Draft Countdown 7-Round Mock Draft: Packers Grab Playmakers Early
GREEN BAY, Wis. – With the Senior Bowl in the rear-view mirror, Draft Countdown’s Shane Hallam put together a seven-round mock draft that sent a linebacker to the Green Bay Packers with the 28th pick.
Green Bay could have a huge hole in the middle of the defense if it can’t scrape up the money to re-sign All-Pro linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. Hallam’s pick had an excellent national championship game.
In Day 2, he grabbed two smaller-school playmakers to fill needs.
Round 2: TE Trey McBride, Colorado State. McBride won the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end and was the school’s first-ever unanimous All-American. He led all FBS tight ends with 90 receptions and 1,121 receiving yards. The final play of his collegiate career was a 69-yard touchdown on a fake punt.
At the Senior Bowl, he measured 6-foot-3 1/8 and 249 pounds. He was coached by the Jets’ Ron Middleton. “It's not going to be anything pretty,” Middleton said. “It’s just doggone meat and potatoes, baby. He loves the grind, he loves to strain. I think his technique from a blocking standpoint has the furthest to go, but he will stick his face in there.”
The Packers have a potential need at tight end depending on the futures of Robert Tonyan (free agent; torn ACL) and Marcedes Lewis (age and price tag).
Round 3: WR Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama. Tolbert had a dominant senior season with 82 receptions for 1,474 yards and eight touchdowns. He topped 140 receiving yards in six games, including seven catches for 143 yards and one score at Tennessee. He’s got the deep speed should the Packers lose big-play receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency.
Tolbert measured 6-foot-1 1/4 and 195 pounds at the Senior Bowl. In a Senior Bowl Q&A, he listed Aaron Rodgers has a quarterback he’d love to catch a pass from once he reaches the NFL.
"I watch a lot of Davante Adams, Julio Jones and Stefon Diggs,” Tolbert said. “I try to take a different amount of things from those three guys. Davante Adams’ release and route running and how he sells stuff. Stefon Diggs does the same thing and how he moves pre-route is something I would like to pick up on. Julio Jones’ physicality and how he attacks the ball. I believe those three guys are three elite receivers right now in the NFL so I definitely watch those guys.”
