Green Bay Packers: Potential Draft Picks at Key Positions of Need

GM Brian Gutekunst has shown that he likes to draft the top athletes at each position. So with the Combine complete, here are some potential future Green Bay Packers.

This upcoming draft will only be Brian Gutekunst’s third as General Manager of the Green Bay Packers, but one thing that we’ve already learned is that he loves to draft the top athletes at each position. Meaning, that how players perform at the NFL Combine could play a deciding factor in whether or not Gutey is willing to draft them.

So now with the NFL Combine complete, Kent Lee Platte has put the finishing touches on the Relative Athletic Scores (RAS) for each invitee. And for those who may be unfamiliar with Kent’s system, it takes a player’s measurements and on the field scores and based on their performance, they are rated on a 0 to 10 scale comparing them to others at that same position. So the closer to 10 a player is, the more athletic they are among the position group and vice versa.

In looking back at Gutey’s past draft picks in comparison to this scale, most of them are some of the best athletes at their respective position groups. For example, Jaire Alexander finished with a RAS of 9.54, Marquez Valdes-Scantling had 9.27, while Elgton Jenkins scored a 9.34. And these scores are fairly common among Gutekunst’s draft picks.

Below I’ve highlighted the seven big positions that the Packers should address at some point this offseason along with the top RAS scores at each position. And given Gutey’s history, there’s a good chance that there are some future Green Bay Packers on this list.

Tackle

Based on recent reports, it sounds like Bryan Bulaga will not be back in Green Bay and the Packers could make a strong push at Jared Veldheer as a short-term solution at right tackle. And if that’s the case, well then Green Bay better spend an early draft pick on the position in an attempt to hopefully find their long-term answer.

Ezra Cleveland, Boise State – 9.93

Mekhi Becton, Louisville – 9.78

Tristan Wirfs, Iowa – 9.74

Austin Jackson, USC – 9.38

Terence Steele, Texas Tech – 9.36

Matthew Peart, Connecticut – 9.0

Jack Driscoll, Auburn – 8.80

Jon Runyan, Michigan – 8.37

Jedrick Wills, Alabama – 8.35

Andrew Thomas, Georgia – 8.22

Hakeem Adeniji, Kansas – 8.21

Alex Taylor, Sout Carolina State – 8.06

Charlie Heck, North Carolina – 7.43

Josh Jones, Houston – 7.24

Isaiah Wilson, Georgia – 6.60

Prince Tega Wanogho, Auburn – DNQ

Saahdiq Charles, LSU – DNQ

Ben Bartch, St. Johns – DNQ

Inside Linebacker

With Blake Martinez on his way out, the Green Bay Packers have a huge hole to fill at the linebacker position, and this time around, it’s time to add some much-needed speed.

Isaiah Simmons, Clemson – 10

Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma – 9.93

Carter Coughlin, Minnesota – 9.86

Willie Gay Jr, Mississippi State – 9.68

Malik Harrison, Ohio State – 9.55

Casey Toohill, Stanford – 9.41

Davion Taylor, Colorado – 9.01

Logan Wilson, Wyoming – 8.98

Zack Baun, Wisconsin – 8.75

Mykal Walker, Fresno State – 8.67

Patrick Queen, LSU – 8.10

Jacob Phillips, LSU – 8.08

Wide Receiver

Not much needs to be said about this position, the Green Bay Packers need a serious infusion of playmaking ability into the offense. Fortunately, this may be the perfect draft to have that need.

