Packers Get Top Cornerback in NFL.com Four-Round Mock Draft

Chad Reuter traded up to select Northwestern's Greg Newsome in the first round.

The Green Bay Packers enter the offseason with needs at cornerback, receiver and defensive line. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter knocked out all three in his four-round mock draft.

In our all-Packers mock draft, we traded out of the first round and happily grabbed Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome. In Reuter’s draft, he traded up by giving up fourth- and fifth-round picks to get Newsome at No. 22 overall.

“Cornerback is a position of need for the Packers, and Newsome is the top outside starter remaining on the board,” Reuter wrote.

According to Pro Football Focus, all Newsome did was allow 12-of-34 passing while breaking up seven passes.

In the second round, Reuter went with Louisville receiver Tutu Atwell. In third round, he selected Louisiana Tech defensive tackle Milton Williams. With the fourth-round compensatory pick the team is expected to receive for losing linebacker Blake Martinez last offseason, Reuter grabbed Auburn linebacker K.J. Britt.

“It's pretty clear the Packers are lacking in depth at cornerback for next season,” Reuter said when asked to explain his big-picture thinking. “Newsome's the best available cover guy after the top three are gone, which means they will need to move up to get him. Gutey has been willing to move up and get his guy, and the price tag should not be prohibitive given the likely free agent compensatory selections coming their way. A second corner later in the draft makes sense, too, probably a slot-oriented guy.

“The offense missed Tyler Ervin when he wasn't in the game, so Atwell would serve that role as well as work the slot when Adams is outside. Depth on both lines is needed, and Williams fits very well as a five-technique who will start within a couple of years.”


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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.