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Packers should focus on defense, pass-rushers at combine

UTSA pass-rusher Marcus Davenport will get a lot of attention from the Packers at the combine. Soobum Im/USA TODAY Sports

INDIANAPOLIS -- A closer look at the positions the Green Bay Packers could target at the NFL combine in Indianapolis:

Positions of need: Anything that helps new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. When Dom Capers took over that job in 2009, then-GM Ted Thompson finagled his way into a pair of first-round picks -- his own pick at No. 9 and trading back into the first round at No. 26 -- and turned them into nose tackle B.J. Raji and linebacker Clay Matthews. They became cornerstones of a defense that won the Super Bowl in their second season.

Pettine needs that kind of talent influx as he implements his system, and truth be told, he could use help at every level -- from the front seven through the secondary. On offense, the only position that seems well-stocked is running back, where new GM Brian Gutekunst has the three draft picks (Jamaal Williams, Aaron Jones and Devante Mays) Thompson took last season plus Ty Montgomery. Tight end is probably the biggest need after the Martellus Bennett signing blew up last year, while receiver could be a need depending on the status of Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. And after Brett Hundley underperformed in Aaron Rodgers' absence, the Packers will need to add a viable backup quarterback, too.

Three players the Packers should focus on at combine:

Marcus Davenport, DE, UT-San Antonio: We’re going to look at all potential first-round picks given how important this pick is to the start of Gutekunst’s tenure. Both Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay have the Packers taking the pass-rusher at No. 14 in their most recent mock drafts. There are questions about how he’ll handle the jump in competition level from a non-power conference to the NFL, so the Packers will use the combine to help make that decision.

Vita Vea, DT, Washington: Some coaches and scouts believe that the two more important positions in a 3-4 defense are outside linebacker and nose tackle. At 6-foot-4 and 350-plus pounds, Vea looks like the prototypical nose tackle. He would be the 2018 version of Raji and could be the perfect complement for Mike Daniels and Kenny Clark on the defensive line.

Harold Landry, OLB, Boston College: The No. 14 pick might be too early to take Landry, but the nation’s sack leader last season (with 16.5) could be the 2018 version of Matthews. Perhaps Gutekunst would try to trade back into the first round if he likes Landry as much as Thompson liked Matthews in 2009.