Potential Surprises at Pick 25 for Green Bay

Safety is a big-time need for the Packers, even with the free-agent signing of Xavier McKinney. With Gutekunst going on record about his desire to bring in a young safety via the draft, taking an option like Jaden Hicks would fit that bill.

With a 8.94 Relative Athletic Score (RAS), Hicks would make sense for Gutekunst to look at at the end of the first round. Grabbing Hicks here could be seen as a reach, but outside of Cooper DeJean, there is no guaranteed first-round prospect, and Hicks looks like an early-second-round option.

Jared Verse

EDGE – Florida State

Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness are the ‘young guns’ for Jeff Hafley’s pass rush, but with Kingsley Enagbare rehabbing his torn ACL and Preston Smith not getting any younger, this group needs more young talent. In a draft focused on offensive players, an option like Jared Verse could fall into their lap at 25.

With a high motor, strong run-game coverage, and growing pass-rush skills, Verse is the type of moldable prospect that looks very similar to the draft stocks of Gary and Van Ness. These skills absolutely could make him go prior to 25, but if he is on the board when Green Bay is selecting, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him go here.

Mike Sainristil

CB – Michigan

The nickel position for the Packers is the second biggest gap in their secondary, behind safety, and Mike Sainristil is the best nickel option in the draft. The former Wolverine boasts a solid football IQ and is not afraid to get physical in the run game, elements that would immediately elevate the Green Bay secondary.

Looked at as a second-round prospect, Gutekunst wouldn’t have a tough time justifying the Sainristil selection, especially based on his tape from Michigan.

Payton Wilson

LB – North Carolina State

The final option on this list of potential surprises is linebacker Payton Wilson from NOrth Carolina State. In a year where top-end talent at the LB position is destined to start in the second round, Wilson is probably the only LB prospect even worthy of being considered here.

A big-time threat in stopping the run, Wilson would be a home-run addition alongside Walker in Hafley’s new LB group. While it might not be something many fans are in favor of, Wilson looks to be a bonafide option for Gutekunst to add to the defensive front seven.