Yes, another Packers mock, but this one is different and a little extra.  For the first five rounds, I list an ideal choice and explain why, based on a blend of both my preferences and what I think Packers might do. Then I give you a Plan B option for alternate consideration, since lots of unpredictable things happen in the draft. I hope you’ll tell me what you think of the format and the picks.  

(Also, be sure to check out our free, super-simple mock draft game here. Make three quick picks and you could win some CHTV merch! )  

My picks lean in on my philosophies about needs and requirements beyond just position or athletic scores (not just any off-ball linebacker, for example, but one with coverage skills), combined with realism about how the draft could go. I consulted various analysts’ boards to try to ensure that no pick is too far from where the consensus says he ranks. (Another useful tool was the amazingly comprehensive CHTV draft guide, available for purchase here.)

For rounds 6 & 7, I simply offer up some potential names for consideration. Here we go: 

Round 1, pick 25:

My ideal: Cooper DeJean, DB, Iowa. Like many others, I’ve been busy putting a Packers jersey into a box with a nice big bow and addressing it to DeJean. Then he had to go ruin it by blowing away his private pro day with crazy numbers that will have more teams salivating. I’m just gonna stubbornly pray he’s still there when Green Bay picks. With a rare combination of size, speed and high football IQ, the guy is a fiery difference maker capable of playing anywhere in the secondary. DeJean’s best use might be at box safety, and paired with Xavier McKinney could quickly turn the position from glaring weakness to major strength. His versatility and football smarts also would help new DC Jeff Hafley deploy the kind of coverage disguises and post-snap shifts that can give opposing offenses migraines. Meanwhile, DeJean’s ability to play corner provides essential depth. This man is a perfect Packer, with the potential to solve many problems at once. 

Plan B: Kool-Aid McKinstry, CB, Alabama. If DeJean is gone by 25 and one of these OL-linemen is still available — Troy Fautanu, Jackson Powers-Johnson or Graham Barton — I’d choose one of them (I am not a Tyler Guyton fan). But I expect they’ll be gone, too, and no other safety is worth it here, so I’ll wait. Corner is a serious need, with Jaire Alexander injury prone, Carrington Valentine still a question mark and Eric Stokes a lost cause as a starter. McKinstry is a smart, smooth operator who is solid in press-man coverage, a strong tackler and much sturdier than Clemson’s Nate Wiggins. I’ve had enough of spindly-legged, skinny corners like Stokes and Kevin King, no matter how fast they are. McKinstry also can return punts, which remains a need.  

There’s also a reasonable chance a team will want to move up to 25 to fill a need or secure a player it has targeted. Moving back to early second round is quite possible here.

Round 2, pick 41:

My ideal: Junior Colson, LB, Michigan. Some will say this is a bit high for Colson, but I consider off-ball linebacker to be the Packers’ greatest need, and specifically one with coverage chops. Not only is there no depth behind a still developing Quay Walker and unproven Isaiah McDuffie (Enagbare will be lucky to see the field at all this season after his ACL injury), but Hafley’s scheme requires a high-motor linebacker with coverage skills to help combat running backs and tight ends from chewing up the Packers on short-intermediate routes, especially over the middle. Of the small number of promising LBs who fit that bill (Edgerrin Cooper, often mocked to Green Bay, doesn’t), Colson is by far the best. I love Mr. Hair-on-Fire, Payton Wilson, but his medicals are too scary.  

Plan B: Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale. It’s not crazy to imagine 10 offensive tackles going off the board in the first round, so unless someone like Jordan Morgan falls unexpectedly, this small-school project with high upside is a nice alternative. It’s a tad early, but he’s rising on consensus boards and his strength and movement skills serve him well in both pass protection and run blocking, one of my key criteria. An elite athlete, Amegadjie wouldn’t see the field early, as he would need to refine some of his technique to handle NFL competition, but those are coachable things. His upside is significant, and he has the traits to move to guard, satisfying the Packers’ demand for versatility along the O-line. With Rasheed Walker seeming set at LT and Zach Tom on the other side, Amegadjie represents mid-late season depth, plus a high-ceiling athlete who could push Walker as a starter in the future. 

Round 2, pick 58:

My ideal: Trey Benson, RB, Florida State. My first thought was for the Packers to seek a true change of pace, scat-back type for outside runs  and all kinds of gadgety plays. But Brian Gutekunst has said he wants size, and Benson sports an amazing 4.38 40, hits the hole fast, is a load to bring down and has afterburners providing explosive-play potential. Replacing Aaron Jones (single tear rolls down cheek) with Josh Jacobs provides a top tier back who is several years younger, but he lacks Benson’s speed. At this point AJ Dillon is mostly a short-term rotational player, so bolstering the RB room is critical. My original RB choice was the equally fast Jaylen Wright from Tennessee at 88, but he won’t last that long. Benson nudges him out because he’s a better receiver, but if someone snipes Benson before 58, Wright is a great substitute here, and on some boards he ranks ahead of Benson. Watch Wright’s tape and notice how much his yards after contact reminds you of Jones. The legs never stop churning. There is some buzz around Jonathon Brooks for Green Bay, but he wouldn’t play in most of the upcoming season as he recovers from a torn ACL. I’ll pass. 

