Post-Combine 7-Round 2015 NFL Mock Draft for the Green Bay Packers
Now that the 2015 NFL Scouting Combine is over and the free-agency period has begun, I thought I would share my second 2015 NFL mock draft for the Green Bay Packers.
As a review, here is my first mock draft, which I did about a month ago.
In this mock draft, I am going to use the seven draft picks that the Packers currently have in each round, plus use three compensatory picks that they are predicted to have.
OverTheCap.com projects that the Packers will get three compensatory picks in the 2015 draft. Green Bay would get two additional picks in the sixth round and one added pick in the seventh based on that estimate.
Just prior to the start of free agency, the Packers were able to retain both wide receiver Randall Cobb and offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga, as Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette notes in this article.
Those re-signings were key, as the Packers were able to keep their top two free agents, plus they add more certainty to the roster as the team puts together its draft board.
I also expect the Packers to re-sign other current players who are free agents like nose tackle B.J. Raji, defensive lineman Letroy Guion, fullback John Kuhn, cornerback Jarrett Bush, offensive tackle Don Barclay and safeties Sean Richardson and Chris Banjo.
It's still up in the air if the Packers will re-sign cornerback Tramon Williams, who reportedly visited the Saints Tuesday evening, per Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
This was after the Packers had already lost Davon House, who signed with the Jaguars, per NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport (h/t Marc Sessler of NFL.com).
Getting back to this particular mock draft, I have the Packers taking a number of players whom I saw at the East-West Shrine Game.
I have also focused on improving special teams in this mock, as the Packers finished dead last in the NFL in that phase in 2014.
So without further ado, here is mock draft No. 2.
Round 1: Inside Linebacker Stephone Anthony (Clemson)
1 of 10
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 243 pounds
About a week ago, I laid out the reasons why inside linebacker Stephone Anthony should be the ultimate draft target for the Packers.
One reason is because the team's biggest weakness is at inside linebacker. Add to that, the Packers already released veterans A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones and may not re-sign Jamari Lattimore, who is an unrestricted free agent.
One of the starting inside linebackers for the Packers in 2015 will be Sam Barrington. But the team needs someone to play next to No. 58, preferably a player who can also be a cover linebacker in the nickel and dime schemes.
To me, the perfect choice is Anthony. He was a four-year starter at Clemson. He also had 255 tackles, 33.5 tackles for a loss, 9.5 sacks, three interceptions, nine passes defended and six forced fumbles in his career as a Tiger.
At the NFL Scouting Combine, Anthony put on quite a show. He showed his quickness, as he ran a 4.56 in the 40, plus leaped 37 inches in the vertical jump.
Anthony has the ability to be quick to the hole to stuff the run, plus he as the athleticism and speed to drop into coverage effectively. He is also productive when he blitzes the quarterback.
NFL scout Chris Landry also likes what he has seen out of Anthony. "I love Anthony," he told me. "I think he's really an instinctive player, and I like him a lot."
Round 2: Offensive Tackle Jake Fisher (Oregon)
2 of 10
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 306 pounds
Even though the Packers re-signed offensive tackle Bryan Bulaga and look to bring back offensive lineman Don Barclay, it would be wise for them to draft an offensive tackle in the 2015 draft.
Ideally, they would select someone who can play left and right tackle and is familiar with the blocking scheme.
Jake Fisher of Oregon fits that profile. The Packers need someone who can step in and play right tackle if Bulaga is injured or left tackle if David Bakhtiari is hurt.
In 2014, Bulaga missed some time due to knee and concussion issues, and the play of his backups was not good. Plus, in 2012 and 2013, Bulaga missed 23 games due to hip and knee injuries.
The return of Barclay in 2015 will help, as he was on injured reserve in 2014 due to a knee injury.
Barclay has started 18 games at right tackle in his career, but he has struggled versus edge-rushers in pass-blocking. No. 67 is much better suited to play inside at guard, as he is better-than-average with his run-blocking ability.
That is why it's important to draft a player like Fisher, who has excelled at both right and left tackle in college. He was a three-year starter who is a good athlete and gets to the next level with ease when blocking for the run.
Fisher is a technician when he pass-blocks, and he mirrors his opponents effectively while shielding the quarterback.
