Green Bay Packers: 3 Draft Day Scenarios

With major needs at tackle, wide receiver, and linebacker, here is how the draft could turn out for the Green Bay Packers depending on which position they prioritize in Round 1.

I think for the most part that we can all agree that as of now the Green Bay Packers have three major holes that they have to fill either in free agency or in the draft. And of course, the three positions that I’m referring to are right tackle, wide receiver, and inside linebacker. With interior defensive lineman, tight end, and cornerback all being honorable mentions.

However, for today we will be focusing on tackle, receiver, and inside linebacker.

We all know that what happens in free agency plays a major role in deciding how a team tackles the draft. For example, if Green Bay signs linebacker Cory Littleton who they’ve been linked to, well then selecting Patrick Queen or Kenneth Murray in round one doesn’t make much sense anymore.

But for this exercise, we will take free agency out of the equation just to keep it simple and eliminate the countless variables that it brings in. Instead, utilizing The Draft Network’s mock draft machine, I wanted to see what the first three rounds of the draft could look like, depending on which of the three aforementioned positions Green Bay chooses to prioritize in round one.

Ultimately, the Packers won’t be able to perfectly solve these three needs in the draft alone, which leads to some difficult decisions that have to be made.

Drafting a Wide Receiver in Round 1

Pick 30: Laviska Shenault WR – Colorado

Pick 64: Prince Tega Wanogho OT – Auburn

Pick 94: Van Jefferson WR – Florida

In this scenario, Laviska Shenault was the best receiver available in my opinion and he will certainly give this Green Bay Packers’ offense some much-needed juice. He’s a jack of all trades as he can line up anywhere in the formation and Matt LaFleur would just need to focus on getting him the ball in open space and letting him go to work.

The tricky part in this scenario is that if the Packers don’t take a linebacker in Round 1, there’s a good chance that selecting one might not make sense until the mid-to-late rounds. At pick 64, Jordyn Brooks and Willie Gay Jr. were still on the board but I chose to prioritize the tackle position given Bryan Bulaga’s uncertain future in Green Bay.

Prince Tega Wanogho has the size and physical tools to be a successful tackle in the NFL, however, he needs refinement. Meaning, starting him Week 1 in 2020 is likely not the best decision. And with my third-round pick, taking a linebacker just didn’t make sense given who was available.

Drafting a Linebacker in Round 1

Pick 30: Kenneth Murray LB – Oklahoma

Pick 64: Ezra Cleveland OT – Boise State

Pick 92: K.J. Hill WR – Ohio State

I had the option of taking either Kenneth Murray or Patrick Queen and while both would add a dynamic presence to the middle of this Green Bay Packers’ defense, Murray’s combine performance put him over the top for me.

Now, it’s easy to look at this and wonder why I didn’t prioritize the receiver position in Round 2, but I tried, it just didn’t make sense. The receivers went flying off the board in this mock draft and by the 64th pick, Van Jefferson was the highest-rated receiver left and it didn’t seem like a good value selection at that time.

So instead I addressed wide receiver in Round 3 with K.J. Hill who will step in and hopefully give the Packers a reliable option from the slot moving forward. And once again, in the second round, I chose to find the Packers’ long-term solution at right tackle.

Drafting a Tackle in Round 1

Pick 30: Austin Jackson OT – USC

Pick 64: Jalen Reagor WR – TCU

Pick 94: Akeem Davis-Gaither LB – Appalachian State

This is my least favorite scenario because given how the board fell in this mock draft, I felt that taking Austin Jackson at 30th overall was a bit of a reach. Especially given that he may not be ready to start in 2020 given the work that his fundamentals need.

On the flip side, I can’t complain about landing Jalen Reagor in Round 2. One of the more dynamic receivers in this class, he can stretch defenses vertically and he knows how to rack up the YAC.

And unlike in the first scenario, I was able to get a linebacker in Round 3, but unfortunately, I’m not sure that Akeem Davis-Gaither will come with a huge defensive impact in 2020. Meaning, the linebacker position could still be a concern.

So as you can see, there is no perfect solution to taking care of these three needs in the draft. In my opinion, scenario two where a linebacker was the priority turned out the best but in an ideal world, the Green Bay Packers will knock out one of these needs in free agency which will provide them more flexibility in the draft.