Packers Tackle Big Positions of Need in 4 Round NFL.com Mock Draft

Now with two first-round picks, four picks in the top-60, and five selections in the top-100, the Green Bay Packers are better equipped to round out the rest of their roster in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Of course, their biggest position of need is receiver, but in addition to that, adding depth at edge rusher, cornerback, offensive tackle, safety, and the interior defensive line are other needs that the Packers could choose to address early on.

In a recent four-round mock draft from Chad Reuter of NFL.com, he has Green Bay checking several of those boxes with their seven selections. Here is who those players are, Reuter’s thoughts on a few of them, and my takeaways as well.

Green Bay Packers Pick 22: Trevor Penning, OT, Northern Iowa

"“Many believed that Bryan Bulaga would be off the board when the Packers selected him 23rd overall in 2010. Maybe history will repeat itself this year with the large and athletic Penning, who’s capable of starting at right tackle so Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins can stay inside.”"

As Rueter suggests, most mock drafts don’t have Trevor Penning making it this far in the draft–in fact, many have him as a top-10 selection. While David Bakhtiari will be back this season, the depth at tackle remains a question mark with Billy Turner now in Denver and Dennis Kelly a free agent.

We don’t know when Elgton Jenkins will return, and maybe the Packers prefer to keep him inside, and to our knowledge, Yosh Nijman has very few — if any — reps at right tackle at the NFL level, and if he does, they’ve only come in practice.

However, the addition of Penning would fortify the entire offensive line. He could compete with Nijman for the starting right tackle job, provided added depth at a key position, and it would allow the Packers to keep Jenkins at guard.

Penning measured in at 6’7″ – 325 pounds, he tested incredibly well at the combine, and plays with a mean streak. He was a three-year starter for the Panthers at left tackle, allowing only two sacks and 21 pressures over his final two seasons. Penning was one of PFF’s highest-graded offensive tackles in 2021 and was particularly stout against the run.

Some may question whether or not they want the Packers to address offensive tackle at this stage of the draft, but landing Penning at pick 22 is a very good value, not to mention that depth is a concern, and premium picks should be spent on premium positions–which offensive tackle is.

Green Bay Packers Pick 28: Treylon Burks, WR, Arkansas

"“Green Bay selects a powerful receiver in Burks who, despite average speed for the position, seems to make plays downfield with physicality. Arkansas got him the ball in many ways, which I think foreshadows his role in Matt LaFleur’s offense.”"

Burks would be a terrific fit for the Matt LaFleur offense. At Arkansas, he lined up all over the formation and was given the ball quickly and in space so his playmaking ability could take over–which, in a nutshell, is a big component of this Green Bay offense.

Burks was targeted 88 times last season, and 54 of them came within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, according to PFF ($$). He would finish the season ranked in the top-10 both in YAC and YAC per catch–an element that this Packers offense very much needs.

Burks is that prototypical big-bodied receiver that the Packers love, and The Draft Network notes his ability to win in contested catch situations. Although it’s worth mentioning that he didn’t test particularly well at the combine.