All Packers Mock Draft 4.0
The NFL Draft will be conducted in exactly one month. With the re-signings of Aaron Jones, Kevin King and Marcedes Lewis but the departure of All-Pro center Corey Linsley, the Green Bay Packers’ needs are coming more into focus.
With that as a backdrop, here is our fourth all-Packers mock draft. This one was done via The Draft Network’s simulator. To mock these selections, here's how the draft played out.
First round – Alabama DT Christian Barmore: At 6-foot-4 and 310 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.93 seconds, according to Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy. He is coming off a season in which he recorded eight sacks and three forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus, he had 12 pressures in the two playoff games. Green Bay could use a playmaking defensive tackle to pair with Kenny Clark. To be sure, draft simulators are for entertainment purposes only. But the one thing you learn is when the depth in one particular draft group can disappear in a hurry. I don’t think this is a very good D-line draft. So, I didn’t really consider the bevy of quality corners – including Northwestern’s Greg Newsome – who were available with this pick.
Second round – BYU OT Brady Christensen: To me, offensive tackle is an interesting spot for the Packers. With David Bakhtiari and Billy Turner, the Packers have a quality tandem. So, from that standpoint, they really don’t need an offensive tackle. But Bakhtiari is coming off a torn ACL and might not be ready for Week 1. Moreover, last year’s No. 3 tackle, Rick Wagner, played almost 60 percent of the offensive snaps. The Packers don’t have a No. 3 tackle on the roster. If general manager Brian Gutekunst can’t convince Jared Veldheer to play, getting a tackle seems like a priority. Christensen is a good player who had a great pro day.
Third round – Oklahoma State WR Tylan Wallace: The problem with doing these mocks fairly regularly is you start to really like a player and you get into the habit of drafting him. That’s the case for Wallace, who I’ve picked in all four versions. Wallace caught 198 passes and scored 26 touchdowns during his final three seasons. As a senior, he caught 59 passes for 922 yards and six touchdowns. He is superb in contested-catch situations.
Fourth round – Oklahoma State CB Rodarius Williams: Green Bay’s four major needs are defensive line, receiver, cornerback and offensive line. One of those, obviously, had to wait. I think this is a really good crop of cornerbacks, so I waited and took a volume approach at a position in which former draft picks Josh Jackson and Ka’dar Hollman were inactive for the playoffs and Kevin King and Jackson will be free agents next offseason. Williams has a lot of experience, which is good. He doesn’t have a lot of ball production, which isn’t good.
Fourth round – Georgia S Richard LeCounte III: One reason why Green Bay liked Will Redmond, who remains unsigned, is his versatility. He wasn’t great at any one spot but he could contribute throughout the secondary and be a factor on special teams. LeCounte is the same kind of player, with considerable action in the slot, box and deep safety. He had eight interceptions and four forced fumbles in his three seasons as a starter.
Fifth round – Central Florida CB Tay Gowan: A junior-college transfer, Gowan had two interceptions and eight pass breakups in his first season at UCF in 2019. According to PFF, he allowed just a 40 percent catch rate. He opted out of 2020 after testing positive for COVID and with his daughter being born premature.
Fifth round – Kentucky C Drake Jackson: Elgton Jenkins and Lucas Patrick can play center but why not get a natural center? Jackson was a four-year starter in the rugged SEC. He is undersized and underpowered but has the athleticism to thrive in Green Bay’s zone scheme. PFF charged him with only one sack the past three seasons.
Sixth round – Iowa WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette: In four seasons, Smith-Marsette caught 110 passes for 1,615 yards and 14 touchdowns. The allure is the versatility. He averaged 8.1 yards on 34 career carries, making it easy to see him in the Tyler Ervin jet-sweep role. Plus, he averaged 28.7 yards with two touchdowns on kickoff returns. He ran a 4.43 in the 40 at pro day.
Sixth round – California CB Camryn Bynum: Last year’s slot defender, Chandon Sullivan, figures to return but, as new defensive coordinator Joe Barry said, you can never have enough nickels. Bynum is an intriguing fit there because he’s such a solid run defender. He has a lot of experience with six interceptions and 28 passes defensed for his career.
Seventh round – Coastal Carolina edge Tarron Jackson: In his final two seasons, Jackson had 18 sacks, 26.5 tackles for losses and five forced fumbles. He is the school’s career leader in sacks, TFLs and hurries. While he’s got some heft at 254 pounds, he was mainly a pass rusher in college.
