Green Bay is going into the NFL Draft with needs they didn’t have a few months ago. Offensive line, outside linebacker, and wide receiver are at the top of this list. Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Za’Darius Smith, Lucas Patrick, and Billy Turner are all gone.
According to The 33rd Team Prospect Board, almost half (28) of the top 60 ranked players in this years’ draft play one of those positions (WR, OLB, OL). Green Bay has 4 picks in the top 60 after they traded away Davante Adams. Here are those 28 names that coincide with exactly what Green Bay is looking for:
Wide Receivers (Ten):
- Chris Olave (Ohio State)
- Drake London (USC)
- Jameson Williams (Alabama)
- Garrett Wilson (Ohio State)
- Jahan Dotson (Penn State)
- Treylon Burks (Arkansas)
- David Bell (Purdue)
- John Metchie (Alabama)
- George Pickens (Georgia)
- Christian Watson (North Dakota State)
Offensive Lineman (Nine):
- Evan Neal (Alabama)
- Ikem Ekwonu (North Carolina State)
- Charles Cross (Mississippi State)
- Trevor Penning (Northern Iowa)
- Thayer Munford (Ohio State)
- Nicholas Petit-Frere (Ohio State)
- Daniel Faalele (Minnesota)
- Luke Geodeke (Central Michigan)
- Bernhard Raimann (Central Michigan)
OLB / EDGE (Nine):
- Kayvon Thibodeaux (Oregon)
- Aidan Hutchinson (Michigan)
- George Karlaftis (Purdue)
- David Ojabo (Michigan)
- Travon Walker (Georgia)
- Arnold Ebiketie (Penn State)
- Jermaine Johnson (Florida State)
- Cameron Thomas (San Diego State)
- Drake Jackson (USC)
The way this year’s off-season needs have fallen into place along with the strength of the draft, Green Bay has an opportunity get some real help on this team. One has to think that most (if not all) of Green Bay’s first four picks will focus on these three positions. Especially given the incredible talent that will be available.
Brian Gutekunst was quoted saying: “I’ve always felt your needs subconsciously kind of factor in. The way we’ve always done it, the way Ron (Wolf) and Ted (Thompson) always taught us, is we’re scouting for our football team, not the league in general. We’re scouting for our football team. If you have some needs or maybe some weaknesses on your football team, as you’re looking at players, you’re looking at how they fit into our football team. So, naturally, you’ll probably evaluate those guys a little higher.
“As we get closer in April, we start strategizing with the draft: where it’s strong, where it’s not, where you maybe need to move to to accomplish what we want to try to accomplish in the draft. Ted would always warn against even that. You’ve got to let it come to you because, if you’re trying to move around to accomplish goals in the draft, sometimes you can bypass really, really good players.”
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