The former Duck showed off his athleticism at the combine, as he ran a 5.01 in the 40 and had a 32.5-inch vertical jump. Fisher does need some time in the weight room, however, based on his 25 reps in the bench press.
Fisher would fit right in with the rest of the offensive line of the Packers, as he has a blue-collar mentality.
Round 3: Cornerback Jacoby Glenn (UCF)
3 of 10
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 179 pounds
The Packers need to fortify the depth at cornerback, especially after losing Davon House to the Jaguars in free agency and with both Tramon Williams and Jarrett Bush still unsigned as free agents.
The Packers still have Sam Shields, Casey Hayward and Demetri Goodson at cornerback, plus Micah Hyde can also play there as well as at safety.
I have seen cornerback Jacoby Glenn of UCF play a number of times, and he would be a great addition to the secondary.
Like both Williams and Hayward, Glenn is instinctive in tracking the football. In 2014, he had 48 tackles, seven interceptions, 11 passes broken up and one forced fumble.
Although he needs to add weight, Glenn is an aggressive tackler and solid in run support. Although only a redshirt sophomore, he was named the 2014 AAC Defensive Player of the Year.
At the combine, Glenn ran a disappointing 4.64 in the 40, but he plays faster than that on tape.
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Round 4: Defensive Lineman Leterrius Walton (Central Michigan)
4 of 10
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 319 pounds
The Packers still have questions on their defensive line, especially since both B.J. Raji and Letroy Guion remain unsigned as free agents. Plus, second-year defensive lineman Khyri Thornton did not look good in training camp before going on injured reserve.
The Packers do have some talent on the line, especially with the presence of Mike Daniels. Former first-round pick Datone Jones also showed flashes last season, plus Josh Boyd was part of the defensive line rotation.
The Packers hope to see big improvement from Thornton and nose tackle Mike Pennel in their second year with the team.
One player who might be able to help the Packers in the defensive trenches is Leterrius Walton of Central Michigan.
He was one of many players at the East-West Shrine Game who intrigued me. Walton was a three-year starter for the Chippewas who had 106 tackles, 18.5 tackles for a loss, six sacks and two forced fumbles.
Walton has great size but needs to get stronger, as he put up just 25 reps in the bench press at the combine.
With proper coaching and time in the weight room, Walton could make a big jump from Year 1 to Year 2, as he can be an exceptional run-stuffer.
Round 5: Running Back Dominique Brown (Louisville)
5 of 10
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 234 pounds
The Packers will be looking to add depth to the running back position, as they did not tender a contract offer to DuJuan Harris, making him a free agent.
The Packers already have one of the best running backs in the NFL with Eddie Lacy, plus James Starks has also played well at times as Lacy's backup.
The Packers like to see their running backs do three things effectively: run with power, catch the ball well and pick up blitzes.
Lacy became a three-down back last season because he excelled at those three things.
Dominique Brown of Louisville can also do those things. Like Lacy and Starks, he also has good size.
Brown was exceptional at the East-West Shrine Game with a game-high 70 rushing yards and a touchdown. The former Cardinal also met with the Packers there, according to WalterFootball.com.
In his career at Louisville, Brown had 1,417 yards rushing with 12 touchdowns, plus had 43 receptions for 358 yards and two more scores. He also showed good protection skills as a blocker.
Because of the punishing running style that both Lacy and Starks utilize, it makes sense to have a player with similar skills who is a plant-and-run type of back.
The Packers use wide receiver Randall Cobb as their change-of-pace back to offset the pounding style by Lacy and company.
Round 6: Inside Linebacker Hayes Pullard (USC)
6 of 10
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 240 pounds
As I mentioned in the slide with Stephone Anthony, the Packers need some depth at inside linebacker.
The Packers have Sam Barrington, Carl Bradford and Joe Thomas on the roster at that position, plus Jamari Lattimore is an unrestricted free agent.
In addition to that, outside linebacker Clay Matthews played inside on running downs in the second half of the 2014 season, which boosted the run defense.
That being said, the Packers would prefer that Matthews stays outside at linebacker in 2015, plus they are going to make a concerted effort to improve their special teams in 2015.
That is why linebacker Hayes Pullard of USC would be a good choice in the sixth round. He is a former Trojan, just like Matthews.
