It’s fun to try to predict what’s going to happen in the draft, but you never really know what’s going to happen until the picks starting getting made. People love to say “he won’t be there,” but we never really know what’s going to happen. If someone starts falling, the Packers could pull the trigger to move up. That’s what happened here, but what is the cost? Let’s find out in our 36th analyzed draft of the year!
Here’s the results:
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Round 1
Nick Bosa (Edge) This draft started off odd, as five picks went off the board without any of them being Nick Bosa. I’m not a fan of moving up, but I wanted to see how this would play out. I traded up from 12 for the cost of a 2nd and a 4th to get Nick Bosa. I think he’s the best prospect in the class despite his injury concerns, he immediately launches this defense ot the next level. There’s not a lot of analysis needed – he can really do everything. He’s the best prospect in the draft and the only knock on him is injury concerns.
Jeffrey Simmons (DL) As long as I’m being aggressive on this draft and rolling the dice on injuries, I figured I should go really aggressive and really roll the dice on injuries. Jeffrey Simmons is a beast who liked like a surefire top 10 pick before he tore an ACL. Disruptive, with the power and torque to collapse passing pockets and crush runners for a loss, he can do everything except consistently hold two gaps like a nose tackle. Mike Daniels is in his contract year and this pick is just a bonus from last year so I’m using it on the future. This pick is basically trading #30 overall in 2019 for a top 10 pick in 2020 and filling the void that Daniels could leave.
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Round 2
Part of the cost of moving up for a stud like Nick Bosa was enduring a very boring second round where I just watched guys I want drift away. It was sad.
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Round 3
Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (S) Still looking to fortify the defense even further, I took Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. A very fluid natural athlete, there aren’t a lot of weaknesses to his game. He’s not a box safety, but he can cover slot, is strong in zone defense, and flies all over the place showing good ball skills and a willingness to support to the run.
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Round 4
Dennis Daley (G/T) Normally in a draft like this, I could fortify a couple of positions in the 4th round, but no, I had to get greedy early. I’d like to bolster the Offensive Line and Tight End positions here, but I have to choose one over the other now. There’s always good zone blocking interior linemen that I like hanging around later, but there just isn’t s Tight End I like as much as Dennis Daley. Super strong, but still athletic enough for zone blocking, he played Tackle in college and took a stock hit with a rough week of Senior Bowl practices against top edge talent. He should do just fine at Guard in a pro zone blocking scheme, though.
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Round 5
Alize Mack (TE) At 6’4, Alize Mack has the body to at least be decent in the blocking game (and since he’s not a basketball player trying football, he has the mentality for it, as well). With 4.7 speed, he’s a reasonable threat in the passing game, too. He runs smooth routes, but needs to get off the line quicker. He won’t rack up a ton of yards after the catch, but he can come down with contested balls and should be a solid addition to the Tight End group.
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Round 6
Maxx Crosby (Edge) Lots of developmental guys hanging around, but really no one falling as boards are tightening up. I went with the player with the most potential in Maxx Crosby. He blew up the Combine with crazy testing numbers, among the greatest ever. Coupled with showing a lot of great technique and moved at the Senior Bowl, I think he’d be a steal in the 6th.
Joe Giles-Harris (ILB) At 6’2 234 and with 4.75 speed, Joe Giles-Harris has solid measureables for the position, but it’s the other things that I like about him. A quick processor who plays faster than he times, he finishes tackles and uses his hands well. He’s not flexible and doesn’t have the big burst for a first rounders, but he can blitz and cover and was one of the best players in the ACC.
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Round 7
Devine Ozigbo (RB) A 5’11 230 pound back is expected to run tight inside with his shoulders down and finish runs, which is what Devine Ozigbo does. However, he also shows good feet and smooth change of direction for a back his size. He ran in the 4.5s at his pro day and busted a couple of 60 yard touchdown runs last year, showing that he has a rare blend of speed and size. He’s a patient runner, which is a critical trait for the zone blocking system the Packers are implementing, as well as a solid pass blocker. The only real knock on his is he only produced for one year in college.
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Analysis
Nick Bosa falling to 6 basically made this draft. Giving up the picks robbed the team of some depth picks, but in this scenario, I’m hoping the impact is worth it.
I could have had Brian Burns, Garrett Bradbury, and Mecole Hardman with the picks I gave up for Bosa. As much as I like Bosa, I wonder if getting an Edge rusher like Burns, a top-notch Guard like Bradbury, and a lightning-quick slot receiver that can return kicks in Mecole Hardman might have been a better haul for the team as a whole.
Simmons is basically a redshirt, but pairing him with Clark could make for a devastating tandem in 2020 and having Nick Bosa coming off the edge – plus Chauncey Gardner-Johnson roaming the back end – could launch the Packers to a defense-fueled title… which they’d need because offense didn’t get much help with the picks it took to move up.
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Of Note
DK Metcalf went #3 overall, which just seems silly
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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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