2020 NFL Draft: Green Bay Packers 7-Round Mock Draft

[Editor’s Note: Version 1.0 below was originally written by Ian Cummings and published on February 29]

The Green Bay Packers won 13 games and notched a playoff bye in Matt LaFleur’s first year, and still, it feels as though they underachieved. In 2020, they’ll be able to build on their success and succeed where they failed, and this Green Bay Packers 7-round mock draft can help them set off on the right foot.

Team Needs

The downside to being a relatively complete playoff contender is that your team will be making their first selection at the tail end of each round. The associated perk, of course, is that you have fewer primary needs to fill using draft capital, and can spend that capital on maximizing your current contention window, as opposed to building toward a new one.

The Packers are in the thick of that contention window; coming off a 13-3 debut season under head coach Matt LaFleur, the Packers are the team most primed to pounce on an uncertain NFC North, and with just a few fine-tuning additions in the 2020 NFL Draft, they can make another run at securing an early bye.

Primary Needs: Wide Receiver, Tight End, Linebacker, Offensive Tackle

Secondary Needs: Cornerback, Quarterback, Offensive Line, Defensive Line

Green Bay Packers 7-round mock draft

Round 1, Pick 30: Denzel Mims, WR Baylor

For a while, Denzel Mims has been the favorite third-round value pick for every other 2020 NFL Draft aficionado. After his NFL Scouting Combine performance, however, it’s unlikely he gets through the second round, and a serious conversation needs to be had about him going in the first. If CeeDee Lamb, Henry Ruggs, Jerry Jeudy, Justin Jefferson, and Jalen Reagor are all off the board at this point, which seems somewhat likely, Mims carries a lot of value as the next man up. For the Packers, he’s a complete receiver who can immediately fill their need for a playmaking presence. He’s 6-foot-3, 207, with 4.4 speed, a 38.5-inch vertical, a physical mentality, and a profile full of possibilities. What’s not to like?

Other picks considered: OT Prince Tega Wanogho, CB Damon Arnette, S Antoine Winfield, WR Jalen Reagor

Round 2, Pick 62: Adam Trautman, TE Dayton

Getting a wide receiver early will be crucial for Green Bay’s draft plans, but in any Green Bay Packers 7-round mock draft, simply getting a wide receiver isn’t enough. The Packers need more pass catchers who can make a dynamic impact on the game, and in Round 2, Dayton’s Adam Trautman can help with that. Trautman tested extremely well in one crucial area at the NFL Combine: Agility drills. He logged an elite RAS agility score after logging a 6.72 in the three-cone drill, becoming one of just six tight ends to accomplish the feat since 1987. It’s premature to compare Trautman to George Kittle, and Kittle tested better overall, but two things they have in common: They both have rare agility at their position, and they both love blocking defenders into the dirt.

Other Picks Considered: OT Matt Peart, DL Neville Gallimore, WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, OT Lucas Niang

Round 3, Pick 94: Jack Driscoll, OT Auburn

The back end of Round 3 isn’t usually an ideal place to bank on picking an offensive tackle with starting upside, but the Green Packers can afford to be flexible in this 7-round mock draft, as the 2020 NFL Draft is very deep at the tackle position. Plus athletes and developmental starters can be found on Day 3, or slightly before, as Auburn’s Jack Driscoll will attest. He logged a very good 1.74 10-yard split, and also displayed elite movement skills in field drills at 6-foot-5, 306. Driscoll needs to add more power to his game, but he has room to fill out his frame while still maintaining an exceptional athletic cushion. Driscoll models his game after David Bakhtiari, and after this Green Bay Packers 7-round mock draft, he’ll have no trouble asking his idol for advice.

Other Picks Considered: CB Troy Pride Jr., OL Matt Hennessy, WR Devin Duvernay, LB Logan Wilson

Round 4, Pick 133: Nick Harris, OL Washington

It felt weird picking four straight offensive players for the Packers, but the offensive side of the ball is where the majority of their needs lie. Also, the value here was simply the best on the board, as Nick Harris is a lineman with starting potential on the interior. Like Driscoll, he’s a very smooth mover, as he showed at the NFL Scouting Combine on Friday, and he has the versatility to line up at both center and guard at the next level. With Green Bay, he’ll likely line up at guard, replacing Lane Taylor and fitting in well next to Corey Linsley and Elgton Jenkins.

Round 5, Pick 175: Cameron Brown, LB Penn State

Linebacker is the one area on the Packers defense where an outside hire assuredly needs to be made, in order to shore up the unit. Blake Martinez is far from a lock to return to the team, and aside from him, the unit is paper thin. There’s been talk that the Packers will explore free agent options to fill that gap, but they could also stand to add depth and developmental potential in the NFL Draft. Cameron Brown provides that at this juncture; at 6-foot-5, 230, Brown has elite size, and couples it with very good athleticism. He needs polish, but plays with fire, and could help the Packers’ coverage in-between the hashes.

Round 6, Pick 192: McTelvin Agim, DL Arkansas

The Packers got solid contributions from Dean Lowry and Tyler Lancaster at the end positions in 2019, but Lancaster is a free agent, and even if he comes back, the team could stand to add depth and rotational utility behind him. Arkansas’ McTelvin Agim fits that mold well. Agim is raw and has to keep developing at the next level, but he has an exciting combination of twitch and flexibility as a pass rusher, and he has good size for the 3-4 end role. As an athlete, he could be a spark plug right away on the interior and potentially grow into an increased contributor.

Round 6, Pick 208: Nevelle Clarke, CB UCF

With Tramon Williams likely leaving in the 2020 offseason, the Packers do need to address the cornerback position. They have a lot of good, young talent there; Jaire Alexander and Kevin King form an elite starting duo, and Josh Jackson has lingering potential as well. But more security is needed there, and that’s what Nevelle Clarke can bring to the Green Bay Packers this late in the 7-round mock draft. Clark is a long, competitive cornerback at 6-foot-1, 190, and he has the impressive ability to click and close in coverage, using his lateral burst to maximize opportunities. His ball production over the past two seasons (four interceptions, 24 pass deflections) is proof of his proficiency.

Round 6, Pick 209: Markus Bailey, LB Purdue

Cameron Brown has enticing potential as an NFL linebacker, but he’s admittedly not yet polished enough in that kind of role, and if the Packers want to bank on finding Martinez’s replacement in the 2020 NFL Draft, they’ll need a player who’s a bit more refined, as well as more physical. Markus Bailey isn’t nearly as athletic as Brown, but he aligns better with the Martinez profile, in that he’s a smart, hard-nosed player who can thrive in run defense and occasionally fill into coverage roles. His knee injury should cause him to drop this far, giving the Packers more depth on defense.

Round 7, Pick 224: Jaylinn Hawkins, S California

Speaking of depth on defense, safety is another area the Packers can supplement. The duo of Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos is packed (ignore the bad pun) with potential for the coming years, but there’s only one player behind them on the depth chart currently. If nothing else, the Packers should be looking for more security and special teams utility this late, and California’s Jaylinn Hawkins is a good match. Hawkins has great size at 6-foot-2, 210, and while his numbers dipped a bit in 2019, he still has an intriguing profile that could provide him with versatility in the box.

Round 7, Pick 242: Joe Reed, WR Virginia

At this point, with several needs addressed and the Green Bay Packers 7-round mock draft winding to a close, there’s nothing wrong with double-dipping at wide receiver. Virginia’s Joe Reed tested very well athletically at the NFL Combine, logging a 4.47 40-yard dash and a 38-inch vertical at 6-foot-1, 220. He produced at a crazy rate as a returner in college, and he brings an enticing skill set to the Packers this late.