Return to Glory for the Patriots

In 2012, following a championship season and then a record setting season with the Packers, Director of Player Personnel Reggie McKenzie took the General Manager position with the ever struggling Oakland Raiders and did something horrific but almost necessary; he blew them up. He cut or traded a massive number of high priced veterans regained oodles (a fun and underused word) or draft picks, and chose some premium starters in the draft. This past season, following a previously unimaginable level of success, Bill Belichick lost his main man Tom Brady, and decided to do something so savy; he blew up the Patriots.

In a season where failure could readily be correlated with the wacky changes under Covid, the Patriots, already under a cap burden from their departed Quarterback hero, $31 million of dead cap, and over $45 million attributed to Injury Reserve (per Spotrac), it was a great season to saw “screw it” and prepare for the next year. Due to their 2020 Rest season, the Patriots approached the 2021 contracted cap year with over $69 million in cap space as of March 17th (per Draft Kings). New England used this cap space to shore up some holes and sign some vets, but it is time to turn to the draft and have some fun!

Round 1

We saw last season a Cam Newton who was still dangerous with the ball in his hands, but not so much when the ball left his hands. So let’s give him some guys to be confident throwing the ball to. At pick 15, New England snags any of three massive difference makers; Chase, Waddle, or Smith. Little more can be said of Ja’Marr Chase who had jaw dropping season for LSU in 2019 while still a teenager. He has everything you need in a receiver, but will likely be gone by 15. Waddle has speed, both sudden and long, and if not for an ankle injury may have matched his Heisman winning teammate in receiving stats. While slight and a bit undersized, he doesn’t have size concerns. DeVonta Smith, on the other hand, may be one of the lightest 1st round WRs drafted in the common era. He is skinny. I weigh more than him, and whenever that happens it is bad. But if there is any position to get away with weighing less than 183 pounds in the NFL, it is wide receiver. And with Smith’s skill set, route running, speed, silky smooth shifts of suddenness in the open field, and versatility as a returner as well, he is worth the risk. Rashod Bateman may have seemed early here a month ago, but he tested better than anticipated, and it more than backs up wat I see on tape. With great all around size, good routes, and deceptive speed for his size, he would not at all be a reach here.

Round 2

With the departure of his O line over the last few years, Beli is going to get some hog ups front. It starts with a safe and strong pick in Alijah Vera-Tucker. Getting him at 53 may seem rather unlikely, but there are so many good OL guys this year; safe guys may very well fall. Vera-Tucker has position versatility, strength, and size. He is perfect for New England. Other players who could slot here include Liam Eicheberg from Notre Dame, Trey Smith from Tennessee, Walker Little from Stanford, Alex Leatherwood from Alabama, or Jalen Mayfield from Michigan. These guys are all different. Liam is a true tackle, but maybe be the safest guy behind Vera-Tucker on the line in this draft. Smith is positionally versatile as well, but his more a mauling monster on the left with great size and strength. Little has almost no tape from the past two years, but played great in 18 and oozes potential. Leatherwood is all tape with great length, but is he a product of Saban? Mayfield played great against a lot of NFL pass rushers, but his testing was nearly abysmal from what was expected of a guy who shows smooth and quick movement off the line; will those limitations stop him at the next level?

Round 3

Sticking with O Line help Brady Christensen and James Hudson have already been highlighted by me in previous mocks, as have Ben Cleveland and D’Ante Smith. All are in play here. But for a new guy, I will go with Quinn Meinerz. I have only really mentioned him before, so let’s go deeper. This Wisconsin boy comes to the Senior Bowl basically flaunting a crop top for his jersey. He looked like a guy at the bar who watches football and talks about the Good Ol’ Days. Then his guy started one-on-ones and began to stonewall most everyone sent against him. He may not have looked athletic or quick, but he plays great. He then backed up his athleticism at his pro day with a 40 as fast as 4.86, and sub 4.5 and 7.5 shuttles and 3 cone drills. He can move. So grabbing this dude, who has flexibility at both guards and the pivot, would be total Belichick… if he is still there.

