It is officially the offseason for the Green Bay Packers which means it’s officially one of the most fun and hopeful times of the year: Mock Draft season. There will be a lot of mock drafts released in the coming weeks and months, but until the Pro Days are complete, the Combine is over, and Free Agency slows down, we don’t really have any idea of what the draft could actually look like. We will have risers, we will have fallers, and we will have lots and lots of surprises.
That being said, right now is the perfect time of year to start familiarizing ourselves with players that the Packers might be interested in come April 27-29th. So, in that theme, I will be publishing a mock draft every day this week starting today, with one stipulation: I can only draft from one Power Five conference per draft. This will not only serve as a fun thought experiment to see where the Packers might trend when the draft arrives but also show us trends about how talent comes out of each conference and what players we may (or may not) be rooting for in three months.
I will be selecting one player, one alternate player, and one dream scenario for every pick the Packers have in the first three rounds. For the Big Board, I used a combination of several I found across the internet to get an idea of where players are going in the minds of most; for the pro comparisons I used mostly thedraftnetwork.com and their comparisons but I also subbed many of my own if I found if they were more to my liking. Today we start off with the ACC and Notre Dame.
- Round 1, Pick 15
- THE PICK: Isaiah Foskey, Edge Rusher, Notre Dame / 6’5”-260lbs / Pro Comp: Bradley Chubb
- Foskey is a pure pass rusher who seems to relish hitting and pressuring quarterbacks. He’s a high character guy and a leader in the locker room, as well as on the field. His game is predicated around his elite athleticism that translates to immediate explosiveness in his pass rushing move set. He needs to do better against the run, but he should be an immediate pass rushing contributor which is a group that needs help with Rashan Gary gone.
- ALTERNATE PICK: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame / 6’5”-265lbs / Pro Comp: TJ Hockenson
- Mayer is the most well-rounded and pro-ready tight end in this class. At 6’4” and 265 lbs he’s got the size to make an immediate impact as a mismatch in the passing game and he’s an excellent in-line blocker. The only negatives about his game: he’s not very exciting after the catch and tight ends usually take a while to translate their game in the pros. The Packers haven’t had a really elite tight end since Jermichael Finley and even his tenure was brief. Mayer could end up as the best Packers tight end of the Modern Era.
- DREAM PICK: Bryan Bresee, DL, Clemson / 6’5”-300lbs / Pro Comp: Ndamukong Suh (without the attitude concerns)
- Bresee was once the top recruit in the country before joining Clemson. His athleticism is apparent whenever you watch him play; his pass rushing and run blocking skills are apparent, though the former is his real strong suit. He could play anywhere along the defensive line, but I think 3-4 DE would be his ideal spot, allowing him to take a JJ Watt style role as a pass rusher. The only negatives in his game are some injuries concerns, but he should show he’s fully recovered before the Combine. That all being said, Bresee is considered to be a top 10 prospect by most draft pundits, so drafting him at #15 is a longshot.
- Round 2, Pick 45
- THE PICK: Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina / 5’10”-175lbs / Pro Comp: Tyler Lockett
- Josh Downs isn’t the biggest WR but he’s insanely dynamic with the ball in his hands and despite being listed at 5’10”/175lbs he’s really good with contested catches. At UNC he was routinely productive and as a prospect, he’s got a really high floor to go with the current cadre of young Packers receivers who have really high ceilings. He should be a plug & play slot WR for the Packers who will serve as a faster, younger Randall Cobb.
- ALTERNATE PICK: Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College / 5’10”-175lbs / Pro Comp: Jahan Dotson
- Take everything I just said about Downs and apply it to Flowers. Then make it slightly faster (he’s anticipated to run a 4.3~ 40 yard dash, while Downs should be in the 4.4~ range) which sounds even MORE exciting because once you get the ball in his hands he’s incredibly dynamic, and one of the more electric players in this draft class. But therein lies the problem because his hands aren’t very good, he had an 11% drop rate at Boston College. For that reason, I got Downs ahead of Flowers.
- DREAM Pick: Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina / 5’10”-175lbs / Pro Comp: Tyler Lockett
- Round 3, Pick 78
- THE PICK: Matthew Bergeron, OL, Syracuse / 6’5”-322lbs / Pro Comp: Jake Matthews
- The Canadian native played most of his snaps at right and then left tackle through college and has extensive experience at both spots. I could easily see him transitioning to guard the pros as well. He needs to work on his hand placement, and he’s not known for his strength or arm length but he isn’t lacking in either category. Overall, he’s a smooth, experienced, versatile, and capable lineman who should turn into a solid rotational player but could turn into an above-average starter. You can never have enough players on the offensive line, and if Elgton Jenkins leaves in free agency, Bergeron could soften the blow.
- ALTERNATE PICK: KJ Henry, Edge Rusher, Clemson / 6’4”-260lbs / Pro Comp: Nick Perry
- A former Top 10 recruit in the entire country, Henry is a cerebral player (he earned his master’s degree at Clemson in 4 years) who hasn’t really optimized his physical ceiling as a rusher. He’s less of a charging rhinoceros and more of a stubborn water buffalo when it comes to his play; he’s not explosive but he contains very well and rarely lets the play get past him. He played at a high level against the run, specifically in moving past blocks to get to the ball carrier, and his motor as a rusher never stops. For a third-round pick, he’d make a great two-down player with special teams and extra rotational capabilities.
- DREAM PICK: Keion White, Edge Rusher, Georgia Tech / 6’4”-265lbs/ Pro Comp: Bud Dupree
- White is new to the position of edge rusher, but his physical profile is beyond tantalizing. He has a three down skill set, incredible strength, surprising speed, and he’s versatile in where he can rush the passer from. He’s even good at run blocking. However, he’s unrefined as a player and needs coaching to reach his full potential. If you were going to use two words to describe White they would be “Freakish” and “Raw” and he most likely won’t have an immediate impact for the team that drafts him. That being said, once he tests at the combine (I wouldn’t be surprised by a low 4.6~ 40 yard dash) he will rise up draft boards which is why I think he’s a dream pick in the third round.
No draft, mocks or otherwise, will patch up every hole on a roster – especially for a team like the Packers that seems to have more holes than the draft may have patches – but if the dream scenario ends up being true then I struggle to see how the Packers don’t improve on last year’s record.
Send your comments and opinions to me at @SamZeus93 on Twitter.
