The Green Bay Packers are in the throes of the NFL offseason. Now, you are probably thinking, why are you talking about the NFL Draft? Free agency is just four weeks away! Well, my reasoning is the same as it always has been as a Packers fan.
I want to know who is available-ish during the NFL free agency but I also acknowledge that the Packers haven’t been the most involved in free agency. Of course, I understand that Green Bay has more cap space than normal now. Especially now that they are officially out from Rodgers’ contract. Also, Brian Gutekunst has used free agency to fill needs at positions that they have missed out on in the NFL draft. This seems to be the case this year.
But, I’m not gonna hold by breath. I’ll choose to be pleasantly surprised when it comes to the Packers and free agency. But that’s just me. If you are interested in free agent options then check this article out!
This, of course, leads me to the NFL Draft! Sort of.
NFL Draft and Myles Garrett
Let’s first address the elephant in the room, I mean Myles Garrett. This is a trade that a lot of people are talking about and even though I don’t think it will happen, I did see it mocked. So I want to talk about it.
Remember, mock drafts are meant to be fun and explore every possibility. The NFLStockExchange on YouTube has some amazing content especially when it comes to the draft. Trevor Sikkema of PFF explores many different trades involving Myles Garrett and their impact on the draft. One of the five teams that Sikkema explored in trading for Garrett was Green Bay.
In the mock, Sikkema has the Packers trading this year’s first, next year’s first and fourth round picks, and Lukas Van Ness in exchange for the former Defensive Player of the Year.
Can this happen? Yeah, probably, but I doubt it. This kind of trade would be a game changer for the Packers. It would allow for their defensive line to quickly become one of the best defensive lines in the game. I’ve heard people say that Green Bay wouldn’t approve of the trade because the Packers are hosting the draft and they wouldn’t want to part with their first round pick. I don’t think that is the case either, though. I think the Packers would just play Myles Garrett highlights throughout the draft and Green Bay once pick 23 arrives.
I’m only half joking.
First Official Mock Review
Let’s take a look at Chad Reuter‘s, of NFL.com, first mock draft of this NFL Draft season. Reuter normally does multi-round mocks and this first mock is no exception as it goes for three rounds! We’ll only focus on the first round pick. If you want to see what the other picks are then make sure to visit his mock draft by clicking here!
So, for Chad Reuter’s first Packers mock pick he has Green Bay selecting Mykel Williams.
Mykel Williams
Williams’ height and weight meet the thresholds that the Packers set for their edge defenders. He does seem Packers-y for sure, although he could skyrocket up draft boards if he performs very well at the NFL Combine.
Per Lance Zierlein– Mykel Williams is a raw but highly talented prospect with explosive athleticism and exceptional length, allowing him to keep blockers at bay. While he plays with solid physicality and has a strong bull rush, he needs to improve his base strength, refine his pass-rush moves, and lower his pad level to shed blocks more effectively. His speed, closing burst, and ability to create negative plays make him a promising 4-3 base end.
Mykel has all of the traits in the world to be successful, but because of his raw abilities, he could take some time to develop. This, of course, does seem like something Green Bay would do. However, Brian Gutekunst said that it’s time to crank up the urgency, so suggesting developing a player that might be ready in two years may not be what the team wants to do in this NFL draft. They need a player who can perform immediately this season with a high floor, not just a player with a high ceiling.
But only time will tell. That does it for this week’s Mocks In Review. Stay tuned for further iterations and other NFL draft articles in the coming weeks here on PackersTalk!
And as always,
Go Pack Go!
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Damon is a diehard, fully-immersed cheesehead who currently lives in southern Missouri. He teaches at a local high school and has a family YouTube channel about all things Packers. You can follow him on twitter at @packersfamily and on YouTube at The Packers Family.
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