Packers Draft Predictions

It's that time of the year again.  Just when you are finally getting over your Superbowl hangover, the scouting combine and NFL draft are upon us.  This year the Packers have some issues to address, but once again are entering the draft with more flexibility than most teams.  Their strategy will likely lean towards a best player available approach, but defense needs to be the focus.  Sitting at #28, anything could happen.  The Packers have done very well with late 1st round picks in recent years, getting Rodgers at #24 in 2005, Matthews at #26 in '09, and Bulaga and Sherrod at #23 and #32 respectively in the last two drafts.  Here are my predictions for who the Packers should be targeting in this years' draft:.

Pick 28, Round 1 - DE Nick Perry, USC

The Packers have obvious needs to fill on defense, but this pick will come down to who is the best player available.  A perfect fit here would be Nick Perry, a hybrid pass rusher from USC, who would provide pressure opposite Clay Matthews in our 3-4 defense.  Perry likely will go anywhere form the mid-late 1st round, so chances are good he could fall to the Pack.  It's also possible that CB Janoris Jenkins could fall farther than expected because of character issues.  Jenkins has top-10 talent and would give the Packers options with Charles Woodson getting older and Nick Collins' future uncertain.  It is even a possibility that the Packers could move up several spots for Jenkins or Perry.  If both are gone, other possibilities are DT Fletcher Cox, RB Lamar Miller, or C Peter Konz.

Pick 28, Round 2 - FS George Iloka, Boise State

The Packers are likely going to stay on the defensive side of the ball, and assuming they go Perry in the 1st, they'll look to bolster their secondary with this pick.  Iloka is a tall, lengthy safety who will need to bulk up in the NFL, but he has solid potential and had a solid showing at the combine.  Boise State isn't on the same level as SEC, Pac-12, or Big Ten schools when it comes to strength & conditioning, so had Iloka been elsewhere his stock would probably be much higher.  The Packers are pretty solid against the run, so Iloka would be allowed to roam as a free safety, where he is at his best.  Other choices here are DE Vinny Curry, CB Jayron Hosley, or CB Trumaine Johnson.

Pick 28, Round 3 - OG Senio Kelemete, Washington

The Packers will need to address depth on the offensive line at some point in the draft and likely it will come here.  It's going to be a matter of Ted Thompson taking the top lineman on his board, so I'm going with Senio Kelemete, a versatile lineman who is better suited for the interior in the NFL.  Kelemete is athletic and has the ability to get to the second level on running plays, but lacks the size and technique to be a tackle in the NFL.  Nonetheless, his versatility will help provide depth for the Packers who haven't addressed the issue so far this offseason.  Again it all comes down to who is available and where Thompson has them ranked, but other names that could be called here are Kevin Zeitler, Amini Silatolu, James Brown, or Brandon Washington.

Pick 28, Round 4 - ILB Vontaze Burfict, Arizona State

This name should sound familiar to college football followers, as Burfict was named Pac-10 freshman of the year in 2009 and was once considered one of the top linebackers in the country.  Since then, things have gone downhill fairly quickly.  Burfict has had on-field and off-field issues and didn't impress anyone at the combine. So why would I have the Packers taking him here in the 4th round? Well the real answer is why not?  The Packers are a good team and taking a chance on a player like Burfict is something they can afford to do.  Burfict may not be the elite linebacker many once thought, but he's also not a lost cause like some think.  Somewhere in the middle is a solid NFL talent that, in the right situation, could be a steal at this point in the draft.  Other possibilities here are QB Kirk Cousins, C Quentin Saulsberry, or TE Ladarius Green.

Pick 28, Round 5 - QB Russell Wilson, Wisconsin

You probably noticed I listed Kirk Cousins as a possibility with the last pick, well with Matt Flynn gone, the Packers need more than just Graham Harrell behind Aaron Rodgers on the depth chart.  There may be some bias from me here, but I like the Packers taking Wilson from my Alma mater.  The knock on Wilson is his size, but he is athletic and intelligent.  Many compare him to Drew Brees, who also was overlooked by many for his size.  There's not much else to say about this pick, but anything could happen here.  Other names you should know are CB Justin Bethel and LB Tank Carder.

Pick 28, Round 6 - CB Justin Bethel, Presbyterian

I am putting it out there, but Bethel will be the steal of the draft for the Packers this year (I like him so much I gave him a video).  At the combine, Bethel showed he has the athleticism to be in the NFL.  His 39.5 inch vertical was best among DB's at the combine and he ranked 2nd in the broad jump.  Bethel is touted for being great in run support and a solid tackler, so at worst he is a solid special teams player.  The question about Bethel is the competition he played against, which could be said for any small school prospect.  The talent is there though.  Other possible positions here could be OL, RB, or DL.




Pick 28, Round 7 - OT Josh Oglesby, Wisconsin

Guessing a 7th round pick is nearly impossible, so I thought I'd give a little more love to a Wisconsin guy in Josh Oglesby.  Oglesby has the size, but may lack the quickness to block on the edge against NFL talent.  Chances are good Oglesby gets drafted before this, but if not, you can never have too much depth on the offensive line.  At this point, the Packers should have taken OLB/DE, CB, S, OL, and QB, so if they haven't filled one of the positions, they will here.  Otherwise, look for RB or DL here.








Well that does it for my Packers draft predictions. If they get 2 of the guys I've listed above, it will be a good draft for the Green and Yellow.  Look out for my full round 1 mock draft coming in the next couple weeks.