Round 4

With a couple picks in round 4, let’s get some more weapons for Newton and the future QB (see a pattern here?). Tutu Atwell is a similar player to Rondale Moore, but will likely be available far later. I am starting to wonder, aside from weight, why. Tutu tips that scales at under 170, lighter even than the slender Smith mentioned earlier. Atwell appears a more rounded receiver to me than Moore, though, and with better hands. His routes aren’t always crisp, but he does adjust well to off target balls. He has been exceptional for Louisville. Given I already noted New England may take an undersized hotrod at wide out in round 1, a different mold of guy to look at here is Sage Surratt. If you wants to watch a guy who shows all the size, toughness, and physicality of a dominant receiver, watch Surratt. At 6’3” and about 215lbs, Surratt is nearly the epitome of WR body types. Sadly, the reason you see him win 50/50 balls and boxing out defenders and stiff arming guys is because he has not shown a consistent ability to outrun or shake good defenders. While he has the hands, body control, and physicality you dream of for receivers, he lacks the speed and quickness, so round 4 makes sense for him. Also, I will not stop drumming for Amari Rodgers. Dude better not make it out of round 4, and should be gone by end of day 2. If he is still available here, grab him.

A compensation pick for New England is going to turn into the 2022 starter, Kellen Mond. Mond is all over the place on draft boards, and Simms even put him in his top 5 QBs for this draft. Don’t buy that. After Lawrence, Wilson is the likely #2 QB. After that, you wonder over success with Fields of potential in Lance at QBs 3 and 4. Mac Jones is the likely QB 5, then Kyle Trask would be 6, and with a great Pro Day showing health and tons of athleticism, Stanford’s Davis Mills is likely QB7. And what teams need QBs? Jacksonville, New York, and San Fran will grab QBs, meaning Darnold and Jimmy will be available this year or next, Watson will likely not get traded now (depending on his legal status) so Houston isn’t in the market. Washington Football team will grab one. Chicago likely views Dalton and Foles and stop gaps, so a 1st round QB makes sense. New Orleans and Carolina are wildcards, but unlikely to take guys high. Pitt will probably grab someone day two. With Darnold, Jimmy G, and eventually Watson becoming available, other QBs will drop. So basically…

   1st

Jax – Lawrence

NYJ – Wilson

SF – Lance

Den – Fields

Chi – Jones

   2nd

Car – Trask

Pitt - Mills

Who else needs a QB early? Mond will drop to New England as a compensatory round 4 pick.

Round 5

I swear I haven’t been ignoring the defense, but they were pretty good still last year even without basically any forced fumbles and missing two starters to COVID opt outs. Time to address a weakness, though. Grabbing Kary Vincent Jr. from LSU makes sense. He is FAST. He ran a 10.01 100 meter at LSU. He is smaller at 5’10”, but has good length for his frame. He plays hard and fast, a little undisciplined at times, but Belichick makes guys disciplined, so going to a detail minded coach could make Vincent a huge steal.

Another corner could be Robert Rochell. He also lacks ideal size, but is a bit taller, longer, and heavier. He was spectacular at Central Arkansas, but wilted under the lights of the Senior Bowl. He overcame a recruiting concern due to injury, has showcased some great tested speed, and appears a dedicated and determined player. His pro day was amazing with a sub 4.4 40, 3 Cone under 6.85, vert over 42 inches, and broad jumping more than 11 feet. After the pro day and with the great tape he has from previous seasons, unlikely he is still here. But if his Senior Bowl caused his stock to plummet, he may be a steal here.

Round 6

Going back to the offense, let’s throw another receiver the Pat’s way. If Nico Collins is still here, steal him. His pro day was great, especially for his size, but Nico looks less polished and less athletic than Donovan Peoples-Jones, who some-freaking-how lasted until round 6 last year. The Patriots may unload N’Keal Harry, in which case Collins replaces the size and with better speed and quickness. Again, not likely he is still here, but crazier things have happened in the 6th round for the Patriots.