He was also a team captain and a four-year starter at USC, where he had 377 tackles, 25.5 tackles for a loss, six sacks, three interceptions, 18 passes defended and three forced fumbles.
Pullard ran a 4.78 at the combine but has shown the ability to track the ball well in coverage at USC. In addition to that, he projects to be a solid special teamer.
Round 6 (Compensatory): Tight End Blake Bell (Oklahoma)
7 of 10
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 252 pounds
As Wisconsin Badgers fans can attest to, sometimes former quarterbacks can become nice weapons at tight end.
That is what happened with Owen Daniels, who has also turned out to be an effective tight end in the NFL over the past several years.
Blake Bell of Oklahoma could be that type of player as well. He was a quarterback for the Sooners for three years before becoming a tight end his senior year.
He is still a work in progress, as he only had 16 receptions for 214 yards and four touchdowns. He always showed decent running skills at Oklahoma, as he had rushed for 627 yards and 24 touchdowns as a quarterback.
At the East-West Shrine Game, Bell showed that he has the athleticism and ability to be a good tight end, even though he is still raw.
At the combine, he ran a 4.80 in the 40, plus fared well in both the 20-yard and 60-yard shuttle.
Round 6 (Compensatory): Wide Receiver/Kick Returner Jamarcus Nelson (UAB)
8 of 10
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 156 pounds
The Packers were dead last in the NFL in the special teams rankings that Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News put out for the 2014 season.
That is a big reason why special teams coordinator Shawn Slocum was fired. That, and the implosion of the special teams units in the NFC Championship Game.
One of the areas in which the team was subpar was in kickoff returns. The kick returner for most of the year was running back DuJuan Harris. He did not get the job done and was replaced late in the year by Micah Hyde. Like Slocum, Harris will not be back with the Packers in 2015.
Hyde has been a good returner for the Packers, especially with punt returns. He has returned three punts for touchdowns over the past two seasons.
Still, the Packers would like to see the same production from the kickoff return unit. That is why drafting Jamarcus Nelson from UAB makes sense.
People look at Nelson's 5'10" size and say that he would never make it in the NFL. But when you run a 4.28 in the 40 at the combine, plus have six returns (five kickoffs and one punt) for touchdowns in college, scouts tend to notice.
Nelson also was a decent receiver in college, where he had 116 receptions for 2,273 yards and 20 touchdowns in his career.
But if he is going to make it in the NFL, it will be because of his speed and returning skills.
Round 7: Quarterback Hutson Mason (Georgia)
9 of 10
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 218 pounds
The Packers will be looking to add a third arm to the team, as they recently re-signed Scott Tolzien to be the main backup to Aaron Rodgers at quarterback.
According to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, it looks as though the Packers will not be looking to re-sign Matt Flynn either.
That means the Packers will most likely be drafting a quarterback. One option might be Hutson Mason of Georgia. You have to love the quarterback's first name if you know the history of the Packers.
In addition, Mason put up some nice stats his last year with a G on the side of his helmet in college.
In his senior year with the Bulldogs, Mason threw 21 touchdowns compared to just four picks for 2,168 yards. In his career, he has tossed 29 touchdown passes versus seven interceptions for 3,492 yards.
At the East-West Shrine Game, he showed a strong pocket presence. While not a threat to run, Mason has played in a pro-style offense and displays nice touch on his passes.
Mason does not have exceptional arm strength, but neither did Flynn when the Packers drafted him in 2008. Flynn worked hard on strengthening his arm and became a steady and effective backup for the Packers.
Mason might have that same opportunity.
Round 7 (Compensatory) Outside Linebacker Marcus Rush (Michigan State)
10 of 10
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 251 pounds
The Michigan State Spartans have had one of the best defenses in the Big Ten and the entire country the past few seasons.
One of the major reasons was defensive end Marcus Rush. In 2014, he had 37 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, 7.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
In his career as a Spartan, Rush had 53 starts (school leader) and totaled 163 tackles, 37.5 tackles for a loss, 18.5 sacks and five forced fumbles.
To play in the NFL, Rush will need to become an outside linebacker due to his size. He showed that he was aware of the passing game in college, as he had 16 pass deflections in his career.
Rush also looks to be a core special teams player.
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