Green Bay Packers’ 2021 NFL Draft Big Board 1.0
The 2021 NFL Draft is just under a month away, as it’s set to kick off on April 29th and conclude on May 1st. That means the Green Bay Packers and other teams are finalizing their Big Boards and running through a plethora of scenarios.
What exactly is a Big Board? It’s a ranking system that combines the best players available with the specific team’s needs. For example, the Packers are set at quarterback with Aaron Rodgers running the show and 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love backing him up. There’s absolutely no way they’d use another first-rounder on a quarterback which means we can eliminate all players at that position on their first-round Big Board. The same goes for running back.
For brevity’s sake, I not only eliminated the top quarterbacks and running backs from the Packers’ big board, but also the top players found on Daniel Jeremiah’s, Mel Kiper’s and PFF’s Big Boards, as these players will certainly be gone by the time Green Bay is on the clock. These players include Trevor Lawrence, Kyle Pitts, Ja’Marr Chase, Zach Wilson, Jaylen Waddle, Devonta Smith, Trey Lance, Justin Fields, Rashawn Slater, Penei Sewell, Mac Jones, Micah Parsons, Najee Harris, Travis Etienne and Javonte Williams.
With the 2021 NFL Draft creeping up, here’s a big board consisting of the top 20 prospects the Green Bay Packers could target with their first-round pick.
This list goes in descending order with the least desirable coming up first on the list and the most desirable coming up last (they are also numbered so you know the rankings). To be clear, the guys at the bottom of the list have a less likely chance of being available when the Packers are on the clock. Their most likely scenario is that they will be gone, but we included them in the situation of a free-fall. So, without further ado, here are the top 20 players on Dairyland Express’s first version of the Packers’ Big Board.
On the outside looking in:
20. Azeez Ojulari, Edge, Georgia
19. Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
18. Jaelan Phillips, Edge, Miami
17. Kwity Paye, Edge, Michigan
16. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, ILB, Notre Dame
15. Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky
These are all very good players whose individual talent likely trumps a lot of the guys on the list ahead of them. However, you’ll notice they are all either edge players or linebackers–a position Green Bay either doesn’t necessarily need in the first round (edge) or doesn’t prioritize (inside linebackers). However, at some point, the threshold between talent and need is passed and Green Bay would be forced to select one of these players instead of a far inferior player.