Round 7

Let’s end with one more weapon- Chris Evans. No, not the hunky Captain America actor. The running back from Michigan who hasn’t really done anything on the field since being suspended from the 2019 season. I love what I know about his character. He appears to be a hard worker, dedicated and loyal, and a tempting athlete. I have seen him mostly as an UDFA, but I will let Beli have him here. His 3 Cone drill of 6.56 is insanely good. His vert and broad were both great, and he displayed adequate to good speed in his shuttle (4.14) and 40 (4.44). The biggest question to me is why he did next t nothing form the Wolverines last year.

15 – DeVonta Smith

46 – Liam Eichenberg

96 – Quinn Meinerz

120 – Tutu Atwell

122 – Sage Surratt

139 – Kellen Mond

177 – Kary Vincent Jr

188 – Robert Rochell

197 – Nico Collins

242 – Chris Evans

Kansas City Mock Draft

(As a disclaimer, I wrote this up last week, I just didn't publish it yet, so some Pro Day performances have since occurred.)

In this edition of “Dad Draft,” I approach the draft from the perspective of another team who basically has it all. But, most importantly, they have the coach who maximizes the best parts of a players’ game instead of seeing largely what they can’t do. Most coaches who saw a fast, undersized, non-major program running back with character concerns passed without worry. This guy grabbed him, developed him, and now has his QB throw super deep where no one can keep up, or runs jet sweeps, and employs short, explosive routes where the guy can make room. Oh, and that QB?  Another “project” player now considered best at the position.

Welcome to the Kansas City Chiefs.

I really wanted to take this draft and trade it for almost all future picks. After the first wave of free agency, KC has addressed most of their obvious holes, and is now looking for just a hit or two from this years draft. They have a lot of guys to pay from their sustained success, and though the bell ain’t tolling yet, the bill will come due. They will need consistent contribution from draft classes really starting next year, but since they could need some development, I determined to keep this draft class. Also, KC had some depth issues exposed last year (especially on the line at the end of the year). Though they signed a bunch of guys there, getting some young guys in to become future starters will be a huge benefit. Let’s go!

Round 1

I actually found a trade partner for this one. Immediately getting three day 2 picks plus three day 3 picks was hard to ignore, so I grabbed it. That being said, Grabbing hogs up front is a big need. Sam Cosmi is a giant at tackle, with athleticism to spare. His pro day was spectacular, and he only allowed a pressure rate of 2.17%, half the rate of Dillon Radunz who played in the FCS and fewer pressures than Rashawn Slater, though Texas is a far more pass happy team. Teven Jenkins out of OK State was another big guy out at tackle who could fit in well with KC, or versatile OL prospect Alijah Vera-Tucker from USC. Both are strong enough and athletic enough to pass block , but also possess the grit and aggression for success as a run blocker.

The likelihood is there are too many quality tackles, so guys are gonna be falling. PFF has ten offensive line players in their top 40. There are also good, strong prospects later on, so KC may opt to go a different route here. Sammy Watkins has been rather underwhelming as a #2 receiver, and while there are a lot of gadget players, no one is a true #2 receiver behind Hill (though Kelce at TE is the real #1 receiver, with Hill as the playmaker, or #1B). Going receiver here makes some sense. After all, KC drafted an RB last year here; let’s amp up the horse power on this thing! Kadarius Toney could be phenomenal here. He has speed, strength, and is a proven weapon on a team where defenses are forced to focus on the tight end. While he might have some size concerns as an outside weapon, and he dropped about everything during one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl, he had a good catch rate for his career as well as breaking an obscene 32 tackles on 80 receptions since 2019. Outstanding testing would slot him here. Other wise, LSU’s Terrace Marshall Jr. fits. He has height, speed, and youth. The guy excelled at LSU even after Chase opted out, and Burrow, Jefferson, and CEH left for the draft. This may also be early, though, as WR has a definite tier 1 followed by a logjammed tier 2.

