Alright, friends, we’ve got a long road ahead of us. Let’s ease into mock draft season with some light warmups. We’re gonna start with some gentle two-rounders and work our way up from there.
Here’s the results of our first go at it:
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Round 1
Neville Gallimore (DL) I just missed out on Patrick Queen (24) and Kenneth Murray (28) as the inside linebackers that could fit here. There’s a ton of wide receiver talent, so I held off to address another need and took Neville Gallimore.
He’s got a nice power build, but is still quick and agile. The thing that jumps out of his film for me is hustle. Right off the snap he’s moving, shooting gaps, and chasing guys down from behind. He’s not gonna hold point like Kenny Clark, but the Packers need more of that disruption.
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Round 2
Brandon Aiyuk (WR) This is why I love this year’s draft class. I think the 2nd round is the best place to find wide receivers and I had my pick between speedy Jalen Reagor or tough Brandon Aiyuk. I gave up a little speed to get a much more versatile and tough player in Aiyuk.
I think Aiyuk plays faster than he’ll time, plus he can go over the middle and runs like a punisher after the catch (although he’s not as good at fighting through press coverage before the catch). He’s a complete receiver that also averaged almost 32 yards per kickoff return and over 16 yards per punt return, giving the Packers options in the return game as well.
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Analysis
My big takeaway from my first short mock is that there’s a lot of receiving talent to be had and the Packers don’t need to rush. They’ll have a harder time showing up gaps at inside linebacker and defensive line.
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Of Note
After I took Aiyuk, the next two picks (the final picks of the round) were Jonathan Taylor and Tyler Biadasz.
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Check out our PFTW 2020 Mock Draft Archive to see how other scenarios played out!
Check out Packers Draft Central 2020 for all our 2020 NFL Draft coverage!
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