5 Round Mock Draft Addresses Key Needs for Green Bay Packers

With NFL Combine week almost in the books, hot off the press, here is a brand new five-round mock draft for the Green Bay Packers.

The NFL Combine is all but over and armed with some new information, I am back with my second mock draft of this offseason for the Green Bay Packers.

As I’ve highlighted before, some of the big needs that have to be addressed either through free agency or in the draft include, wide receiver, inside linebacker, tackle, interior defensive lineman, tight end, and cornerback. And once we get through the free agency period we will have a much better idea of what the draft could look like for Green Bay depending on who they either sign or don’t sign.

However, for this exercise, I didn’t play out any imaginary free agency scenarios as that adds too many variables and just overcomplicates things. Instead, I was mindful of Green Bay’s positional needs, as well as who was the best available at each pick. So here is what I came up with and I think it addresses a number of their key needs quite well.

Round 1, Pick 30: Kenneth Murray LB – Oklahoma

Given the uncertainty around Bryan Bulaga’s future in Green Bay, I am very open to taking a tackle with this selection, however, any of the candidates worthy of a first-round pick were already off the board. And with the depth at receiver, I thought addressing inside linebacker with Kenneth Murray made the most sense.

It’s no secret that the Green Bay Packers need to add some speed to the middle of this defense and Murray will provide them with just that. He has tremendous range, has shown that he can hang with tight ends and running backs in coverage, and he is an effective blitzer as well. Over his final two seasons at Oklahoma, Murray would record 8.5 sacks and nearly 30 tackles for loss.

Round 2, Pick 62: Denzel Mims WR – Baylor

Denzel Mims has absolutely crushed the draft process so far. He put on a show during the Senior Bowl and this past week at the combine, he was incredibly impressive once again. Listed at 6’3″ – 206 pounds, Mims posted a 4.38 – 40 yard dash and 6.66 on the 3-cone drill. This is the type of athlete that this Packers’ offense needs.

During his career at Baylor which spanned 40 games, Mims totaled just under 3,000 receiving yards at nearly 16 yards per catch with 28 touchdown receptions. This includes two 1,000 yard seasons as well. He’s a physical receiver with reliable hands and he would give Aaron Rodgers a much-needed downfield target. Mims appears to be an ascending player.

Round 3, Pick 94: Ezra Cleveland OT – Boise State

As I mentioned above, while this draft pick is a bit later than I would have hoped for given the uncertainty at the tackle position, I didn’t want to reach in the first two-rounds and thought Ezra Cleveland at pick 94 was a good value.

At 6’6″ – 310 pounds, Cleveland has the size that NFL teams want in their tackles, and as we saw at the combine, he also has the athleticism. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this selection is with the long-term in mind. Cleveland is still raw and sitting and learning for a season or two behind Bulga, Jared Veldheer, or whoever the Packers sign is the best path for him to be an impactful starter one day.

Round 4, Pick 126: Jordan Elliott IDL – Missouri

The Green Bay Packers need to find Kenny Clark some help on the interior and Jordan Elliott is a player that has shown that he knows how to get upfield and he could step in and be a rotational player from Day 1.

Over his final two seasons at Missouri that spanned 22 games, Elliott totaled 16.5 tackles for loss with 5.5 sacks. And take it for what it’s worth, but he was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded interior defensive lineman from the SEC in 2019. The players that he beat out include Javon Kinlaw, Derrick Brown, and Justin Madubuike. Certainly not bad company at all.

Round 5, Pick 157: Tyler Johnson WR – Minnesota

With how loaded this wide receiver class is and Green Bay’s need at the position, if they have the opportunity to add another one within the first four or five rounds, they should strongly consider doing it. Although Tyler Johnson decided not to participate in the on-field events at the combine, in the fifth round, Green Bay would still be landing one of the more experienced and reliable receivers in this class.

During his four-year career at Minnesota which included 43 games, Johnson had over 3,300 receiving yards at 15.5 yards per catch with 33 touchdown catches. Johnson is a slick route runner, he has very reliable hands, and many draft analysts project him to be a quality starting slot receiver in the NFL. Which is certainly something that the Packers need at the moment.