Round 2

Because I traded my day 1 pick in the mock, I was able to grab Zaven Collins here. I highlighted him in my Green Bay mock, but let me reiterate some stuff here. A guy with this much size should not be this good in coverage. He moves well, anticipates zones and the routes being run behind him, clogs lanes, watches the QB, and blitzes phenomenally.  He hits with authority, typically wraps up, and if he develops a talent to shed blockers better, look out. He would be able to hold the MLB spot for Spagnuolo for a decade plus.

Also players to look for would be cornerbacks. Richie Grant, Tyson Campbell, or Eric Stokes. Tyson Campbell has some good length to him, but Stokes is blazing fast (running multiple electric timed sub 4.3s this off season). Any of these players have the ability to hold the outside or man the slot. There may be some concerns with workout warrior for Stokes, but he improved immensely as a player since getting to Athens and really has made a lot of good plays on the ball.

If these plays don’t tickle your fancy, let’s grab a different Georgia player at a position of need. Azeez Ojulari plays EDGE, and has the length, speed, and strength to excel. He also has some ability to stack and shed as a run defender, and even drop into coverage a bit, so he isn’t a one trick pony. Then again, after his testing day, he may not be available even when the Chiefs pick in round 1.

Round 3

Again, even with Reinforcements from Joe Thuney and Kyle Long, I want there to be more bodies in front of Mahomes. James Hudson is a tackle prospect with a good physical presence. He isn’t overly tall at 6’4”, and his arms or 33” which isn’t great, but he is low enough to get leverage with that arm length. He played exceptionally for the Bear Cats this past year, and has risen well up the boards.

Another good weapon for Mahomes could be Tylan Wallace. Wallace has come back from injury and created some great tape for scouts. He has fantastic arm length and good hands for someone under 6 foot, and is just under 200lbs, so he isn’t a stick. His explosive plays last year carried the Cowboys.

Round 4

A few guys I mentioned on the Packers who would be amazing here would be Spencer Brown, Amari Rodgers, or Ben Cleveland. So let’s discuss someone new; Dylan Moses. I haven’t seen him go early in these mock drafts, and I was able to get him in the 4th, alongside Josh Myers. Moses slid down boards after a boring year lacking splash plays, likely as he continued to return to form after a torn ACL. He could be a great value pick, as he has the size, athleticism, and dedication you want from a thumper in the middle.

Josh Myers is explosive out of his stance, is strong, and has experience at Guard and Center. He doesn’t work the second level with ease, but he is a great collegiate center. Powerful and quick centers are great. Getting one in day 3 is even better.

Round 5

CEH is good, but let’s grab a running back. Kylin Hill out of Mississippi State has some danged good size at 5’10”, 215lbs. His arms aren’t short at 31”, and he has near 10” hands. That is a physical body. He also has suddenness, violence, and aggression in his runs. His speed on longer runs can put distance between him and defenders. He generated a bunch of yardage against SEC defenses, even without a consistent passing game needing the defenses attention. Kansas City has excelled with late round RBs before, and pairing Hill with CEH would save hits and damage to the 1st rounder without a noticeable drop off in on field talent.

Round 6

Grabbing a couple more edge players here makes sense. Daelin Hayes and Malik Herring are two prospects to watch for KC. Hayes, coming out of Notre Dame, has tweener size, but a good deal of athleticism as well. While he isn’t a great run defender due to his size, he at least is lane disciplined and clogs lanes. He can drop back in coverage, and could benefit from a 15-25lbs weight loss to become a more mobile outside backer/EDGE player unless you want him rushing the passer 85% of the time. Really more of a pass rushing D End at his size. Herring, yet another Georgia player, generated 41 pressures in 2019, but his stat sheet isn’t stuffed. He wreaks havoc, but doesn’t tend to get to the ball most plays. A torn ACL at the Senior bowl will drop him further as he will be untested and his rookie season is likely already over.

