Recent 7 Round Mock Draft for Green Bay Packers Misses at WR

A recently released seven-round mock draft for the Green Bay Packers leaves a lot to be desired.

The 2019 NFL season is now officially over and mock draft season is in full swing, although you could easily argue that it already has been for the last month or so. Nonetheless, at this point mock drafts are being released left and right but a recent one from Matt Miller of Bleacher Report caught my eye.

For one, it’s a seven-rounder which we just don’t see many of, especially at this stage of the game. And two, given the needs that the Green Bay Packers have to address this offseason, particularly when it comes to adding weapons to this offense, I thought it was quite uninspiring and my hope is that the board doesn’t actually fall this way come April’s draft.

Below we will go through Miller’s seven-round mock for the Green Bay Packers and I will give my big takeaways from the results.

Round 1, Pick 30: Cole Kmet TE – Notre Dame

Here is what Matt Miller had to say about this selection for the Green Bay Packers:

"“We hear so much about how the Packers need to add weapons for Aaron Rodgers, but most often that talk centers around the wide receiver position. That is definitely a need, but in a historically deep receiver class, it doesn’t have to be a Round 1 need.Tight end is another big need for Green Bay. Jimmy Graham is nearing the end of his run and isn’t as effective on the field as his name would suggest. The team needs its George Kittle or Travis Kelce.Cole Kmet might not reach that level of impact—they are the two best tight ends in football after all—but he’s built in that mold. He’s 6’5″, 260 pounds, he can block, he can run, and he can dominate up the seam. Kmet is every scout’s answer to the Kittle/Kelce style of play.”"

Takeaway: I do agree that given the depth at wide receiver, the Packers don’t have to select one in the first-round, however, if that’s the case, I’d prefer they take an inside linebacker, an interior defensive lineman, or a tackle. But in this scenario they instead go with Cole Kmet and it’s almost as if Jace Sternberger has been completely forgotten about.

A few within the Packers’ organization expect Sternberger to make a huge jump in 2020. Marcedes Lewis has called him a “difference maker” while Brian Gutekunst called him a “matchup problem.” And I am quite confident in his ability to handle to TE1 role moving forward.

Now, I do agree that Green Bay needs to add another tight end or two to their roster with Jimmy Graham likely gone and Lewis’s status up in the air. But with that said, I think a veteran will do just fine or they could find a solid option in the second or third round of the draft, such as Hunter Bryant for example. I’m just not sold on Kmet as a first-round selection given the Packers’ other needs.

Below is the remainder of Miller’s mock draft for the Green Bay Packers followed by my final thoughts and big takeaways:

Round 2, Pick 62: Malik Harrison LB – Ohio State

Round 3, Pick 94: Chase Claypool WR – Notre Dame

Round 4, Pick 133: Javelin Guidry CB – Utah

Round 5, Pick 176: Zach Shackelford IOL – Texas

Round 6, Pick 193: Jeremy Chinn  S – Southern Illinois

Round 6, Pick 210: Myles Bryant CB – Washington

Round 7, Pick 225: Robert Landers DL – Ohio State

Round 7, Pick 243: Jack Driscoll OT – Auburn

Final Thoughts and Big Takeaways

• For a Green Bay Packers team that needs an infusion of weapons on offense, leaving the draft with only Cole Kmet and Chase Claypool is very underwhelming.
• I also think it’s worth pointing out that Laviska Shenault Jr. was still on the board at pick No. 30.
• While I don’t necessarily mind the selection of Malik Harrison in Round 2, if that’s the case, we better hope the Packers brought in a veteran during free agency. At this point Harrison struggles in coverage and may not be a three down linebacker yet. Meanwhile, Green Bay needs someone who can step in and be a difference maker.
• At 6’4″ and nearly 230 pounds, Claypool is a huge receiver and is a player that could potentially give Green Bay a deep threat in their offense. Given how Gutekunst has drafted almost strictly top athletes at their respective positions, it will be interesting to see how Claypool performs at the combine.
• I certainly don’t mind the mid-round picks on a CB and a IOL. For one, Green Bay needs more bodies in the CB room and taking a swing with Javelin Guidry could payoff. Meanwhile, you can never have too many offensive lineman.
• You always want to take the best player available, but factoring in positional need is key as well. So selecting a safety when the Packers already have Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, Ibraheim Campbell, and Raven Greene on the roster in 2020 seems like that pick could have been better spent elsewhere.
• And once again, if Green Bay is waiting to select an IDL in Round 7, I hope they made a veteran addition in free agency.
• Depending where you look big boards are going to differ, but The Draft Network has Jack Driscoll as their 142nd overall prospect, meaning in Round 7 he is quite a steal. However, I would like to see Green Bay address this position sooner and find someone to develop behind Bryan Bulaga – if he is back.

When I look at key positions that the Green Bay Packers need to address this offseason, the first three that come to mind are wide receiver, inside linebacker, along with an interior defensive lineman. And overall, I just don’t think this draft hit those marks as well as they could have, although at ILB it’s just not a very deep draft class to begin with.

While there is still plenty to discover in the draft process, in this scenario the Green Bay Packers simply didn’t come away with enough impact players. And if this is the case, free agency better have gone extremely well.