Green Bay Packers: OT or IDL Should be Top Priority in Round 1

Given the overall depth at other positions of need, selecting a tackle or interior defensive lineman should be a top priority for the Green Bay Packers in Round 1.

With limited cap space this offseason, the Green Bay Packers will have to make any significant upgrades through the draft. And with an overall strong draft class coupled with the Packers having needs at multiple positions, it’s been difficult to pinpoint how they will go about attacking this year’s draft.

As we all know they need to add a more dynamic presence to the passing game. Not to mention that even with the Christian Kirksey and Rick Wagner signings, finding a long-term answer at linebacker and tackle should be on the to-do list as well.

On top of that, there are question marks surrounding the cornerback room – excluding Jaire Alexander, of course – and Kenny Clark could use some more help inside. Heck, even the tight end position could use more depth.

So with a number of holes to fill, what will Green Bay choose to do with the 30th overall pick?

Of course, how the board falls is going to play a huge factor in determining this, but Jim Nagy who is the Executive Director of the Senior Bowl, a former NFL scout, and now a Draft Analyst for ESPN gave us some insight into what the Packers might be thinking:

Based on what Nagy has heard, two of the biggest perceived needs for the Green Bay Packers, which is finding a starting-caliber wide receiver and linebacker, can be found in the third round and even into round four. The same goes for the cornerback and interior offensive lineman positions as well.

With this kind of depth at these positions, finding the right tackle of the future or adding a new interior defensive lineman to the mix all of sudden could become a top priority in round one for the Packers given the drop-off in talent at each of those positions. Especially at tackle.

And considering the current state of each of those positions on Green Bay’s roster, addressing them in round one should absolutely be on the table.

Rick Wagner will likely be the starter at right tackle come Week 1 but he has played in all 16 games just one time since 2014 and he is coming off of a down season as well. And given his contract, with a minimal dead cap hit in 2021, there is the very real possibility that he is only in Green Bay for one year. So finding his eventual replacement is a must.

Meanwhile, on the interior defensive line we all saw how this defense was ripped apart by opposing running backs in 2019 as Clark can only do so much on his own. Dean Lowry would be best suited as the third option inside, while Tyler Lancaster is limited, and Montravius Adams just can’t seem to put it together.

Adding a player that can get after the quarterback and also eat up blocks in the run game will do wonders for this already stout defensive front.

As far as who are some prospects that Green Bay could select early on, well, these are a few players to keep your eyes on. At tackle, there is the real possibility that Tristan Wirfs, Andrew Thomas, Jedrick Wills, and Mekhi Becton are all off the board, but I think fans should be quite happy if the Packers are still able to land Josh Jones.

Although after Jones there is a drop-off in talent, a few other names to watch for are Austin Jackson, Lucas Niang and Ezra Cleveland.

On the defensive line, Javon Kinlaw could very well be off the board by pick No. 30 but Ross Blacklock and Neville Gallimore remain possible candidates. While into round two, Justin Madubuike and Raekwon Davis are potential options as well.

Obviously at this point, it remains to be seen if things will actually play out this way for the Green Bay Packers on draft night. But given the overall depth in this draft at those other positions of need, addressing tackle and interior defensive lineman within the first two rounds certainly makes a lot of sense. Even though those are two picks that some may not enjoy.