Round 7

Given how Georgia has only had sporadic success over the years, they sure have come on strong the last couple seasons. Which brings yet another Georgia player up here. Safety Mark Webb demonstrated more than adequate speed for the position with a 4.5 40, but showed some great explosion with an 11’4” broad jump. Webb is 6’1” and 210lbs, so good size with some great numbers. Sticking with safety, Damar Hamlin from Pitt may be good. He is a touch smaller than Webb and slower in testing. But Hamlin has better game tape, so either in round 7 makes sense.

If KC wants to solidify their linebackers, maybe grabbing Derrik Barnes here makes sense. Barnes has operated a lot as a rush linebacker, but he has some great size at 6’4”, 245lbs, and he ran a 4.57 40 while putting up 29 reps on the bench and a 37 inch vertical. He generated some big plays at Purdue, hits hard, brings hit weight to the tackle, and shows versatility. He isn’t the best, most fluid, or fastest, but that is why he is here in round 7 for me. However, the testing would honestly push him a up a round for me. I really did not expect him to test this well.

1: Sam Cosmi (OT, Texas)

2: Richie Grant (CB, UCF)

3: James Hudson (OT, Cincinnati)

4: Dylan Moses (LB, Alabama)

5: Kylin Hill (RB, MissSt)

6: Daelin Hayes (ND, Edge)

7: Mark Webb (S, Georgia)

Packers Mock Draft

My life has become very busy, so football has sadly been pushed back. But as we are now in full on Pro Day season, I must be mock drafting!

I will run mock drafts for a few teams in a few different posts. What I will do is basically highlight a few players who would slot well to the the team relative to what I am able to do in PFF’s mock draft simulator. Go ahead and play with it, and watch a week fly by!

I will start with a team with established starters at basically every position, but a great lack of depth behind those established starters. Every marquee position has a star player; QB, OT, and WR may be best at their positions, and D Tackle, pass rusher, and DB are all established stars. That’s right, my friends; the Green Bay Packers. After infuriating their fan base last year by trading up to draft Jordan Love, they only had one player drafted on each side of the ball play more than 10% of the team snaps, and neither were over 20%. After most everyone projected wide receiver to be a point of focus, not one was picked. This year, the Packers are using a lot of restructures to be under the cap, so they need some big hits in the draft to bring in low cost players to pull attention from players like Davante Adams, or hold their own in coverage while QBs avoid Jaire Alexander.

Let’s fix the Packers!

Round 1

My third Mock for this team, Micah Parsons fell to 29, so I grabbed him. This is highly unlikely! I will not be relying upon anything as improbable as that to occur, but a fall for Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is possible. He is undersized for a lineback, and unless he tests extremely well, teams may see him as a man without a position (Pro Day March 31). More likely is Zaven Collins. He is the best graded coverage linebacker in this draft, and at 6’4”, 260lbs, he is also a talented and reliable rush and tackle ‘backer (Pro Day April 2). I would take any of these three in a heartbeat, and solidifies the only position group (ILB) without an established star player.

If none of these three are there, grabbing a high end corner may do. Asante Samuel Jr and Greg Newsome are possibilities. However, I am hesitant with them largely because of their meteoric rises as of late. Newsome offers more outside corner size and skill set, while Samuel could also hold his own outside or man the slot. Newsome already tested amazing, and I want to see a TON of great testing from Samuel before being confident in him as a Day 1 guy (Pro Day March 31).

Lastly, if Rashod Bateman is still available, I would strongly consider him. Even before running a sub 4.4 in testing this spring, Bateman showed good speed, smooth routes, and both tracked the ball and won 50/50s. He is a polished receiver with experience outside and in the slot.

Round 2

Moving forward, the picks somewhat depend on what the Packers have already picked, obviously, but if Rondale Moore is still available, I would be hard pressed to avoid him. The kid is so strong, so explosive, and so multi-dimensional. He has an injury history, as well as inconsistent hands, but with good health he will be a great gadget at worst or an accomplished threat at all three levels, similar to Tyler Lockett’s career trajectory (Pro Day March 23).