Plan B: Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota. I know, I know, he really screwed the pooch at the combine, and his pro day wasn’t much better. But he’s been recovering from meniscus surgery and shouldn’t have participated at all, so I put little stock in his RAS. He’s not the fastest safety in what is a very weak class, but he’s the most well-rounded, can play any of the safety spots, tackles like a beast and is a smart, strong leader. I’d take a chance on him being an excellent pairing with McKinney, unless we get DeJean in the first. Jaden Hicks of Washington State has gotten a lot of buzz lately, including Dane Brugler of the Athletic pronouncing him the best safety in the class. I think that’s an overreaction to Nubin’s testing. Hicks’ 6’2 size is appealing, he is quite good near the line of scrimmage and he has improved every year in college, but I don’t see the play speed or explosion out of breaks that the Packers should covet, even in a strong safety. But if Hafley wants more of a tweener S/LB, Hicks is an intriguing option. 

Round 3, pick 88:

My ideal: Christian Haynes, OL, Connecticut. The Packers have to wait nearly a whole round for their next pick, so while I generally hate trading up, this is where I would be tempted. Most of the value in this draft is below 75, so if there is someone the team has their eye on, moving up 10-15 spots in exchange for later round picks is a deal worth making. Haynes, a powerful, bulldozing, high-motor guard, could be that guy. He has excelled in both run blocking and pass protection, but like any lineman at this stage of the draft, will need time to adjust to the next level. Loads of upside. 

Plan B: Dominic Puni, OT, Kansas. Here’s another intriguing O-lineman who can play tackle or guard and who might still be on the board if Gute sticks at 88. Smart and versatile, he is strong in pass protection and solid in run blocking, but will need some coaching on technique. Another upgrade in O-line depth with starter potential down the line.

Round 3, pick 91:

My ideal: Max Melton, DB, Rutgers. Bo’s little brother is likely best as a slot corner, but has the speed and experience to be a depth pice on the outside. He’s a baller who has gotten significant buzz after testing well at the combine, nearly matching his brother’s 40 time of 4.34 and beating Bo’s overall RAS. Max is a bit skinny for my taste, but Rutgers corners always come to the NFL ready to contribute, and the Packers sorely need more talent in the DB room. 

Plan B: Sedrick Van Pran, C, Georgia: Gute can’t let a draft go by without taking at least one Georgia Bulldog, right? If you detect any pattern to my preferences, you’ve seen me lean toward high football IQ and production over raw measurables (especially at center), and this is another example.  He won’t blow you away with athletic scores, but he’s more than solid and would come into the league with experience from one of the smartest collegiate programs anywhere, and significant room to improve. Josh Myers is A) not that great (I am still mad at Gute for taking him ahead of Creed Humphrey), and B) in his contract year, so it behooves the Packers to have a succession plan.

Round 4, pick 125:

My ideal: Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane: I’m in the camp that would rather pay a few million bucks a year for an experienced backup quarterback than have a parade of mid-late round guys who have never played an NFL snap sitting behind your franchise QB. The risk of losing your season if your quarterback gets hurt — even for a few games — isn’t worth it to me, but Mr. Gutekunst disagrees, so this pick is a nod to his tendency, and Pratt’s my guy if he’s available. No one will confuse Pratt with Josh Allen when it comes to arm strength, but he’s an intelligent quarterback who processes well, has a prototypical build, has shown accuracy and an ability to vary the touch on his passes while not being afraid to throw over the middle. Those attributes tick my boxes. 

Plan B: Mekhi Wingo, DL, LSU. Finding quality D-linemen with upside who also fit Packer criteria was the hardest challenge in this exercise, particularly since we know enough yet about how Hafley wants to scheme the interior DL. But we know he wants to pressure the passer, and Wingo, though slightly undersized, is a disruptive force with a non-stop motor. His numbers don’t show high sack totals, but he has an explosive first step and rush moves that create plenty of dyspepsia in the opponent’s backfield, even if he isn’t the one who always gets to the QB. He’ll need some time to hone his technique, particularly shedding blocks from bigger O-linemen on running downs, but he has the potential to be a three-down player who reminds me a bit of Mike Daniels. Khristian Boyd of Northern Iowa also an interesting DL prospect  in this range of the draft. 

Round 5, pick 168: 

My ideal: Marist Liufau, LB, Notre Dame. I am breaking my rule here, as Liufau is ranked 20-40 spots earlier on many boards. I love his tape for his hair-on-fire motor and his coverage skills, but he needs work on defending the run, so maybe he’s still around. The CHTV draft guide also recommends looking at Tyrice Knight of UTEP and Jordan Magee of Temple as sleeper, developmental LBs. 

Plan B: Javon Foster, T, Missouri. Solid in both pass pro and run blocking, and a good athlete, but technique and execution is inconsistent. Developmental prospect.

Round 6, 201, 219:

Trey Taylor, S, Air Force Academy

Jalyx Hunt, Edge, Houston Christian 

Round 7, 245, 255:

Jordan Magee, LB, Temple

Tanor Bortolini, C, Wisconsin