Green Bay Packers 2021 NFL Mock Draft Battle 2.0

The beauty of mock draft season is that we all evaluate prospects and the Green Bay Packers’ needs differently, which leads to a wide variety of mock drafts and hopefully some good discussion.

So to fully embrace the pre-draft process, we are back with our Mock Draft Battle, version 2.0. Kenny Jilek, Matt LeVene, and myself each completed our own three-round mock draft for the Green Bay Packers using The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine and gave our reasoning behind each selection. Be sure to vote for your favorite over on our Twitter account.

Now, the Green Bay Packers are on the clock.

Paul Bretl

Pick 29: Christian Barmore, IDL, Alabama

Pick 62: Brady Christensen, OT, BYU

Pick 92: Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford

Takeaway: This time around I was able to address what are my top-3 needs for the Green Bay Packers. I didn’t set out saying I had to land an IDL, CB, and OT right away, but that’s how it played out.

In a week IDL class, Barmore is considered the best. While he only has one year as a starter under his belt, he showcased that he can affect both the running and passing games and can line up in multiple gaps. With the OT and CB classes both being fairly deep, this was a relatively easy decision.

I didn’t waste much time selecting Brady Christensen either. With David Bakhtiari sidelined, the Green Bay Packers have little depth at tackle for 2021, not to mention that they need their RT of the future after this season, and Christensen can fill both roles. He has the potential to start Day 1 here in Green Bay.

At cornerback, I might lose some votes because I didn’t address it right away, and given the need, I did feel the pressure to do so at this point, but I was happy to spend the pick on Paulson Adebo, who is someone that I really like and who I would consider a steal at this point in the draft.

He is a good fit in the Packers’ defense with his zone coverage abilities, he has fantastic ball skills with eight interceptions and 24 pass breakups in two seasons, according to PFF ($$), and he’s an excellent athlete as well. Adebo will see playing time right away.

Kenny Jilek

Pick 29: Jeremiah Owusu-Karamoah, LB, Notre Dame

Pick 62: Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse

Pick 92: Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa

Takeaway: I’ll start off by stating that I’m not a huge proponent of the Green Bay Packers drafting an inside linebacker in the first round. It is a position that they haven’t put a big premium on in early rounds and from what Krys Barnes and Kamal Martin showed last season, they are ready to take on the brunt of the snaps and should both improve in year two and usually, the Packers have a third safety like Raven Greene replace a linebacker on passing downs.

The difference between most linebackers and Owusu-Karamoah is that he stays on the field for third down and plays that box safety role too.  He even played out in the slot in college.  That versatility would make him perfect for this defense. It was also a value pick because he likely won’t fall to 29, so if he’s there it would be hard not to pull the trigger.

Ifeatu Melifonwu perfectly fits the mold of a Green Bay corner. He’s big at 6’2″ 205 pounds and very athletic. His Relative Athletic Score (RAS), a metric that takes into account many different physical and athletic factors, unofficially was a 9.57 out of 10. He’s very close to the top of the draft class athletically and this makes him a great target in round two.

Finally, Spencer Brown was more a pick out of positional need than anything. When I got to round three, the wide receiver and defensive line options were slim and the other biggest need is clearly at tackle. They could really use one to start the season with David Bakhtiari out and then that also gives them a young player to develop to eventually take over the other tackle spot once Billy Turner’s contract is up in two years or if he’s cut before the 2022 season for cap savings. Brown is more on the developmental side, but that’s not necessarily a negative as that is probably a bigger need than a few-week stop-gap this season.

Matt LeVene

Pick 29: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

Pick 62: Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State

Pick 92: Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa

Takeaway: In this mock, the Green Bay Packers fill some needs with guys who can contribute from day one. Starting with Caleb Farley, the corner out of Virginia Tech who has all the potential to be an elite starting corner in the NFL. He recently had minor surgery to repair a non-football injury that may cause him to slip all way to Green Bay at 29.

In the second round, Baron Browning from Ohio State brings the elite athleticism the Packers linebacking corps desperately needs. Pairing him with Krys Barnes and Kamaal Martin could be the key to stopping the run going forward, not to mention his ability as a blitzer and in zone coverage as well.

Lastly, in the third round, offensive tackle Spencer Brown from Northern Iowa gives the Packers depth on the offensive line. With David Bahktihari out with his ACL injury, Brown would have the opportunity to compete for playing time right away.