But receiver seems deeper to me than defensive back in this draft, so I would love to see Elijah Molden be picked here. Most of the time, you want a defensive back to have at least 2 of 3 coveted traits; size, speed, skill. Molden lacks size, and he is not expected to test well, meaning his speed is also lacking. But Molden also possesses two other trait; smarts and spirit. The dude is like the Rudy story of this draft. He is a tenacious defender, capable in the slot or safety position, a sure tackler, and is quick to react in coverage. The guy attacks the ball whether in the air or in a runner's arms without unduly risking missing the tackle or blowing his coverage (Pro Day March 30).

Another player I would consider is Liam Eichenberg. He may be the safest pick at tackle this year, but safe isn’t sexy, so he could see a drop. He has size, experience, length: if he does fall down the boards, the Packers would be happy to have a guy hold down the left side until Bakhtiari is healed up from his ACL and then jump to the right side (Pro Day March 31).

Round 3

Given the state of things, Kelvin Joseph may very well be gone before Asante Samuel, but I can dream. Joseph transferred from LSU, and only has one real year of play under his belt, but he balled out and may test incredibly. He could be a day 1 guy, but with PFF holding him ranked north of 100, I’d take him with pick 92. It is expected he will test very well, maybe even with 4.3 range speed, which would mean he goes before this slot (Pro Day March 31).

Since Joseph is probably gone, I would easily look back to wide receiver at the 92nd pick. Amon Ra St Brown may join his big brother in Green Bay. He could have benefited from another year at USC, but he has done enough to show he can belong in the NFL. He will just not get drafted high. He largely excelled as a slot guy, but had some success outside as well (Pro Day March 24). Sage Surratt is also a guy to watch. He has a book build at 6'2", 215lbs, and 32 inch arms. His tape before injury and opt out is fantastic, but he does not possess great athletic traits, He is fast enough, quick enough, and jumps high enough, but he is not going to be winning foot races. Sage boxes out defenders and loses guys with his route running, though, so he may work well with Rodgers (Pro Day March 31).

Going back to defense as a safe pick, I looked at a guy at the line of scrimmage, man-to-man, and deep. Levi Onwuzurike has pretty good size. A nice first step, and had a great last season, but it was in 2019 having opted out last year (Pro Day March 30). Ben St-Juste has great size and played very well at the Senior Bowl. He has some great tape through his career (Pro Day April 1). Hamsah Nasirlideen has even better size, and brings it as a run defender. He may be a hybrid box safety (Pro Day March 30). Another potential target is Hunter Long out of Boston College. He is well sized, boxes out defenders, runs pretty good routes, blocks well, but is not an athlete. He did not create much separation, and throws had to be well placed or made to give him a jump ball chance, which he admittedly tended to win (Pro Day March 26).

Round 4

With 2 picks in the 4th round, the Packers have a lot of good options here. If Amari Rodgers is still available, run the card up there. I would even grab him in the 3rd, to be honest, but with PFFs rank, I have been able to get him in the 130s. He was the best receiver at Clemson this year, and is a hard nosed competitor with position versatility. Rodgers has long speed, and, in spite of not great testing, runs sharp routes and is quick out of breaks. His testing numbers are a positive indicator of what he voiced in his “Dream Draft Scenario” during an interview; he can be the slot receiver Green Bay hasn’t had since Randall Cobb. They are within a half of inch in height, but Rodgers weighs 20lbs more, and it showed in his bench press, putting up 24 reps to Cobb’s 16. Rodgers’ 40 time matched the average of Cobb’s hand time and electric timed results at the combine. Cobb had a faster 10 yard split (1.58 to 1.66), but Rodgers won the last 20 ( 1.85 to 1.91). Cobb slightly edged out a win in the vert (by .5 inches), the Short Shuttle (by .02 seconds) and the 3 cone (by .04 seconds), while Rodgers won the Broad jump by a couple inches. He may be my Draft Darling of 2021. He was a productive backup behind Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross in 2019 not missing a single game after tearing his ACL in spring practice, and even out produced Hunter Renfrow in 2018, while also returning punts. And per Sports Reference, he had over 250 collegiate touches with no fumbles.  

