8 Combine Prospects to Watch at Packers Positions of Need
By Paul Bretl
The NFL Combine is here, and for the Green Bay Packers, it’s an opportunity to see if the athletic testing results of the players they are interested in matches what they saw on film. It also presents them with the opportunity to sit down and chat with a number of these draft prospects as well.
In terms of who we should be keeping our eyes on, there are too many players to name. So in an effort to create a shortlist, I picked one player from eight different positions of need that fans should keep their eyes on as the week unfolds.
Also, please note, not all of these prospects will be first-round picks, but at some point in the first few rounds could be players that the Packers are interested in.
Green Bay Packers Position of Need: Edge Rusher, Boye Mafe, Minnesota
Boye Mafe just feels like a Green Bay Packers first-round selection. He has an incredibly high ceiling and plays a premier position.
It sure seems like Za’Darius Smith will be playing elsewhere in 2022 and we don’t quite know if Preston Smith will return either, but regardless, edge rusher should be a priority in the draft.
Mafe had just 978 career snaps at Minnesota, with about half of them coming during the 2021 season. He would go on to record 40 pressures, including six sacks, along with 10 tackles for loss. While most of his snaps came as a traditional edge rusher, he has some experience lining up in the B-gap as well.
Mafe would put on a show at the Senior Bowl and was named the National Player of the Game with a pair of sacks, three tackles for loss, and a forced fumble.
"“Mafe offers great athleticism on the edge and his flashes of effortless movement skills in space are an easy sell when projecting his pro game to the next level,” said Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network. “I do believe Mafe is more of a developmental player than a plug-and-play starter, but the trajectory of Mafe’s play with the Gophers has been on a steady increase for the entirety of his career with the program."
Green Bay Packers Position of Need: Wide Receiver, Christian Watson, North Dakota State
Once again, Watson is one of those players that feels like a Green Bay Packers’ selection. He has the size that the Packers covet at receiver, big-play abilities, he should test very well, and he can also be a factor in the run game.
The wide receiver room is up in the air at the moment and will be a need this offseason, the question, however, is how much? Even if some combination of Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling return, receiver should still be addressed at some point.
Watson has 145 targets during his college career, hauling in 58% of those passes at 21.3 yards per catch with 13 total touchdowns, according to PFF ($$).
"“Christian Watson is a very good athlete with good speed, agility, and excellent body control,” said Drae Harris of The Draft Network. “For a taller receiver, he is surprisingly dynamic and displays the ability to consistently win against man coverage. In the passing game, he is extremely tough to cover. He can defeat press with foot quickness and has surprisingly good vertical speed. His home-run speed threatens a defender’s cushion quickly."