Packers 2021 Mock Draft Scenarios: Trade Up, Trade Down & Stay Put

Scenario 3: Green Bay Packers Trade Down

Pick 34: Christian Barmore, IDL, Alabama

Trade Info: I sent the New York Jets pick 29, and in return, I received pick 34 (2nd) and pick 86 (3rd).

With several viable options on the board at pick 29, I thought it would be in my best interest to move down, and in the process, I netted an additional top-100 pick. While I could have went with cornerback or offensive tackle at this point — although the value wasn’t quite there at cornerback — I decided to go with the best interior defensive lineman in this albeit weak class.

With three more picks still in the top 100 — 62, 86, and 92 — along with the draft class’s depth at offensive tackle and cornerback, I believe I can still land some impact players at those positions. On top of that, I still have two fourth-round picks, two fifth-round picks, and two sixth-round picks that I can use to trade up if I wanted.

After not addressing the interior defensive line position a year ago, the Green Bay Packers are lacking some real depth at the position, not to mention that Kenny Clark could still use some additional help. Barmore isn’t the most experienced player, with 2020 being his only season as a starter, but he’s shown that he can line up in multiple gaps and that he can be effective against both the run and the pass.

This past season, he tallied 39 pressures, including eight sacks, and he ranked seventh among all interior defensive linemen in PFF’s pass-rush productivity metric–which essentially measures the efficiency of a pass-rusher when it comes to pressuring the quarterback. Against the run, Barmore was second in run-stop percentage.

With improved play inside, it will obviously help Clark, which is always going to be a good thing, but there will be a positive trickle-down effect to the edge rusher and linebacker positions as well. And hopefully, Barmore would provide that.