Two others I would definitely be more than satisfied with are Ben Cleveland and Trey Smith. Both are SEC interior blockers, but I would grade Trey above Ben easily. Trey Smith had a missed season after it was discovered he had blood clots, but appears to be better now. When he came back , Tennessee moved him from his All-Freshman LT spot to LG, and he played at an All American level. Trey did well at the Senior Bowl one-on-ones, but he may have been a big measurements winner. He came in at north of 330lbs while looking 20lbs lighter with nearly 34 inch arms (Pro Day March 25). Cleveland is another Senior Bowl measurement winner He is a strong dude, powerful, and looks like a lean tackle, but he actually weighed in at over 350lbs. The dude looks 310lbs. He is a little tall at 6’6”, and he didn’t become a full starter until this past year, but he earned an All-SEC spot and may end up being one of those no-nonsense, dependable guys. He only put up 30 reps on the bench after threatening to break the record (49 or 51], and stories abound of him benching 50 reps of 225 3 years ago. He did also test well with an unofficial 4.85 40.

Sticking on the O-Line, if none of the above are there, either Brady Christensen or D’Ante Smith have a lot of differences in the way I view them. Smith is all potential, with a rare body needing some focused weight lifting. He is 6’5” and under 300lbs, but has arms over 35” long. He was a three year starter at East Carolina, and does well with a one-on-one match up. He needs to improve his play strength and adjust to switches and stunts better, but he is a rare body type with success in college, when on the field (Pro Day March 30). Brady is established and safe, but with some limitations. However, he was on track this past year to break PFFs record for highest graded season by a tackle ever, and ended as a consensus All American. Dude had some good tape, and projects as a lower quality Liam Eichenberg; safe, but not sexy. Coming from BYU instead of Notre Dame, that drops him 2 rounds (Pro Day March 26). Quinn Meinerz has also shot up boards. He was phenomenal at the Senior Bowl. As a DIII guy he has some competition concerns, but he largely laid those to rest by stonewalling most everyone he faced in one-on-ones. He also has position versatility at Guard or Center, something GB can use depending on if they flip Elgton Jenkins to pivot or keep him at LG… or LT for a while.

…Wow, Green Bay sure isn’t stable in the trenches right now…

Round 5

Another 2 picks! This is the round where I focus on picking up guys who were either really good college players, but it is a question of if they have the ability to transition to the next level, or the really good athletes who never really put it together in college. Let’s focus on Defensive Line. Teammates Jay Tufele and Marlon Tuipulotu are both well sized, but I would rather take Marlon. They are good enough in both run and pass defense, and played well together. As second fiddle to Kenny Clark, both could do well as disruptive defenders (Pro Day March 24). Milton Williams will likely be a riser now, but with PFFs rank, I would take him here. The guy is underweight for interior at 278, but has some serious strength beyond his size. Adding 20 pounds would make him even scarier to me (Pro Day March 18).

Spencer Brown is not the sort of tackle I normally like; he is so tall, and lean. At 6’8” and 314 lbs at the Senior Bowl (nearly 25lbs above his listed weight), he actually showed more power than anticipated, and he frequently gets low in his stance and doesn’t come out immediately high. His long arms are a great asset, and as long as he adds some more sand in his pants, I would trust him more (Pro Day March 22). However, if Cornerback hasn't been addressed yet, Paulson Adebo tends to be available in these mock drafts at about this time. He was a PBU machine in 2018 and 2019 before opting out 2020. He has length and some speed to him, is tenacious, and tackles aggressively. I like Stanford guys, and would love to have this guys on my team (Pro Day March 19)

Round 6

2 more picks in this round, too! Let’s grab another offensive line guy. With Bak hurt, Wagner cut, and Linsley in LA, the Packers need a lot of help up front, hence my attention. Alaric Jackson out of Iowa is so technically sound, and currently rated at 198 by PFF. He gets to the second level and latches on, has a good foundation and knee bend, adjusts and counters well to moves, and does well at hand fighting. His arms are a touch shorter than I would like, especially relative to his height, but he is a strong pick from a school with a lot of successful linemen, and I would love him in the 6th (Pro Day March 22).

