NFL.com Mock: Packers Land FCS Receiver
GREEN BAY, Wis. – In his mock draft for NFL.com, Bucky Brooks went off the beaten path for the Green Bay Packers’ two first-round draft picks.
At No. 22 overall, the selection acquired in the Davante Adams trade, Brooks went to Central Michigan and grabbed offensive tackle Bernhard Raimann. The Packers have a hole at right tackle following the release of Billy Turner. A native of Austria, Raimann is a big-time athlete with a ton of room to improve considering he spent his first two collegiate seasons as a tight end.
“The Packers are not afraid to invest in their offensive line with top picks, having chosen two (Josh Myers and Elgton Jenkins) in Round 2 within the last three drafts,” Brooks wrote. “As a former tight-end turned offensive tackle, Raimann is a nimble athlete with the balance and body control to handle athletic rushers on the edges.”
At No. 28, Brooks got the receiver the Packers covet. And he might be ahead of the curve by going with North Dakota State’s Christian Watson in the first round. Never mind that he played in the Football Championship Subdivision. This is the receiver the scouts love. And coach Matt LaFleur might love him, too, based on his need for speed. In fact, from a size-athleticism perspective, he’s practically off the charts.
As a senior performing in a run-first offense, he caught 43 passes for 801 yards (18.6 average) and seven touchdowns. He has Marquez Valdes-Scantling’s combination of height and speed, enormous hands and plenty of experience as a blocker. He dominated the Senior Bowl to answer some of those competition questions.
“If the Packers break from tradition and add a pass-catcher in Round 1 for the first time since 2002, Watson could be the pick as a long, rangy player with speed and sticky hands,” Brooks wrote.
CLICK HERE for the full mock draft and which receivers went to which team.
