Green Bay Packers 2021 NFL Draft Prospects to Know: CB Tyson Campbell

The offseason is here, and that means it’s time to turn our sights to the 2021 NFL Draft. And, at least for me, priority No.1 this offseason for the Green Bay Packers is the cornerback position. Whether it be in free agency or in the draft, they need to find a running mate for Jaire Alexander. But given the uncertain salary cap situation, the draft is where the Packers will likely explore the position.

Back in December, I wrote an article detailing all of the draft capital that the Packers have spent on the cornerback position, yet it’s a big need once again. Alexander has developed into a shutdown corner, and I imagine Chandon Sullivan will be the nickel corner again in 2021, but Green Bay desperately needs another out wide option.

Kevin King has likely played his last snaps in Green Bay, Josh Jackson saw some playing time but was inactive down the stretch, and players like Ka’Dar Hollman and Stanford Samuels are wildcards that you don’t necessarily want to bet on.

So who in the 2021 NFL Draft is someone that the Green Bay Packers could target at the cornerback position?

I recently did version 4.0 of my ‘Mock Draft Roundup & Takeaways’, and there was a popular selection for the Packers at pick 29–cornerback Tyson Campbell from Georgia.

At 6’2″ 185 pounds, Campbell possesses the length and athleticism that NFL teams covet at the position. He has a similar build to King, and size-wise, he would be a great compliment to Alexander.

As a former 5-star recruit coming out of high school, Campbell appeared in 35 games during his three-year career at Georgia, which includes 21 starts. In 2018, Campbell was targeted 51 times, allowing a completion rate of 60.8 percent and 13.3 yards per catch. He also gave up two touchdowns, recorded a pass breakup and a passer rating of 97.7 when targeted. Campbell was also penalized a career-high five times.

The following season, Campbell missed five games due to an injury. In coverage, he was targeted only 20 times and allowed just eight completions at 11.8 yards per catch. He didn’t allow a touchdown and had three pass breakups. While it was a smaller sample size, the opposing quarterback’s passer ratings plummeted to 55.0 when throwing at Campbell.

Most recently in 2020, Campbell allowed a completion rate of 65.2 percent on 46 targets and 11.3 yards per catch. He gave up five touchdowns, was called for four penalties, logged an interception, and had a passer rating of 114.4 when thrown at. Although it’s worth noting that a lot of the production against Campbell came against Alabama.

For a closer look at Campbell’s game, here is what Drae Harris of The Draft Network had to say in his early pre-draft scouting report:

"“Tyson Campbell aligns at cornerback for the Bulldogs defense. He plays the position with very good athleticism overall, as evidenced by his agility and short-area quickness. He has the NFL body type and frame teams covet for the position. When combined with his movement skills and length, it is easy to see why this player would be intriguing to NFL scouts.He has very good man coverage ability, but struggles with situational awareness. He remained healthy in 2020, which worked to answer durability concerns. However, when on the field, he has struggled to consistently make plays in the passing game.”Scheme Fit: “A team that implores press coverage and sprinkles in some zone. Would probably make more plays playing off and in a predominantly zone scheme.”"

With the current uncertainty around Mike Pettine’s future in Green Bay — or at least there is as I’m writing this — we don’t know what type of defense the Packers will be rolling with in 2021. But with that said, every team would love to have a cornerback who is as stout in press coverage as Campbell is. Not to mention his size and speed, which reportedly could be below 4.4 in the 40-yard dash, according to Brooks Austin of Sports Illustrated.

On the flip side, the concerns with Campbell appear to be his overall consistency–he was on the wrong side of a few big plays this season. A lack of production as he recorded just one interception and one forced fumble during his career at Georgia, and prior to this season, durability was on this list as well–although a healthy 2020 season may have quelled some of those questions.

Currently, he is The Draft Network’s 90th rated overall prospect and the ninth-best cornerback on their big board. Meanwhile, over the NFL Mock Draft Database, where they log just about every mock draft and keep tabs on player rankings, Campbell is the 54th rated prospect with a peak ranking of 31, and he is projected as a second-round pick at the moment.

As is always the case, a lot is going to change between now and the NFL Draft, but as the pre-draft process unfolds, keep your eyes on Campbell. He’s already been mocked to the Packers in several drafts and fills one of their biggest needs.

All stats via Pro Football Focus ($)