This could be a time to find a rangy receiver, though. Josh Palmer out of Tennessee and Marquez Stevenson out of Houston are intriguing. Stevenson is a burner, but slightly undersized. He excelled as a quick receiver, taking slants and crossing routes the distance, but also won a lot of deep balls. Better ball placement from his QB and he would have had a lot more success. He is sudden in his movements, and dangerous making guys miss after the catch and in the return game (Pro Day April 9). Palmer is still learning to play, having only one year of time before college, but has a great body for the position. He is tall enough at 6’1” and weighs 210lbs, as well as having 33 inch arms. He did quite well in one-on-ones at the Senior Bowl, better than his up and down college career would suggest. (Pro Day March 25).

Also, Tre McKitty from Georgia at Tight End may work here. The offenses he was in didn’t ask him to do much, but he has a lot of good traits for the position. He has shown suddenness in his route running, great hands, and he is also a talented blocker.

Round 7

This is when I like to find defensive line guys. Solid but not splashy DLine play can be found late, and the Packers have utilized a few of them over the years. Ta’Quon Graham out of Texas may be long gone, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him here. He has nearly 35 inch arms and weighs just under 300lbs. But he lost a lot at the Senior Bowl, so his stock likely dropped. He is more of an athlete and disruptor than a space eating tackle (Pro Day March 30). A true space eater would be Khyiris Tonga. He is an older player, and a converted Tight End, but he is a big bodied guy who anchored the BYU line (Pro Day March 26). Janarius Robinson is a guy who looks like an edge rusher, but plays like a defensive end. He came to the pro day at 6’5” and 266lbs, but with 36 inch arms. He labors when moving in space, is not explosive off the line, and does not show speed to chase down people. At that point, he may as well just ad 20-30lbs to his frame and play as a hand in the dirt lineman (Pro Day March 31). Tristen Hoge is another BYU lineman who benefitted from a successful season. He played well in 2020, but outside of a good, driving run blocker, does nothing exceptional. He could be a solid multi-year starter who does nothing wrong. The perfect lineman! (Pro Day March 30). Tony Fields II lacks size and pop as a run defender, but plays like crazy and was consistently productive. He may be more of a nickel linebacker, but needs to test well to be strongly considered am NFL prospect (Pro Day March 18).

UDFA

Three guys I would like as undrafted targets are Chris Evans, Matt Bushman, and Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Evans is athletic and did well for Michigan as a running back early on, but a suspension and offensive scheme change relegated him to neglibile production over the last two years (Pro Day March 26). Matt Bushman was rated a 3rd round tight end, but determined another year with a promising BYU offense would put him in the top TE discussion. A ruptured Achilles a week before the first game of the season squandered that. But he is running and sprinting again, which is good news. He was a good tight end, though not overly athletic. Scouts will want to see the testing numbers show his injury is behind him (Pro Day March 26). Ihmir has some obvious character concerns with a stupid injury and a compromised driving infraction, but he looks fast and smooth on the field. His return ability showcases his long speed even better as he seems to still be speeding up after 60 yards, even with a nice burst to start. He is a bit light, but he looks solidly built (Pro Day March 22).

23: Zaven Collins

62: Elijah Molden

92: Kelvin Joseph

135: Amari Rodgers

142: Trey Smith

173: Marlon Tuipulotu 

212: Alaric Jackson

218: Josh Palmer

254: Khyiris Tonga

UDFAs: Tristen Hoge, Chris Evans, Matt Bushman, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Janarius Robinson