PFF Mock Draft Gives Packers Cornerback, Receiver

In his latest mock draft for Pro Football Focus, Austin Gayle picked an ultra-talented prospect at a position in which the Packers are loaded.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers could have the best cornerback trio in the NFL. Jaire Alexander was an All-Pro in 2020, Rasul Douglas had a breakout season in 2021 and Eric Stokes was tremendous as the team’s first-round pick.

That didn’t stop Austin Gayle from picking Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie with the first of the team’s first-round picks in his latest mock draft for Pro Football Focus.

“McDuffie is a clean cornerback prospect with plus coverage ability and athleticism to overcome length and size concerns,” Gayle wrote. “He won’t be everyone’s cup of tea because of his sub-30-inch arms, but he’s exactly the type of cornerback Green Bay covets and draws a lot of similarities to current Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander.”

It’s an interesting selection. McDuffie has the quickness and toughness to play in the slot. However, he played only 12 snaps at that spot in 2021, according to PFF’s draft guide. And, of course, the Packers have invested heavily in corner. If the Packers were to draft McDuffie, they’d have an expensive and talented player warming the bench. On the other hand, if the focus is truly on taking the “best player available,” then the depth chart isn’t a concern.

Wrote NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah in his ranking of the top 50 players in the draft: “He is an aggressive run defender and a sure tackler in space. He's also an explosive blitzer and he's been productive on punt and kickoff teams. Overall, McDuffie is one of the safest players in the draft.”

As for the receiver, the Big Four of USC’s Drake London, Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson, Alabama’s Jameson Williams and Ohio State’s Chris Olave were off the board before Green Bay’s spot at No. 22. Moving ahead to Green Bay’s other first-rounder, Arkansas’ Treylon Burks was available at No. 28 but Gayle went elsewhere.

To see who he picked and the full mock, click here.


Published
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.