Here Was My Pick for Packers in New On SI NFL Mock Draft

On Thursday night, the Green Bay Packers will be on the clock in the first round of the NFL Draft. This week, I was on the clock in the On SI team publishers mock draft.

Armed with my list of realistic options for the Packers, here’s how it played out.

Arizona receiver Tetairoa McMillan: Dallas Cowboys at No. 12.

Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka: Available.

Texas receiver Matthew Golden: Available.

Ohio State offensive tackle Josh Simmons: Available.

North Dakota State lineman Grey Zabel: Available.

Georgia edge Mykel Williams: Atlanta Falcons at No. 15.

Texas A&M edge Shemar Stewart: Available.

Boston College edge Donovan Ezeiruaku: Available.

Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon (Green Bay’s choice in last month’s mock draft): Arizona Cardinals at No. 16.

Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen: Available.

Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant: Available.

Michigan cornerback Will Johnson: Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21.

Mississippi cornerback Trey Amos: Available.

That left a substantial list.

Receiver: Egbuka and Golden.

Offensive line: Simmons and Zabel.

Edge: Stewart and Ezeiruaku.

Defensive tackle: Nolen and Grant.

Cornerback: Amos.

Egbuka was an inviting option. He’s just so polished, which is an important trait for a team like the Packers, who are in the compete-for-championships phase and not the building phase. He’d be a Week 1 starter and the team’s top receiver in no time. Receiver, obviously, is a huge need after last year’s group underperformed and Christian Watson suffered a torn ACL. Even if the returning trio of Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks had played well last year, that’s still a group lacking in depth.

Offensive line is a tough one. Some combination of Rasheed Walker, Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom will be strong. My guess is they’re looking for depth that grows into starters more than immediate starters.

Edge is obvious. The Packers brought in Williams, Stewart, James Pearce and Jordan Burch for predraft visits. It’s possible those four players will be off the board within the first 50 picks. So, that’s a serious acknowledgement that they have to be better.

Ezeiruaku is a wild card. Historically, he is too short at just 6-foot-2 1/2. But he’s got elite length to go with proven, polished pass-rushing production. General manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur have talked about the need to improve the front-four pass rush. Ezeiruaku would take care of that.

Defensive tackle, to me, rivals receiver and cornerback as the most important need. TJ Slaton started every game the last two seasons. He’s a good player and will be missed. Speaking of being missed, Kenny Clark’s production was missed last season. And a big, expensive decision is due on Devonte Wyatt after the draft. Will the Packers trigger the expensive fifth-year option? If not, he’ll be a free agent next offseason. The Packers will have to re-sign him (expensive) or replace him.

Nolen wouldn’t fill Slaton’s role as the big, run-stopping man in the middle. He’d be more in the mold of Wyatt as the attacking, penetrating playmaker. The need to improve the pass rush doesn’t automatically mean an edge rusher. Nolen was an All-American last season with 6.5 sacks and 14 tackles for losses.

Nolen has compared himself to Aaron Donald. His defensive coordinator at Ole Miss, Pete Golding, compared Nolen to one of his prized pupils at Alabama, Quinnen Williams. Donald will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer and Williams has been a Pro Bowler each of his last three seasons.

“I feel like I can do it all,” Nolen told The Draft Network before the Senior Bowl. “Aaron Donald did it all at the highest level. I’m a younger, upcoming version of Aaron Donald. I just can’t wait to show everybody that when I get this opportunity I’m being blessed with.”

The floor for Nolen would be a younger and less-expensive version of Wyatt. The ceiling would be taking over Clark’s role as the havoc-creating defensive tackle.

“My get-off. Being violent in the game,” are his strengths, he said at the Scouting Combine. “I’m just a naturally good football player. Now it’s time to clean up the small things.”

Receiver and cornerback are needs that can be addressed in Day 2. Getting Nolen was a case of short- and long-term needs meeting talent.

Round 1, Day 2, Day 3 at Key Needs

Cornerbacks | Defensive tackles | Defensive ends | Offensive line | Receivers