Green Bay Packers: Mock Draft Battle 1.0

Mike: Ben Bartch OT – St. John’s

One of Brian Gutekunst’s goals with this roster is to continue to add more elite athleticism and Bartch can do just that. Small school offensive linemen have seen a bit of a renaissance in the past decade, with some very strong players making their presence known.

Bartch has the athletic ability to stay at tackle and can be a swing tackle as early as his rookie year with the potential to replace Bryan Bulaga sooner rather than later once he improves his technique just a little bit.

Bartch comes into the league with more polish than expected for a guy who played in Division III, and his feet are plenty quick enough to handle pass rushers at the next level. He just needs to get into the weight room before training camp and improve his strength to help anchor in the running game a bit better. But the ceiling is there for Bartch to emerge as a long-term starter at right tackle and make the Packers offensive line one of the more athletic in the NFL.

Kenny: Jalen Hurts QB – Oklahoma

It might be time to draft a future successor to Aaron Rodgers, despite Za’Darius Smith’s comment that Aaron Rodgers can play 10 more years.

There are plenty of negative things to say about Hurts as a prospect. He sometimes forces passes and he tends to stare down his intended receiver, but he’s a proven winner. He won at Alabama and he won at Oklahoma.

It would take a few years for this pick to affect the team, but there wasn’t anyone on the board that I felt would come in and make a big instant impact. K.J. Hill was the one other guy that I strongly considered as a potential answer in the slot. The other offensive tackles on the board aren’t ready to start, Bryan Edwards is a similar archetype to Allen Lazard, and there weren’t many interior defensive linemen that were prominent run stuffers.

However, Hurts has plenty of upside as a prospect. His deficiencies are all things that can be coached out over time.  The arm talent is there already. He can push the ball down the field, throw on the run well, and hit open receivers in stride. Everyone knows he’s mobile and loves to extend plays with his legs.

Eventually, when he does see the field, he could add a really interesting new element to the Packers’ offense with his legs. If nothing else, this is a value pick. Getting a winner with upside in the third round could pay off down the line. Every team is looking for a good quarterback, and if the Packers flip him for a first or second-round pick after he has some great preseason showings, then that’s still a win. If he ends up being the third guy in a line of three Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks in a row, then no one would question the Packers drafting a quarterback ever again.

Paul: Ben Bartch OT – St. John’s

A part of my ideal offseason for the Green Bay Packers includes them re-signing Bryan Bulaga and then spending one of their first four or five draft picks on their potential tackle of the future. And that is exactly what I think Ben Barch can be.

Bartch played Division III college football but at 6’6″ – 308 pounds, he has the size and athleticism that NFL teams covet at the tackle position. He was the only DIII player invited to the Senior Bowl and he held up very well against some of the game’s elite pass-rushers.

However, as expected, there is still refinement that needs to take place with his game. And that would be the benefit of sitting and learning behind Bryan Bulaga for a season or two before hopefully taking over as the Green Bay Packers long-term solution at right tackle.