Scout Provides All-Packers Mock Draft Based on Senior Bowl
GREEN BAY, Wis. – With the COVID-19 pandemic meaning abbreviated college football seasons for most schools around the country and the cancellation of the traditional Scouting Combine, the Senior Bowl took on greater significance than usual as the only scouting event in which vast numbers of top prospects were assembled at one location.
“Really happy that they were able to pull that off,” Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said recently of the annual all-star game. “A lot of credit goes to Jim Nagy and his staff down there at the Senior Bowl because in the world that we’re living in right now, for them to be able to do it and do it as safely, it was just a really clean event. It always impacts the draft and is an important piece, but even more so this year. I think with the limited opportunities we have to see players, I think it’s going to have a big impact on the draft.”
Given its importance, Packer Central turned to a top NFL scout and asked if he could compile an all-Packers, all-Senior Bowl mock draft. So, armed with his knowledge of the players and provided a list of the Packers’ needs, here’s what he put together. The scout made the picks; the commentary is ours.
1) CB Ifeatu Melifonwu, Syracuse
The Packers need a corner. Everybody knows that. The question is whether Gutekunst wants to get someone with traits that complement Jaire Alexander or if any skilled cornerback would be the early target. Melifonwu is 6-foot-2 5/8 with rare athleticism. Kevin King was 6-foot-3 with rare athleticism, too. That didn’t work out but size matters with so many towering receivers in the league. Melifonwu allowed 8-of-19 passing on targets 10-plus yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus.
2) DT Osa Odighizuwa, UCLA
Playing in all seven games of the Bruins’ abbreviated season, he had four sacks and six tackles for losses. He’s a bit undersized at 6-foot-2 and 280 pounds but he’s got milelong arms at 34 1/8 inches and massive 10 3/4-inch arms to control blockers. New Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry knows a little something about undersized defensive linemen, having worked alongside Aaron Donald the past four seasons. A three-year starter, he is the brother of former UCLA defensive line standout Owa Odighizuwa.
3) WR Josh Palmer, Tennessee
Greatly undervalued by media scouts due in part to poor quarterback play, Palmer caught 90 passes for 1,416 yards and seven touchdowns in his final three seasons. As a senior, he caught 33 passes for career highs of 475 yards and four touchdowns. The native of Canada measured 6-foot-1 1/4 at the Senior Bowl, where he had a touchdown during the game to punctuate a strong week. He’s got excellent ball skills. The Packers need receiver help, not necessarily for 2021 but in 2022, when Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown and Devin Funchess will be free agents.
4a) RB Larry Rountree, Missouri
Depending on the free-agent futures of Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, the Packers could use a running back to pair with AJ Dillon. In four seasons, Rountree was a workhorse with 746 carries for 3,720 yards and 40 touchdowns. Plus, he added 47 receptions. He rushed for 1,216 yards as a sophomore and 972 yards (4.7 average) and 14 touchdowns as a senior, when he added a career-high 15 receptions. He’s got good vision as a zone-scheme runner and, the numbers notwithstanding, promising hands as a receiver but lacks a big-time burst. He measured 5-10 3/4 and 216 pounds at the Senior Bowl.
4b) OL Robert Hainsey, Notre Dame
Hainsey was a three-year starter, mostly at right tackle. At the Senior Bowl, he measured 6-4 1/2 and 302 pounds with 32-inch arms. With so-so athleticism and the lack of length, he figures to move to guard in the NFL. He is a high-effort technician with a lot of zone-scheme experience. He has strong intangibles as a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award and being a two-year team captain.
5a) CB Benjamin St. Juste, Minnesota
The Packers double-dip on Canadians and incredibly tall corners with the Gophers’ St. Juste, who measured an eye-popping 6-3 3/8 at the Senior Bowl. St. Juste doesn’t have much experience. He sat out the 2018 season after transferring from Michigan and he played in five of the Gophers’ seven games in 2020. He failed to record an interception in three seasons but broke up 10 passes in 2019. According to Pro Football Focus, he allowed 2-of-8 passing on targets 10-plus yards downfield. He had a superb week at the Senior Bowl.
5b) ILB Tony Fields, West Virginia
Fields was a four-year starter, with his first three years at Arizona before transferring to West Virginia for his final season. As a senior, he tallied 88 tackles and the third interception of his career. Fields measured 6-foot-1 and 222 pounds at the Senior Bowl, where he dominated the pass-rushing drills. ExpandTheBoxScore.com said Fields has the best motor of this year’s linebacker class. He’s fast and should figure immediately on passing downs.
6a) WR Ben Skowronek, Notre Dame
As a fifth-year senior, Skowronek caught 29 passes for 439 yards and five touchdowns. He had back-to-back seasons of 45 receptions as a sophomore and junior at Northwestern. Skowronek fits the Packers’ mold. He’s 6-foot-2 7/8 with huge 10-inch hands. ExpandTheBoxScore.com called him the best blocking receiver in the draft. He’s got good wheels and hands but needs to improve as a route runner.
6b) OLB Janarius Robinson, Florida State
During his final two seasons, Robinson tallied a total of six sacks and 16 tackles for losses. He’s 6-foot-5 and 266 pounds with whopping 35 3/4-inch arms. He’s exactly what the Packers like on the edge – big, long, physical defenders. He just needs the right coaching to maximize his gifts.
7) C Drake Jackson, Kentucky
The Packers might need to replace Corey Linsley and Jackson was a four-year starter in the rugged SEC. He is undersized and underpowered, which is why he lasted so deep into this draft, but has the athleticism to thrive in Green Bay’s zone scheme. PFF charged him with only one sack the past three seasons.
