The Green Bay Packers have way too many options on their plate with free agency about to take place. They could go all in now or do what they normally do, which is play the big-picture game.
The draft will then follow their free agency strategy, or at the very least complement it. Maybe they go win now with free agency and draft developmental players, or they draft winnow guys and sign young prove-it players to try and fix.
Intersecting free agency and the majority of the draft class is the first-round pick. Teams can draft a player that they immediately think makes a huge impact, and considering the raw talent selected in that round they sure can make a big difference if they hit.
Do the Packers go offensive tackle with their 25th slot in the draft? Do they go with WR, a position they rarely draft that high? Or do they stick with rebuilding the defense? There’s a lot of talent in all 3 of those areas in this draft, and there are some under-the-radar defensive players that could become all-time great Packers if they play up to their potential.
Jer’zhan Newton
Newton might be one of the most overlooked players in the entire draft. He’s arguably the ideal defensive lineman as if you built him in a lab, albeit slightly short he’s measured at 6’2″.
The main reason he’s so overlooked is because he attended the University of Illinois, and didn’t break too many records there. In 44 games he posted 18 sacks, though he was only a full-time player in 2022 and 2023 (he got 13 sacks in the 25 games he played).
With that being said, he’s also mainly an interior defensive lineman, which means he naturally takes a lot of double-teams. For the same reason Aaron Donald is impressive in seasons he gets double digits stats is the same reason Newton getting 18 sacks is pretty solid.
There are only so many times you can sack the QB from inside, but Newton manages to get it done a lot. He gets a lot of pressure as well, and his insane size and speed mean he has an entire assortment of pass-rushing moves.
Newton’s also incredible as a run-stuffer, getting 30 tackles each the last two seasons.
Jer’zhan’s biggest issue is his struggles with pursuing QBs. He’s good at chasing down running backs, but when it comes down to hunting down and wrapping QBs up, there’s room for improvement based on his tape. The Ravens’ Justin Madubuike was seen in a similar light and has blossomed into an elite DL over time.
Laiata Latu
This is a player the Packers cannot miss. He probably won’t fall to the 25th overall pick, but there’s a decent chance he does given the randomness of the draft. Newton is a good immediate impact player while still being a project, whereas Latu is someone who has almost no weaknesses in his game.
Part of that’s because he is a role player of sorts – but so is TJ Watt, a player Latu draws numerous comparisons to. They’re both too undersized to play inside consistently, but outside their speed and pass-rushing abilities are too much to handle even for the greatest tackles.
Will The Green Bay Packers Draft Kool-Aid McKinstry?
A lot of Packers fans are aware of Kool-Aid, but the greater NFL community doesn’t know much about him (aside from his funny name). He excels in zone coverage, a Packers staple (though that will change somewhat with Jeff Hafley in charge), with his high football IQ and ability to read routes at a high level. He will undoubtedly pair well with Jaire Alexander and splash-signing Xavier McKinney if he comes here.