Chase Claypool. Notre Dame – 10

Justin Jefferson, LSU – 9.84

Donovan Peoples-Jones, Michigan – 9.83

Denzel Mims, Baylor – 9.78

Henry Ruggs, Alabama – 9.66

Joe Reed, Virginia – 9.64

Tyrie Cleveland, Florida – 9.52

Antonio Gibson, Memphis – 9.45

Michael Pittman, USC – 9.19

John Hightower, Boise State – 9.05

Devin Duvernay, Texas – 8.67

Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State – 8.62

Quartney Davis, Texas A&M – 8.21

CeeDee Lamb, Oklahoma – 7.64

Jalen Reagor, TCU – 7.48

Laviska Shenault, Colorado – 7.18

Quintez Cephus, Wisconsin – 4.62

K.J. Hamler, Penn State – DNQ

Tee Higgins, Clemson – DNQ

Tyler Johnson, Minnesota – DNQ

Van Jefferson, Florida – DNQ

Tight End

Recent reports confirmed what many of us expected and that is that the Green Bay Packers will be moving on from Jimmy Graham, meaning that as of now, Jace Sternberger is TE1.

However, with only Sternberger and (probably) Robert Tonyan currently on the roster for 2020, the Packers need to add some depth at this position. And while I think adding a veteran could be more valuable, instead, they could look to the draft.

Dalton Keene, Virginia Tech – 9.32

Cole Kmet, Notre Dame – 9.22

Adam Trautman, Dayton – 8.29

Brycen Hopkins, Purdue – 7.98

Charlie Taumoepeau, Portland State – 7.82

Josiah Deguara, Cincinnati – 7.62

Stephen Sullivan, LSU – 7.62

Charlie Woerner, Georgia – 7.36

Cornerback

Green Bay has a solid core made up of Jaire Alexander and Kevin King, and we also saw the emergence of Chandon Sullivan last season as well.

However, after those three there are a lot of question marks. Tramon Williams is a free agent, Josh Jackson barely saw the field, and while Ka’dar Hollman flashed in the preseason, the Packers still don’t know what they truly have in him. Like tight end, some more depth is needed.

C.J. Henderson, Florida – 10

Reggie Robinson II, Tulsa – 9.75

A.J. Terrell, Clemson – 9.69

Jeffrey Okudah, Ohio State – 9.56

Michael Ojemudia, Iowa – 9.52

Javelin Guidry, Utah – 9.42

Noah Igbinoghene, Auburn – 8.74

Kindle Vildor, Georgia Southern – 8.73

John Reid, Penn State – 8.67

Stantley Thomas-Oliver, Florida International – 8.51

Jaylon Johnson, Utah – 8.44

Jeff Gladney, TCU – 8.34

Troy Pride Jr, Notre Dame – 8.17

Harrison Hand, Temple – 8.07

Essang Bassey, Wake Forest – 8.03

Defensive Tackle

As much improved as the overall defense was in 2019, the Green Bay Packers still struggled against the run for much of the season. To help remedy this, they need to provide Kenny Clark some additional help along the interior of the defensive line.

Carlos Davis, Nebraska – 9.61

Khalil Davis, Nebraska – 9.55

Jason Stowbridge, North Carolina – 9.40

Justin Madubuike, Texas A&M – 9.18

Robert Windsor, Penn State – 8.73

McTelvin Agim, Arkansas – 8.59

James Lynch, Baylor – 8.55

Malcolm Roach, Texas – 8.44

Ross Blacklock, TCU – 7.85

Jordan Elliot, Missouri – 7.25

Derrick Brown, Auburn – 6.09

Running Back

The Green Bay Packers could use a running back both for the 2020 season and into the future as well. Last season Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams were the only trusted backs on this team, so having a third option to lessen the burden even a little would be a huge help.

Not to mention that this is the final year of Jones’ and Williams’ contracts. And while reports say they are in discussions about a contract extension with Jones, you never really know how things are going to play out.

A.J. Dillon, Boston College – 9.84

Rico Dowdle, Sout Carolina – 9.65

Darrynton Evans, Appalachian State – 9.57

Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin – 9.55

Cam Akers, Florida State – 9.31

Joshua Kelley, UCLA – 8.41

James Robinson, Illinois State – 8.34

D’Andre Swift, Georgia – 8.22

Raymond Calais, Louisiana – 8.11

Eno Benjamin, Arizona State – 6.28

J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State -DNQ

So there you have it. And while the combine scores don’t mean everything when it comes to evaluating a player, for Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers, they’ve made it clear that they want athletes on this team.