Packers Mock Draft 1.0: Linebacker First

The Packers have needs at inside linebacker and receiver, needs we knocked off with our first two picks.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will be on the clock in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft in exactly 12 weeks.

The Packers enter the offseason with huge needs at inside linebacker and receiver, (potentially) lesser needs on the offensive line (pending right tackle Bryan Bulaga’s future) and defensive line, and longer-term needs at tight end and running back.

Here’s our first mock draft. I made Green Bay’s picks and The Draft Network’s Mock Draft Machine filled in the rest. (Note: Since the NFL has not announced its compensatory draft picks, the full seven-round draft order is incomplete.)

First round – LB Kenneth Murray, Oklahoma (6-2, 234): Murray, who started as an 18-year-old freshman, was an All-American as a junior in 2019 with team-leading totals of 102 tackles and 17 tackles for losses. He added four sacks and four pass breakups. In three seasons, he piled up 335 tackles and 37 tackles for losses. Playing in the spread-the-field Big 12 should help his transition.

Second round – WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State (6-0, 201): Green Bay needs receiver help, in particular, and a slot threat, in particular. Check and check – and with return skill as an added bonus. He recorded 65 receptions for 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns during an All-American senior season. He also averaged 31.9 yards with one touchdown on kickoff returns and 16.1 yards with one touchdown on punt returns in 2019.

Third round – OT Jack Driscoll, Auburn (6-5, 296): Driscoll opened his career with two years at UMass before landing at Auburn. In all, he started 45 consecutive games. He has the athleticism to survive on the edge and thrive in a zone blocking scheme. Regardless of the future of Bulaga, Driscoll would fill a need.

Fourth round – TE Adam Trautman, Dayton (6-5, 251): During an All-American season, Trautman was FCS’s top-rated tight end in receiving touchdowns (14), receptions (6.4 per game) and receiving yards (916). He answered the competition questions with a good week at the Senior Bowl. The veteran duo of Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis might not return, which would leave the unproven trio of Jace Sternberger, Robert Tonyan and Evan Baylis. Trautman is more of a traditional tight end while Sternberger is more of a potential chess piece.

Fifth round – WR Bryan Edwards, South Carolina (6-3, 215): In four seasons, Edwards caught 234 passes for 3,045 yards (13.0 average) and 22 touchdowns. Much of his work was done on screens, where Edwards was hard to handle because of his size. According to PFF, he had only three drops but forced 15 missed tackles in 2019.

Sixth round – LB Justin Strnad, Wake Forest (6-3, 235): Strnad recorded 69 tackles in seven games as a senior, his season limited to seven games due to a torn bicep tendon. Strnad had a game-clinching interception against Utah State and its prized quarterback, Jordan Love. He had a career-high 105 tackles and 8.5 tackles for losses as a junior. He has a nice combination of range and coverage ability.

Sixth round – S Reggie Floyd, Virginia Tech (6-0, 222): During his final three seasons, Floyd recorded 221 tackles, 14 tackles for losses and five interceptions. As a senior, he broke up eight passes. With Floyd’s size and athleticism, he’d be another option in sub packages. The players awarded him the No. 1 jersey as the team’s “alpha male on the field.”

Seventh round – DT Mike Panasiuk, Michigan State (6-4, 300): A three-year starter, Panasiuk recorded four sacks and 18 tackles for losses. If there’s a flaw in this mock, it’s waiting until the seventh round to get a defensive tackle. At least he’d provide another option to stop the run – an enormous problem, obviously, in the championship game.

Seventh round – RB Antonio Gibson, Memphis (6-2, 221): Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams will be free agents at the end of the upcoming season. Dexter Williams, a sixth-round pick last year, did nothing as a rookie. Gibson barely played in two seasons as a receiver/running back at Memphis, with 33 rushes for 369 yards (11.2 average) and 44 receptions for 834 yards (19.0 average). According to Pro Football Focus, he broke 17 tackles on 38 receptions this past season and 16 tackles on 33 rushes. He averaged 27.0 yards and one touchdown as a kickoff returner.