The Green Bay Packers have some big decisions to make in the 2017 NFL draft. The team has obvious needs at priority positions (edge rusher, cornerback) and varying degrees of needs at lesser value positions (guard, running back, inside linebacker).

With the start of the draft only a few days away, we decided to ask draft analyst and edge expert Justis Mosqueda a few of the bigger questions facing the Packers. Mosqueda has brought refreshing new ideas to the draft process, such as his Force Players metric and his deep dive into Ted Thompson’s size and athleticism thresholds at every position.

Here’s the Q&A:

1. Bigger draft need for the Packers: Cornerback or guard?

I think it’s guard. When you look at it right now, the Packers have Davon House and Damarious Randall starting outside, at worst. Now the depth just isn’t there in case of an injury (we all saw that last year,) but it’s way too early to cut ties with Randall, and House got starter money on that “prove it” deal. I wouldn’t be surprised if House gets extended mid-season. I’m not sure if the team has a replacement for a slot type of player, but based on how Green Bay’s treated Micah Hyde and Casey Hayward on the open market recently, I’m not sure they value it much.

On the other hand, the Packers are starting Don Barclay at guard. Jason Spriggs is a swing tackle and he’s always going to be a tackle. His issues coming out of Indiana were stopping inside moves and overall core strength. I think those are the two easiest things to teach a bookend, and it makes sense why Green Bay valued him highly, but he’s a bookend.

2. You predicted the Kenny Clark pick for the Packers in the first round last year. Who does Green Bay take at 29 next week?

No name makes as much sense as Clark did at the time. I think my realistic board, based on the team’s tendencies would be:

– CB Gareon Conley

– OL Forrest Lamp

– WR Corey Davis

– CB Tre’Davious White

– LB Reuben Foster

… and then Pandora’s box of Marlon Humphrey/T.J. Watt/Tyus Bowser and maybe Jordan Willis. I think Foster will be interesting to watch, considering Aaron Nagler told us last year that Green Bay was close to pulling the trigger on Myles Jack, who was another linebacker who doesn’t totally fit Green Bay’s mold early and didn’t test. Linebacker under Dom Capers is where we have the fewest data points to judge Green Bay on what they like. Their highest picks have been two fourth-rounders. They’ve converted more pass-rushers into inside linebackers since Capers has been the defensive coordinator in Green Bay than they’ve drafted.

3. The Packers need an edge rusher or two. I’m comfortable calling you an edge expert. Who are your favorite fits on the edge for Green Bay in this draft?

Derek Rivers and Vince Biegel are who I’m hoping for on Day 2 and Day 3 of the draft. From 2005-2016, here is a list of college pass-rushers who recorded at least Biegel’s 40 and 3-cone times at over 245 pounds:

– DeMarcus Ware

– Von Miller

– Vic Beasley

– Cliff Avril

– Bruce Irvin

– Connor Barwin

– Anthony Barr

– Zak DeOssie

The only miss of the group is DeOssie, and he’s made the Pro Bowl twice as a special teams ace. Rivers has even better numbers than Biegel and is Youngstown State’s career sack leader. I think Rivers has a shot to go in the back end of the first round depending on if T.J. Watt and Tyus Bowser go as high as some are talking about behind closed doors.

4. We both love Derek Rivers. Explain why he’s going to be a really good edge rusher in the NFL.

I did a video with Matt Waldman about Rivers this year. I think he’s going to be the player mocked in the top 10 of redrafts in a few years who was massively underrated by everyone else. He’s one of the more fluid pass-rushers I have seen in recent years.

He checks off the boxes when going against Power Five teams at Youngstown State and when he was down at the Senior Bowl. I focused on defensive linemen the whole week and I would have said Rivers was the most consistent pass-rusher of anyone down in Mobile that week. He killed the combine. He’s a great run defender. I think he can drop into coverage. He’s a player who I think can play 3-4 OLB or 4-3 defensive end on any down no matter the play call. All 32 teams should be in the market for him in the second round. I just think he got lost in the shuffle in a defensive class with so many edge defenders and cornerbacks from big schools who either have pedigree or tested well. Rivers is somewhere on the Jerry Hughes to Cliff Avril spectrum, and that’s worth a top-20 pick.

5. How are you going to feel when the Packers take T.J. Watt at 29?

I’ll understand but also be disappointed. Athletic pass-rusher with college production and a bloodline and all that, but I think of Watt more as a true linebacker than as a pass-rusher. I just don’t always see it with Watt. I think he wins more with effort than talent. I’d take Rivers and Biegel ahead of him, personally.