Green Bay Packers: Ranking Positional Needs Heading into 2021 NFL Draft

3. Interior Defensive Lineman

Now we’ve made it to the big three. I see these next three positions as tier-1 needs that have to be addressed. It’s no secret that Kenny Clark needs additional help inside. We hope Kingsley Keke takes another step forward and perhaps in a reduced role, Dean Lowry can be more effective—there’s also no guarantee that Lowry isn’t a post June 1 cut either.

But even if both those things happen, this is likely Lowry’s final year in Green Bay, and you still need more than three bodies in your interior defensive line rotation. Tyler Lancaster is back, but that shouldn’t change the outlook of the position and there’s no guarantee he’s on the Week 1 roster anyways. Other options include Delontae Scott, Anthony Rush, and Willington Previlon—all primary practice squad players from last year.

Improved play inside will take at least some burden off Clark, which is a good thing—duh. It will also provide the run game with a boost, the linebackers, and edge rushers as well. The Packers failed to address this position last offseason, but they can’t afford to do that again.

2. Cornerback

I’m sure many would consider this the top need to address this offseason—and I get it. Honestly, when it comes to cornerback and offensive tackle both are valid choices for the top spot and I hope the Green Bay Packers first round pick is one of those positions.

Green Bay, fortunately, has Jaire Alexander taking away half the field, but they need to find their CB2 of the future and someone to compete with Kevin King for those reps in 2021 because Josh Jackson just isn’t the answer while entering the season relying heavily on Ka’dar Hollman, Stanford Samuels or KeiVarae Russell just isn’t ideal.

If possible, they should also look to add some completion in the slot with Chandon Sullivan. But first things first, address the boundary and luckily it’s a good year for that.

Offensive Tackle

Say what you will about King and Sullivan, but I do feel more comfortable with them plus a second-round cornerback than I do about the Green Bay Packers offensive line without David Bakhtiari.

The tackle position is extremely thin — even with Bak — as Billy Turner and Elgton Jenkins are likely your starting tackles at this time with Yosh Nijman as the only backup. While I think the Turner-Jenkins combo will hold up in Bakhtiari’s absence, an injury to either player leaves the Packers in a world of hurt.

Not to mention that as I discussed in the interior offensive line ranking, with Jenkins at tackle there are then question marks and a lack of depth inside. Finding a tackle that can contribute right away or at least provide some reliable depth will make the overall unit that much better.

While this is a good tackle class, I feel more confident in landing a potential starting cornerback in Round 2 than I do with the tackle position. As I said in the last section, debating between cornerback and tackle is splitting hairs a bit, but as we saw in the NFC Championship, football games are still won and lost in the trenches and right now they lacking some serious depth along the entire offensive line.