One pick is up, but there are still ten to go. The Green Bay Packers entered the NFL Draft with 11 selections, and the first one was offensive lineman Jordan Morgan, taken with the 25th pick, in the first round.
On Friday and Saturday, the Packers are slated to have ten more picks, with extra selections in rounds 2, 3, 6, and 7.
After going offense in the first round, it would make sense for general manager Brian Gutekunst to spend more resources on defense.
Utilizing PFF's draft simulator, we created the new mock starting in the second round.
Well, DeJean might not be there at 41. But a lot of people said he wouldn't be there at 25. He was, and the Packers decided not to take him. In this scenario, DeJean was available, so it became a no-brainer. He could fill an immediate need at strong safety, but also has the potential to be a cornerback opposite Jaire Alexander — or to cover big slots.
Edgerrin Cooper is seen as the better prospect, but Junior Colson is a perfect fir the what the Packers need. Pick 58 might be slightly rich for him, but Colson is a solid middle linebacker prospect who could play well alongside Quay Walker, and not only compete with him for the same spot.
Coleman is another Packers classic type. Athletic, experienced, with good technique. It's hard to project where he will go, because his projected range has been all over the place among draft pundits. But the third round seems to be a good spot to give him a shot.
Even taking DeJean earlier, Green is still a good value in the end of the third round. He is awesome as a press-man cornerback, and defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley has already indicated he wants to play much more press than Joe Barry did. Cornerback depth is also never a problem.
Bishop would be another addition to the secondary, something particularly important for Jeff Hafley, who has a long track record as a defensive backs coach. Bishop still has flaws, but he is a solid developmental piece with the ability to play inside the box.
In real life, the Packers can get an edge defender much earlier. But the board didn't fall that way here, so McGregor was a later-round option to compete for a rotational edge spot. Without Kingsley Enagbare, who might miss the start of the season because of a knee injury, his chances are higher.
General manager Brian Gutekunst said he wanted to draft developmental quarterbacks, and Joe Milton is an ideal candidate for that role. He's not accurate whatsoever, and his rawness is evident. But he has the strongest arm in the class and an impressive athletic ability. If Milton doesn't pan out as a quarterback, he can still move to tight end.
Steele has decent athletic ability, and the board wasn't great at this point. So, the Packers get a depth piece to stay behind Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon, who re-signed but is in another contract year. Steele would possibly compete with Emanuel Wilson for the third spot.
In the seventh round, you take chances and see how the player can contribute. Ford is an athletic linebacker who could be useful on special teams.
Jennings is an intriguing late-round prospect, with a good RAS. He actually visited the Packers during the pre-draft process, so there might be a real interest there.
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