Mock Draft: How Picking Love Makes Filling Holes Huge Challenge
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The NFL Draft isn’t only about the upcoming season. It’s about upcoming seasons. With the Green Bay Packers selecting Jordan Love in the first round on Thursday night, general manager Brian Gutekunst hopes to have secured the team’s standard of success well into the next decade.
However, it made taking the next step after reaching the NFC Championship Game incredibly difficult.
Love isn’t going to play slot receiver to catch passes from his mentor, Aaron Rodgers. He’s not going to create havoc alongside Kenny Clark on the defensive line. He’s not going to add to the linebacker corps. He’s not going to be the No. 3 offensive tackle. He’s not going to intercept any passes.
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The Packers own the 62nd pick of the second round and the 94th pick of the third round on Friday. Having sent their fourth-round pick to Miami in moving up to get Love, the Packers have one pick in the fifth round, three picks in the sixth round and two picks in the seventh round on Saturday. It’s a challenge not filling a need in the first round. It’s even a bigger challenge not having a fourth-rounder. That was clear in this simulation I did at Pro Football Network. (I did a separate mock in the Draft Network’s simulator; that is the associated video.)
Second: TCU OT Lucas Niang. (Best available included DTs Raekwon Davis, Justin Madubuike, Jordan Elliott, Neville Gallimore; S Jeremy Chinn; WR Gabriel Davis, LB Logan Wilson.)
Third: Texas WR Devin Duvernay. (Best available included WRs Lynn Bowden, Bryan Edwards, Donovan Peoples-Jones; OL Robert Hunt; CB Tony Pride; S Ashtyn Davis.)
Fifth: Temple LB Shaun Bradley. (Best available included OL Hakeem Adeniji; TE Josiah Deguara, Dalton Keane; WRs Joe Reed, Isaiah Hodgins, RB James Robinson, Quartney Davis.
Sixth: Virginia Tech TE Dalton Keane. (Best available included WRs Joe Reed, Quartney Davis, Dezmon Patton, G Cordel Iwuagwu, Tremayne Anchrum, Kevin Dotson.)
Sixth: Louisiana G Kevin Dotson.
Sixth: Michigan State DT Raequan Williams. (Best available included edge Anfernee Jennings, DB Julian Blackmon, WRs Juwan Johnson, Ja’Marcus Bradley, Quez Watkins; OT Alex Taylor.)
Seventh: Temple CB Harrison Hand. (Best available included WR Quez Watkins, edge Carter Coughlin, S Geno Stone, OL Jon Runyan.)
Seventh: Cincinnati RB Michael Warren. (Best available included OL Jon Runyan, S Geno Stone, RB Darius Anderson, CB Lamar Jackson, DL Tyler Clark).
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