Seven-Round Packers Mock Draft 1.0: Addressing Secondary, Running Back
Welcome to the offseason!
The Green Bay Packers' offseason began a little less than a month ago after a disappointing loss at the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional playoffs. Since then, they've hired a defensive coordinator and began to look to 2024 as a season in which they could get over the hump to play on Super Bowl Sunday for the first time since February 2011.
Every week from now until the end of April, we will be performing our own mock drafts to simulate how general manager Brian Gutekunst could attack his perceived needs to help augment his roster.
This week, we used the Pro Football Focus simulator.
Here is how things shook out.
Round 1, Pick 25: Ennis Rakestraw, Jr., CB, Missouri
Rakestraw was set to be one of the players to take the Senior Bowl by storm but was unable to participate due to an injury that is not expected to be a long-term concern.
Jaire Alexander will be part of the cornerback room under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
General manager Brian Gutekunst was very direct, delivering a one-word answer when asked if he would consider trading Alexander.
"No."
That seems pretty straightforward.
Beyond Alexander, the cornerback room is loaded with question marks.
Eric Stokes spent three stints on injured lists. When he played, he struggled as he tried to knock the rust off. Keisean Nixon is a free agent. So is Corey Ballentine. Carrington Valentine had an up-and-down rookie season.
That means cornerback could be Green Bay's biggest need going into 2024. Enter Rakestraw, an aggressive cornerback who fits Hafley's scheme, which presumably is going to be more aggressive than the one directed by Joe Barry.
Round 2, Pick 41: Graham Barton, OL, Duke
Graham Barton is a Green Bay Packer offensive lineman if there ever was one. He has positional versatility, having played inside and outside in college.
His arms are shorter, which could mean he's ticketed for guard or center as he transitions to the NFL.
The Packers could have a need at either of those spots.
At center, Josh Myers is entering a contract year and has had struggles with inconsistency through his first three years. Sean Rhyan will get the first shot at right guard if Jon Runyan leaves in free agency. He played 183 snaps in 12 games in 2023.
Under Brian Gutekunst, the Packers used the 44th overall pick on Elgton Jenkins, and he started for them as a rookie. They also used a second-round pick on Myers. Gutekunst has not been afraid to address the interior of his offensive line early and often.
Barton could offer that ability, and also the versatility to play tackle should the team find itself in a pinch.
Round 2, Pick 58: Jonathan Brooks, RB, Texas
Dane Brugler's draft rankings for The Athletic did not have a running back ranked in the top-69 of the class.
Brooks was Brugler's top-ranked running back, checking in at No. 70.
Brooks' big-play potential is something that is missing from Green Bay's backfield outside of Aaron Jones.
One question will be his health. He suffered a torn ACL in November, so his availability for the start of the season is up in the air. With as many picks as Green Bay has in the top-100 of the draft, perhaps it could take a risk on Brooks with plans to redshirt him as a rookie before fully unleashing him in 2025.
Round 3, Pick 88: Blake Corum, RB, Michigan
Remember when Ted Thompson double-dipped at running back following the 2012 season and ended up with Eddie Lacy and Jonathan Franklin?
A pairing of Brooks and Blake Corum would be done in a similar vein, even if not a perfect stylistic comparison to Lacy and Franklin.
Corum was a workhorse at Michigan with more than 600 carries, leading to some questions about his workload as he enters the NFL.
He's a tough, physical runner who was excellent in short-yardage situations, despite questions about his size.
How Corum measures at the NFL Scouting Combine will be of note, as the Packers typically have preferred their running backs to be bigger than Corum's listed height of 5-foot-8. Gutekunst, however, has bent the famous Ron Wolf thresholds more than once during his tenure as general manager.
He was not used much as a receiver but has shown capable hands in limited opportunities.
Corum would be an excellent complement to Aaron Jones as a rookie and as part of a potential pairing with Brooks if the real draft turned out like this simulation.
Round 3, Pick 91: Cooper Beebe, OG, Kansas State
Cooper Beebe would be another player that is an interior blocker. But, if you're looking ahead, the Packers could use two players to fill those spots with Josh Myers and Royce Newman headed into their contract seasons.
The offensive line is famously one of attrition. Green Bay's depth on the interior is pretty scarce. Newman would be the next man up if someone were to go down with an injury.
Beebe could fill in at either guard spot or center.
If nothing else, Beebe provides insurance at both of those spots with the potential to be a high-level starter.
Round 4, Pick 126: Jaden Hicks, S, Washington State
According to Brugler's Top-100, Hicks would be a steal this late in the fourth round. Brugler had the following to say about Hicks.
With his versatile skill-set, he has the speed to play high and the toughness to play low, filling the alley with urgency or covering big targets in space. Although his read-anticipation is a work in progress, Hicks plays confident and free, trusting his athletic instincts to help him make plays.
The Packers' safety position is barren. They'll use at least one pick at that position, and maybe several if the board falls the right way.
Rounds 5-7: Includes Tight End, Kicker
Ben Sinnott, TE, Kansas State; Andrew Coker, T, TCU; Khalid Duke, EDGE, Kansas State; Tim Smith, DL, Alabama; Harrison Mevis, K, Missouri.
The Packers are projected to get three compensatory picks. Those are to be determined at this point, but could fall in the fifth, sixth and seventh rounds.
With the late rounds of the draft, the goal was to add depth at other positions.
Sinnott is a ready-made replacement for Josiah Deguara, a position Matt LaFleur clearly values.
Harrison Mevis would mark the second consecutive year the Packers draft a kicker. He did make an SEC-record 61-yard field goal to win a game against Kansas State in 2023. Maybe they'll look to add more competition to a kicking room that struggled immensely in 2023.
Smith and Duke add some depth to the defensive front. Andrew Coker gives them a player to develop at the back end of the offensive line room.
What Worked?
Playing the role of Gutekunst in this simulation, I was able to address the cornerback room early, which is something we noted as a big need.
The running back room needs an infusion of talent. Aaron Jones is back, but the rest of the room is uncertain. The combination of Brooks and Corum should be able to help in the short- and long-term futures.
The offensive line was also reinforced with Barton, who could start at center or right guard as early as 2024.
What Didn't Work?
The safety position, one of which Gutekunst pointed out needed some reinforcements, was not addressed until the fourth round.
The board just never fell in a way to make picking a safety sensible. If this were the scenario that played out in April, Gutekunst would likely hope he was able to add a safety in free agency.
The lack of linebacker availability also will be a concern as the Packers switch to a 4-3 defense and perhaps move on from De'Vondre Campbell this offseason.
