Green Bay Packers Load Up on Defense in TDN 2021 3-Round Mock Draft
By Paul Bretl
Typically I’ll save the mock drafts for Mock Draft Monday, but we haven’t seen too many at this point that covers more than just the first round, so I wanted to dive in. Joe Marino of The Draft Network recently put together a three-round mock draft, and when it comes to the Green Bay Packers, he has them selecting defense with every pick.
Despite a number of extremely talented players on the defensive side of the ball, which include Kenny Clark, Za’Darius Smith, Jaire Alexander, Adrian Amos, and Darnell Savage, this unit hasn’t quite been as good — or at least consistently — as many would expect. Hence why the Green Bay Packers have just hired a new defensive coordinator.
By DVOA, the Packers defensive unit ranked 17th last season in that category and 13th in points per game. Not bad, but really good play over the final month of the season helped doll these numbers up. The same goes for their red zone effectiveness and turnovers.
As I said, they certainly had their moments, but the consistency wasn’t there. And with the players mentioned above, being a middle of the road defense overall isn’t going to cut it.
So with an offense that finished the season first by DVOA and first in points per game, Marino set his sights on the defensive side of the ball–which is something that the Green Bay Packers have done quite often in the early rounds over recent years.
Green Bay Packers Round 1, Pick 29: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State
"“Parsons is a challenging prospect to slot in the landscape of this year’s draft. While his skill set is exciting and he could provide a Devin White-like impact to a team early in the draft, recent questions that have been raised are troubling. Should he slide, it could be to the benefit of the Packers, who need an off-ball option just like Parsons to solidify the defense.”"
Takeaway: I’ve been pretty vocal during ‘Mock Draft Mondays’ about how I don’t see the Packers drafting a linebacker in Round 1. They more often than not spend that draft pick on premier positions, which linebacker is not. However, if Micah Parsons were to somehow be available at Pick 29, well, that could change things.
Parsons is considered by many — if not all — draft analysts a top-10 talent in this year’s class. But Joe references some “recent questions” that have popped up due to hazing allegations from a former Penn State teammate.
Parsons opted-out of the 2020 season but put together two impressive years at Penn State in 2018 and 2019. During that span, he totaled 36 pressures as a linebacker, with eight being sacks. Parsons also added 90 stops — plays that result in a “failure” for the offense — and according to Pro Football Focus ($), he had a passer rating when targeted of only 88.7.
From Day 1, Parsons can be an immediate impact player, bring some aggressive play-making ability to a defense, and a three-down Mike linebacker for whichever NFL team lands him.