read-option comes in at number 5 on this week's list.Man defecates on FedEx Forum hallway floor during sold-out game | WREG.comMemphis was playing number 3 Tennessee this weekend, but this guy was a lot more worried about number 2, which he took care of behind a concession stand. Sure, the lines were probably long for the restroom, but COME ON.