The Packers made big strides on defense last year, primarily from coaching and a new CB1. However, it was still clear that the overall talent pool was lacking on that side of the ball. On offensive, the line, particularly Right Guard, wrecked a lot of promising plays. This draft helps with both of those points.
Here’s the results:
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Round 1
Christian Wilkins (DL) My three favorite Edge targets (Bosa, Allen, Ferrell) were gone, so I went with the defensive line to generate pressure instead, taking Christian Wilkins. Maybe it’s a little high for him, but I don’t think it’s ludicrous and I don’t think he’s going to make it to 30. He’s got good size and 6’3 315, but it’s his hands and shed techniques that make him disruptive. Athletic and high energy, he’s a big help in rushing the passer as well as stopping the run.
Devin Bush (LB) At 30, the next batch of Edge guys (Polite, Sweat, and Burns) were all gone, which didn’t shock me. That left lots of big names available on the offensive side of the ball, including DK Metcalf, Josh Jacobs, TJ Hockenson, and N’Keal Harry (basically the top TE, top RB, and top two WRs), but I still went with defense and took Devin Bush. He’s smart and rangy with a compact power build at 5’11 233. He’s athletic, fast, and shoots gap, but needs a little work on getting off blocks. He’s not a classic thumper, but he can definitely lay some big hits with fantastic form.
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Round 2
Jaylon Ferguson (Edge) I waited until the 3rd round to address the top need and took who I think is the last guy on the tier of 8 Edges that I really like (the six mentioned above plus Zach Allen, who went a few picks earlier): Jaylon Ferguson. He’s got a great sturdy frame that can still add meat and a good burst. He’s not explosive, but he has great hands, versatile moves, and it a beast against the run.
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Round 3
JoeJuan Williams (CB) There’s lots of good offensive linemen, but I’m staying patient because one always fall to 4. Here, I took JoeJuan Williams, a corner with great size at 6’2 208. He doesn’t have elite speed, but could raise his stock with a good 40 at the Combine. He’s a good press guy with lots of strengths who doesn’t bite on fakes. His tackling needs a little technique work, too, but he’s willing to stick his nose in on run support. Hands and feet aren’t quite top-tier yet, but if those techniques improve in training camp, he could push for a starting job off the bat.
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Round 4
Amani Hooker (FS) In the 4th, I kept the focus on defense, where there’s a hole at safety. I took 6’0 210 Amani Hooker to try to plug it. He doesn’t play as physical as his size suggests, but he’s good at covering in space and rolling zones. He has decent speed and really makes plays on the ball with great anticipation – he even baits QBs.
Dennis Daley (RT/G) There’s always line help in the 4th – this year has a deep crop of zone blockers that can play Guard. Dennis Daley is one of the better ones. Super strong, but still athletic enough for ZBS, he fell a little based on some struggles at Senior Bowl. He can’t handle the edge with elite pass rushers, but he’s more than capable at filling a hole at Guard.
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Round 5
Anfernee Jennings (Edge) The Packers need lots of help at Edge, so I dipped into the deep pool again with Anfernee Jennings. He doesn’t have elite burst of edge, but he’s got a lot to offer including good hands and punch, a strong bull rush, a good arc, and very quick processing. He doesn’t bite on fakes and is a very strong tackler.
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Round 6
Garrett Brumfield (G) Another reason I dont take Risner in the 1st or any other blockers early is because guys like Garret Brumfield keep dropping. An aggressive run blocker, he has very good movement for zone blocking. He needs to work on his hand placement, but all the tools are there to be a starter.
Ugo Amadi (FS) I’m not totally in love with Amani Hooker, and the Packers could use more than one safety, so I grabbed Ugo Amadi. He has a compact build at 5’9, 205 and used his thick frame to play physical. Still, he’s a very fluid athlete that is smart in zone and man pickups.
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Round 7
Phil Haynes (G/RT) I keep saying this, but there’s a lot of great zone blocking prospects late and Hayes is one of the most intriguing. He didn’t get invited to the Senior Bowl or even the Shrine Game, but he did make it to the NFLPA game. I don’t care if it’s the red-headed step-cousin of all-star games, the dude is 6’4, 311 and dominated the NFLPA game. He’s solid all-around, even if he didn’t flash elite during the year. He has a low basement and looks like a very good developmental prospect.
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Analysis
I didn’t come out with Edge studs, but a couple of solid prospects in Ferguson and Jennings. the defensive impact with come more from Wilkins and Bush, plus a new safety tandem in Hooker and Amadi.
There’s some very big reinforcements coming on the offensive line with Daley and Brumfield both capable of starting Day 1 and Haynes as a good long-terms depth prospect. However, their offensive skill positions got no help in this mock, so we’ll need internal growth and some free agents to help in that regard.
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Of Note
- DK Metcalf went #3 overall to the Jets, which seems crazy
- 3 Cornersbacks (Greedy, Murphy, and Baker) went top 10
- Ed Oliver slipped all the way to 19 – the farthest I’ve seen
- Dwayne Haskins went #30 to New England – wow, that would really be something if reality worked out that way
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Check out our PFTW 2019 Mock Draft Archive to see how other scenarios played out!
Check out Packers Draft Central for all our 2019 NFL Draft coverage!
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