Packer Central Twitter Mock Draft
GREEN BAY, Wis. – After putting out five mock drafts, including this one that wasn’t well-received, I turned to my faithful Twitter followers for a mock draft.
Using the simulator at Pro Football Focus, I laid out a list of best-available players (based on PFF and my own thinking) to get your feedback, then had you make the pick via a poll. Here are your picks. (Click on the tweet below for the full exchange throughout the day.)
First round – Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman
The selection of Bateman didn’t require a poll; the comments were good enough. A deep threat with 4.41 speed who can play in the slot, he’d be an instant upgrade for a passing game that revolves almost solely around Davante Adams. In two full seasons and his COVID-abbreviated final campaign, Bateman caught 147 passes for 2,395 yards and 19 touchdowns. My pick: If a receiver like Bateman or LSU’s Terrace Marshall or Florida’s Kadarius Toney were to fall into range, and all the high-quality offensive tackles were gone, the playmaker would be hard to pass up.
CLICK HERE for our predraft feature on Bateman.
Second round – Georgia CB Eric Stokes
At 6-foot 5/8, Stokes ran a sizzling 4.29 40 at his pro day. According to Sports Info Solutions, he allowed just a 38 percent completion rate in 2020 with four interceptions. He’d be a good fit for Green Bay’s zone defenses. My pick: C Creed Humphrey, which would allow the Packers to replace an All-Pro center with a potential All-Pro center.
Third round – BYU OT Brady Christensen
According to Pro Football Focus, Christensen allowed one sack and three pressures out of 409 pass-protecting snaps in 2020. In fact, he gave up one sack in each of the last three seasons. He’s a superb athlete seemingly built for a zone scheme, though the 32 1/4-inch arms could be an issue. My pick: With Yosh Nijman being the only backup tackle on the roster, I echo this pick.
Fourth round – Louisiana Tech DT Milton Williams
In 23 games over his final two seasons, Williams had 10 sacks and 19 tackles for losses. At 6-foot-3 and 284 pounds, he ran a scorching 4.63 in the 40 and put up 34 reps on the bench. He’s got excellent agility but could use another 10 pounds. My pick: Ditto. With that, four big needs were handled in the first four picks.
Fourth round – Minnesota CB Benjamin St-Juste
At 6-foot-3 and with a 4.01-second clocking in the 20-yard shuttle, he has a similar physical toolbox as that of Kevin King. He started only 14 games in his college career and never intercepted a pass. He’s a project but the Packers wouldn’t need him to play Day 1, anyway. My pick: Central Arkansas CB Robert Rochell. I like ball production, and Rochell had 10 interceptions. Plus, he ran his 40 in 4.39 with a 43-inch vertical. Either way, whether it's Stokes and St-Juste or Stokes and Rochell, the cornerback group got a key revamp.
Fifth round – Notre Dame TE Tommy Tremble
Tremble, a possible Day 2 pick, inexplicably fell through the cracks of PFF’s draft simulator and deep into the fifth round. He had 35 catches in two seasons but is an excellent blocker. My pick: This would be tremendous value, especially in a woeful tight end class, but I might have skipped him under the assumption that he wouldn’t have been on the board. Plus, the Packers are pretty well stocked at the position, anyway. So, I would have taken Iowa edge Chauncey Golston. He’s got the size the Packers covet – Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Rashan Gary are big guys, too – and noteworthy production with 27 tackles for losses and 10 passes defensed in his last three seasons.
Fifth round – Texas A&M DT Bobby Brown
At 6-foot-4 and 321 pounds with 34 3/4-inch arms, Brown is the prototype 3-4 defensive lineman. He’s an impressive athlete, too, with a 5.00 in the 40 and a 33-inch vertical. The whole doesn’t equal the sum of its parts. It’s up to Brown and his NFL position coach to reach that potential. My pick: Louisiana RB Elijah Mitchell, an explosive (4.33 in the 40) and sure-handed back.
Sixth round – Stanford C Drew Dalman
Dalman is out of Zone Scheme Central Casting. At 299 pounds, he ran a 5.00 in the 40, 4.51 in the shuttle and put up 33 reps on the bench. He was first-team all-conference in 2020 and allowed just one sack in three seasons. My pick: Dalman, who I mistakenly forgot to put in the fifth-round poll.
Sixth round – Oregon State RB Jermar Jefferson
In three seasons, Jefferson rushed for 2,923 yards and 27 touchdowns and caught 48 passes. A big chunk of that production came as a freshman, when he rushed for 1,380 yards and 12 touchdowns and added 25 receptions. He’s got an all-around, three-down skill-set. My pick: I would have taken a running back in the fifth round and big-play Arkansas State receiver Jonathan Adams, a contested-catch standout, at this spot. But, going with how the earlier picks panned out, Jefferson's a nice consolation prize at running back.
Seventh round – Illinois WR Josh Imatorbhebhe
At this spot in the draft, you might as well swing for the fences. Imatorbhebhe posted a 46.5-inch vertical leap at pro day. He dropped too many passes and missed too much time due to injuries but, at this point, why not? My pick: Purdue LB Derrick Barnes. This draft didn’t net a linebacker and the Packers could use one as a depth piece, if nothing else. He led the team with 7.5 sacks in 2019 and with 54 tackles in six games in 2020. His 4.57 in the 40 was impressive.
