Seeing the talent on the board at the bottom of the first round and who’d be sitting there atop the second, the Green Bay Packers decided to trade down with the Cleveland Browns, pick up Cleveland’s second-round pick. Of course, it makes my job easier as I hit the final four teams in my perfect mock drafts as the Pack still have all their available picks on the table.
In my Mock 2.0, which I based all the perfect drafts on up until Thursday, I had Green Bay taking Christian McCaffrey at No. 29. He never even came close to making it at that far. But a running back I liked a lot more did drop and I think that’s who the Pack goes with to open Friday night’s festivities.
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Round 2, Pick 33 (trade with the Browns): Dalvin Cook, RB, Florida State
2016: 288 carries, 1,765 yards, 19 touchdowns, 33 catches, 488 yards, one touchdown
The Packers have to get a starting running back out of this draft and both the best guys still on the board, Cook and Joe Mixon, have some red flags. Apparently Cook “associates” with some unsavory characters, but being jettisoned away to the wilds of Wisconsin should solve a lot of those problems without much effort. Cook’s combine was fantastic, laying down a 4.49-second 40 yard dash and had one of the best performances in the bench press, doing 22 reps. Cook was a first-team All-ACC back for the last two seasons and an Associated Press All-American this year. He also took home the Walter Camp Award.
If there’s trouble with Cook off the field, Jimbo Fisher’s lackluster attitude to discipline at Florida State probably has a lot to do with it. It’s nothing a real coach can’t solve and shouldn’t keep Mike McCarthy from giving it a shot with such a high potential pay off.
Cook is my No. 2 rated running back in this draft and can make plays in the passing and running games. More important than that, he has his fundamentals down on blitz pick up and pass blocking, which will make Aaron Rodgers’ life a hell of a lot easier. Cook is a high first round talent the Pack could grab here in the second while picking up an extra selection. It’s a coup.
Round 2, Pick 61: Kevin King, CB, Washington
2016: 44 tackles, 3.5 for a loss, two interceptions, 13 passes defended
Any other year King would have been a first round pick, but with three quarterbacks going and offensive linemen getting pushed to the bottom of the first round and top of the second, he could land in Green Bay here with their second, second-round pick. King was the best corner in the country a year ago and didn’t so much as take a step back, but get overshadowed by Ohio State and Alabama’s corners. At 6-3 and 192, he’ll come in with a nice chip on his shoulder and land as a day one starter on one of the league’s better teams.
Round 3, Pick 93: Adam Sheehan, TE, Ashland
2016: 57 catches, 867 yards, 16 touchdowns
Sheehan did exactly what you’d expect an elite athlete to do at the NCAA Division II level, completely crush his competition. Sheehan is 6-6 and 277 pounds and will give Rodgers another big red zone and third down target in the passing game. Frankly, I was kind of surprised the Packers traded down into the second round and didn’t just take Miami tight end David Njoku themselves. Sheehan isn’t as pro-read as Nkoku, but with Martellus Bennett on the roster the Pack doesn’t need him to be. They just need his production when it counts.
Round 4, Pick 134: Elijah Qualls, DT, Washington
2016: 38 tackles, five for a loss, three sacks
The Packers have been using band-aids and duct tape at defensive tackle for years. Qualls isn’t a guy that can step in and immediately start, but he is a guy that can play in the rotation and develop into a potential starter down the road. Qualls is an elite athlete and former bruising high school running back who scored 23 touchdowns and rushed for 1,800 yards. He was named a first-team All-PAC 12 defensive lineman.
Round 5, Pick 172: Brian Allen, CB, Utah
2016: 35 tackles, 4.5 for a loss, one sack, four interceptions, six passes defended
Allen is another big corner at 6-3 and 205 pounds. He can play a reserve role at corner and possibly safety. Allen has great speed, running a 4.48 40-yard dash at the combine and a 6.64 second shuttle drill. Allen is no stranger to special teams and should contribute with the Packers there right away.
Round 5, Pick 182: Jordan Evans, OLB, Oklahoma
2016: 98 tackles, 9.5 for a loss, 2.5 sacks, four interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, eight passes defended, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble
The Pack might be able to steal a starter here with Evans in the fifth round. Though he played outside linebacker at Oklahoma, he projects more as an inside linebacker in Green Bay’s 3-4 system. He’s solid in pass coverage, a tackling machine and great blitzer. Evans is a second-generation Sooner with his father Scott starring for Oklahoma in the 1980s. Evans was named to two consecutive All-Big 12 teams.
Round 6, Pick 212: Charles Walker, DT, Oklahoma
2016: Seven tackles, two for a loss, four passes defended
Walker played in just four games in 2016 before suffering a concussion and deciding to recover for the rest of the season and prepare for the NFL draft. While it didn’t help his draft position, it probably kept him healthy and ready to step on the field early as a rookie. In Walker’s last full season he recorded 36 tackles, 10 for a loss, six sacks, one pass defense and one forced fumble.
Round 7, Pick 247: Harvey Langi, ILB, BYU
2016: 57 tackles, five for a loss, two sacks, two passes defended
While Evans probably solves the Packers’ inside linebacker needs, the 6-3 and 249 Langi can provide key depth at all four linebacker positions. Langi is another fantastic athlete who was actually recruited by Utah as a running back out of high school and played in that position for 11 games as a freshman before doing his two-year church mission then transferring to BYU.
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