Green Bay Packers 2021 NFL Mock Draft Roundup & Takeaways 8.0
By Paul Bretl
It’s Monday, so you know what that means! It’s time for Mock Draft Roundup & Takeaways version 8.0. In last week’s edition, two positions, in particular, dominated the conversation for the Green Bay Packers, and that was cornerback, which is a major need, as well as reciever–we will wait and see what happens there.
Another big need to try to fill early on is at the tackle position, especially with Green Bay moving on from Rick Wagner this past Friday. The Packers are in need of added depth for the 2021 season as well as a future starter with Billy Turner’s status unknown beyond this season.
As I do each week, I’ll sort through several mock drafts, sharing why the draft analyst made the selection that they did for the Green Bay Packers, and of course, I’ll have my takeaways along with my own selection at the end.
Ian Cummings – Pro Football Network
Pick 29: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida
"“At 5-foot-11, 189 pounds, with arms just over 30 inches, Toney isn’t an imposing physical threat. This limits his ability to convert downfield with size. However, for what Toney lacks in that department, he compensates tenfold with his ability to attain separation and create after the catch.Toney is a twitchy, sudden player, and he uses that suddenness and explosiveness out of his breaks to peel off of defenders. In open space, he has elite elusiveness and contact balance. He fits perfectly into a Packers’ offense that could use his versatility and playmaking potential.”"
Takeaway: I fully expect the Green Bay Packers to draft a wide receiver relatively early on in this year’s draft. Now, will that be in Round 1? I’m not so sure. But if Kadarius Toney is on the board at pick 29, well, he’s going to be tough for Brian Gutekunst to pass on.
Toney is an ideal fit for the Matt LaFleur offense and would give the Packers a dynamic slot receiver, something they haven’t had since the days of prime Randall Cobb. Toney can be used as the motion man to help create that “illusion of complexity,” as well as on jet sweeps and wide receiver screens. Just find a way to get him the ball in space — which LaFleur is very good at — and let him go to work.
Michael Fabiano – Sports Illustrated
Pick 29: Tamorrion Terry, WR, Florida State
"“The Packers have Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling behind Davante Adams, but they’d be wise to add a young wideout to further build the passing attack and appease Aaron Rodgers.”"
Takeaway: Another receiver. Folks desperately want the Packers to address this position once again–and like I said, they will. But will it be in the first round?
At 6’4″ – 210 pounds, Terry is that big-bodied receiver that the Green Bay Packers love, and during his three seasons at Florida State, he had a whopping 208 targets, including 103 in 2019. He’s always on the verge of breaking a big play, averaging almost 19 yards per catch over his career, and Terry does so both vertically and also with the ball in his hands.
Matt Miller – DraftScout.com
Pick 29: Jabril Cox, LB, LSU
"“Speed, length and coverage ability at linebacker are crucial—we saw that in the Super Bowl. This team lacks that completely. Jabril Cox, while not a typical Green Bay first-rounder, checks three boxes from Week 1 and becomes the Devin White type linebacker every team now needs.”"
Takeaway: With Green Bay recently cutting Christian Kirksey, I won’t be surprised if they draft a linebacker again this year. However, the big question is, will they draft one this early? History tells us otherwise, but it’s worth noting that perhaps the philosophy could change with Joe Barry bringing in the Vic Fangio-style defense. My guess is that it doesn’t, but we will see.
When it comes to Jabril Cox, as Joe Marino of The Draft Network put it, he’s an “outstanding coverage linebacker,” which would be a welcomed sight here in Green Bay. Cox spent his first three seasons at North Dakota State before transferring to LSU, where he tallied 10 pressures, 52 tackles, 24 stops — or plays that result in a “failure” for the offense — with three interceptions and a passer rating of just 57.0 when targeted.
Chris Trapasso – CBS Sports
Pick 29: Nick Bolton, LB, Missouri
"“Bolton is a thick but rangy and instinctive linebacker who’d add a fun playmaker to the second level of Green Bay’s defense.”"
Takeaway: Here we are with another linebacker. Again, we will see. Bolton is a three-down linebacker who can be effective against the run or the pass and as a blitzer as well. In 2020, he recorded 15 pressures, 96 tackles, 44 stops, three pass breakups, and opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of 94.5 when throwing his direction.
Austin Gayle – Pro Football Focus
Pick 29: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida
"“Toney makes up for what he lacks in ball skills and route-running polish with freakish athleticism, explosiveness and YAC ability that is truly in a league of his own in the 2021 class. He broke more than 30 tackles over the past two seasons and earned 80.0-plus PFF grades in each of the past three years.”"
Takeaway: As I mentioned above, Toney and the LaFleur offense is a match made in heaven, not to mention that he would bring a nice change of pace to this Green Bay Packers’ receiving corps with his skill-set.
Pete Prisco – CBS Sports
Pick 29: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
"“Can you imagine this Tyreek Hill-type of player in their offense? It’s time to give Aaron Rodgers more speed.”"
Takeaway: More speed would be fun; I’ll give Pete that. I also am a fan of Moore being a true slot receiver like Toney is. I believe having that skill-set in this offense would be a worthwhile element for Rodgers and LaFleur to have at their disposal.
With that said, there are two noteworthy items when it comes to Moore. The first being that he has played in only seven games since his fantastic freshman season in 2018. And two, he’s listed at 5’9″ – 180 pounds, which is well under the Green Bay Packers’ typical requirements at receiver.
Daniel Jeremiah – NFL.com
Pick 29: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State
"“We saw how much of a toll injuries took on the Packers’ offensive line in the postseason. Jenkins can play tackle or slide inside if they need him to.”"
Takeaway: Finally! An offensive tackle. I’ve been waiting for either this position or cornerback to pop up. Jenkins is a very experienced player, having taken over 2,600 snaps at both tackle positions as well as right guard, and has allowed only two sacks and 32 pressures over his entire career, according to Pro Football Focus ($).
He’s also been very effective against the run, finishing 2019 as PFF’s 17th highest graded run-blocker and third this past season. However, how he tests in the pre-draft athletic events is going to be crucial for him as some wonder if he is best suited to be a guard in the NFL.
My own mock via TDN simulator
Pick 29: Liam Eichenberg, OT, Notre Dame
Tackle is a major need for the Green Bay Packers, both for 2021 and in the future. Outside of Billy Turner and the injured David Bakhtiari, the only true tackle on the roster at the moment is Yosh Nijman.
Eichenberg is an experienced left tackle from Notre Dame who can be “more impactful” as a run-blocker than a pass-blocker, as Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network put it. But he’s also been very good in pass-pro as well, not allowing a sack over the last two seasons, which spanned almost 1,000 pass-blocking snaps along with just 27 total pressures.
In the LaFleur offense, where the run game is vital to the overall success of the offense, including the passing game, having the well-rounded Eichenberg on the edge would be a nice addition to an already stout offensive line.
4 OTs to Know at Pick 29 in the NFL Draft. dark. Next