Green Bay Packers: Mock Draft Roundup & Big Takeaways 10.0
By Paul Bretl
A new week with a number of new mock drafts. Let’s see who the draft experts have the Green Bay Packers taking this time around.
It’s April 1st and that means it is NFL Draft month!
We are now just a few weeks away from draft night as the Green Bay Packers will try to bolster their roster at a few key positions that will hopefully help get them over the hump and back into the Super Bowl.
Of course, over the past few months with more film study and the Combine taking place, players have been shuffling up and down draft boards. Not to mention that free agency can have a major impact on how teams approach the draft. So during this time, we’ve seen a wide variety of players and positions mocked to the Green Bay Packers.
However even after free agency, their needs still largely remain the same with linebacker, tackle, receiver, interior defensive lineman and cornerback being the major positions of need, along with a few others. And when it comes to Round 1, receiver has certainly been the most popular selection in these mock draft roundups.
But a new week brings us a number of new mock drafts. So let’s see if anything has changed recently as we take a look at some new mock drafts and as always, I’ll have my big takeaways.
Luke Easterling – Draft Wire
Round 1: Justin Jefferson WR – LSU
"“This pick simply has to be another weapon for Aaron Rodgers, and the Packers have some fantastic options in this scenario. Clemson’s Tee Higgins and Colorado’s Laviska Shenault, Jr. would be solid picks, but after Jefferson’s combine performance, he may have just leapfrogged those names on some draft boards. He’s a polished, complete player who would pair extremely well with Devante Adams.”"
Round 2: Jordyn Brooks LB – Texas Tech
Round 3: Yasir Durant OT – Missouri
Round 4: Harrison Bryant TE – FAU
Takeaway: Overall this draft hits on Green Bay’s three biggest needs within the first three rounds of the draft and as I said last week, any mock draft that has Justin Jefferson ending up with the Packers I’m a fan of.
Meanwhile, Brooks gives them some needed athleticism at the linebacker position and Durant has very good size but he needs quite a bit of development. Bryant could be a nice pass-catching option in the future, however, don’t expect him to produce early on.
Ryan Wilson – CBS Sports
Round 1: Brandon Aiyuk WR – Arizona State
"Aiyuk is raw but he’s a legit home run threat as both a wide receiver and a returner."
Round 2: Marlon Davidson IDL – Auburn
"“Green Bay needs to add depth at defensive tackle after Kenny Clark. Davidson played in Brown’s shadow at Auburn but there’s a chance he goes higher than late in Round 2.”"
Round 3: Ben Bartch OT – St. John
"“Bartch is a small-school player who opened a lot of eyes at the Senior Bowl.”"
Takeaway: Overall I am a big fan of this draft. Aiyuk is a YAC monster which this passing offense desperately needs. Davidson provides Kenny Clark some much-needed help inside and Bartch has the size and athleticism to be an effective NFL tackle. A year of learning behind Rick Wagner and David Bakhtiari will do him wonders.
Pete Prisco – CBS Sports
Round 1: Justin Jefferson WR – LSU
Takeaway: As I’ve said, Jefferson is a home run selection in my eyes. He’d step in from Day 1 and be an immediate impact player out of the slot for Green Bay. At LSU he had a huge 2019 season, he was an uber reliable target for Joe Burrow, not to mention that he and Aaron Rodgers could form quite the one-two punch in the red zone.
Mark Schofield – Touchdown Wire
Round 1: Laviska Shenault WR – Colorado
"“Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur would love to have another receiving threat across from Davante Adams, but Shenault gives them more than that. He gives the Packers an offensive weapon that can win matchups at various levels of the field. From the slot, out of the backfield and out wide, Shenault can win one-on-one situations. With positionless football becoming the wave of the future, Shenault is a great selection for Green Bay.”"
Takeaway: Laviska Shenault was ‘Mr. Do It All’ at Colorado and honestly, I would love to see what Matt LaFleur could cook up for him in this Packers’ offense. Shenault can line up all over the formation and Aaron Rodgers’ job would be to find ways to get him the ball in open space and let Shenault go to work.
Joe Tansey – Bleacher Report
Round 1: Zack Baun LB – Wisconsin
Takeaway: At this point, this is far from a popular selection for the Green Bay Packers but it is one that is becoming more common. What makes Baun appealing to Green Bay and the rest of the NFL is his versatility. While he will be an off-ball linebacker in the NFL, at Wisconsin he had shown that he can rush the passer, stop the run, and hold his own in coverage. Mike Pettine would love to have a player like Baun in the middle of his defense.
Chad Reuter – NFL.com
Round 1: Tee Higgins WR – Clemson
"“Higgins’ poor workout may push him down boards a bit — remember that guys like Michael Thomas and DeAndre Hopkins were available in the late first or early second rounds. The Packers may see him as a similar bargain. Signing Devin Funchess should not deter Green Bay from picking up the talented Higgins at this point on Day 1.”"
Round 2: Trevon Diggs CB – Alabama
Round 3: Akeem Davis-Gaither LB – Appalachian State
Round 4: James Proches WR – SMU
Takeaway: Higgins produced at Clemson and he has very good tape but it’s worth pointing out that he didn’t test very well at all and GM Brian Gutekunst loves to draft athletes. So will that be enough to keep Green Bay away?
Meanwhile, I really like the Trevon Diggs pick as cornerback is such an underrated need for this Packers team. However, Davis-Gaither is a bit undersized, which once again, could deter Green bay. And James Proche – although a very reliable target – seems like a reach in Round 4.
Kristopher Knox – Bleacher Report
Round 1: Chase Claypool WR – Notre Dame
Takeaway: From a size and athleticism standpoint, Claypool is the exact type of receiver that the Packers love to draft. With that said, this is a massive reach in my opinion.
Joe Marino – The Draft Network
Round 1: Laviska Shenault WR – Colorado
"“The injury concerns are notable with Laviska Shenault, but if healthy he is exactly the type of weapon the Green Bay Packers’ offense needs. His versatility to win down the field, after the catch and even take hand-offs adds new dimensions for Aaron Rodgers to keep the offense on schedule.”"
Round 2: Jordyn Brooks LB – Texas Tech
Round 3: Amik Robertson CB – Louisiana Tech
Takeaway: A few familiar selections with Shenault and Brooks but Amik Robertson is a new one. As I just said, I’m all for taking a cornerback within the first few rounds of the draft and Robertson would help fill the Green Bay Packers need for a nickel corner.
Ross Uglem – Packer Report
Round 1: Josh Jones OT – Houston
Round 2: Branon Aiyuk WR – Arizona State
Round 3: Troy Dye LB – Oregon
Round 4: Bryce Hall CB – Virginia
Round 5: Khalil Davis IDL – Nebraska
Takeaway: If this is how the draft goes for the Green Bay Packers I think we should all be very excited. They land their tackle of the future in Jones, Aiyuk gives the offense some much-needed juice, while Dye brings athleticism and coverage ability to the linebacker position. Then landing Hall in Round 4 is a tremendous value as he was considered by many a first-round pick before getting injured in 2019. And Davis gives Kenny Clark some additional help inside.