Post-Free Agency 7-Round 2015 NFL Mock Draft for the Green Bay Packers
The 2015 NFL draft is now about five weeks away. Most teams, like the Green Bay Packers, have pretty much set up their draft board for the upcoming draft.
There will be some minor tweaking between now and when the draft starts, but for the most part, teams like the Packers know what players they would like to target.
The Packers know that they will have nine total picks in the draft, one in each of the seven rounds of the draft, plus two more compensatory picks in the sixth round, which the NFL announced Monday.
Green Bay has largely built its roster through the draft, ever since general manager Ted Thompson hired head coach Mike McCarthy back in 2006.
McCarthy knows that the Packers are a draft-and-develop team. He alluded to that when he talked to the media at the NFL owners meetings in Arizona earlier this week, which included Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"You’ll have the influx of young talent. I know that’s exciting when you get a high draft pick, a guy you’re excited about. The reality of it is it is pro football. Everyone goes through transition, it takes some time.
We have to really focus on guys that we have and make sure we need to be better. We need to coach better. Find different ways to emphasize things that we need to do better. Every year, you come up with two or three things you really want to make sure that you put your practice time into it and it has to show up on game days. Those are the kinds of things I think we have to stay focused on.
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Knowing that, and also looking at the top needs of the Packers going into the draft, I'm putting out my third mock draft for the team.
For reference, here is my first mock draft, and here is my second.
Like with the two previous mock drafts, the primary focus of the Packers will continue to be on the inside linebacker position.
Round 1: Inside Linebacker Eric Kendricks (UCLA)
1 of 9
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 232 pounds
The inside linebacker position for the Packers is in a state of flux. Green Bay has already released both A.J. Hawk and Brad Jones, and it also appears that unrestricted free agent Jamari Lattimore won't be coming back either, at least according to Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin.
That would mean that the depth chart at inside linebacker for the Packers consists of Sam Barrington, Carl Bradford, Nate Palmer and Joe Thomas.
Barrington is the only sure thing among that group, which is why I see the Packers drafting two inside linebackers in the upcoming draft.
The Packers also have the option of using outside linebacker Clay Matthews on the inside, like they did at times in the second half of the 2014 season, but the team would prefer to keep No. 52 outside.
Drafting Eric Kendricks in the first round would serve two purposes. He would be a tackling machine on run downs, plus serve as the cover linebacker when the Packers go to their nickel and dime schemes.
Kendricks led the FBS in solo tackles and had 149 overall. The former UCLA Bruin also had 11.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, one forced fumble and three interceptions in 2014, plus he won the Butkus Award and the Lott Trophy for his play in 2014.
NFL scout Chris Landry had a high opinion of Kendricks when I talked to him about the quick inside linebacker.
"Kendricks is another good player that I like a lot," Landry said. "I think he's a physical point-of-attack guy and a downhill run defender, and I think he plays well in space."
Kendricks showed off his athletic ability at the NFL Scouting Combine, as he ran a 4.61 in the 40 and recorded 38 inches in the vertical jump.
Round 2: Linebacker Paul Dawson (TCU)
2 of 9
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 235 pounds
If Paul Dawson is still on the board in the second round, I could definitely see Ted Thompson selecting the former TCU linebacker.
There are a couple of reasons why Dawson may still be available. For one thing, he had a history at TCU for being late to meetings and not putting in sufficient study time in looking at film.
Add to that, Dawson had a terrible workout at the combine, where he only ran a 4.93 40 and leaped 28 inches in the vertical jump.
Dawson's upcoming pro day on March 29 will be big, according to scout Chris Landry. "I love the kid from TCU," Landry said. "But I've got to go to Dallas because he and the safety [Chris Hackett] had awful workouts.
"So, I've got to find out. Were they dead-legged? Did they not train? Did they train inappropriately or didn't rest enough? Or are there some other issues going on, because they play a lot faster than 4.8 or 4.9 at safety and linebacker.
"They play like 4.5 guys. So, we got to figure that out. Remember what I say. The combine is a 90 percent rule. Ninety percent of the time, the workout matches the tape. It's the 10 percent that doesn't. That's when you have to do more work.
"Those two [Dawson and Hackett] fall into the 10 percent. So stay tuned."
Dawson did play like a 4.5 guy on the field, as he had 128 tackles, 18.5 tackles for a loss, five sacks, two forced fumbles and four interceptions for the Horned Frogs in 2014.
He also has the ability to play outside linebacker as well, and that may end up being his primary position.
If Dawson doesn't significantly improve his workout on his pro day compared to what he did the combine, chances are that he will be available for the Packers in the second round.
Round 3: Defensive Back Eric Rowe (Utah)
3 of 9
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 205 pounds
After losing both Davon House and Tramon Williams in free agency, the Packers need to add talent and depth at the cornerback position.
Adding a player like Eric Rowe of Utah will do that, plus he has plenty of experience at the safety position as well. The Packers love players with versatility.
Rowe has excellent size. He played four years at Utah and was a very good tackler.
In his career at Utah, he had 261 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, three interceptions and 36 passes defensed.
In addition to that, he had a nice week at the Senior Bowl and performed very well at the combine. Rowe ran a 4.45 40, plus was also exceptional in other drills.
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Round 4: Tight End Ben Koyack (Notre Dame)
4 of 9
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 255 pounds
While Richard Rodgers and Andrew Quarless had decent production at the tight end position for the Packers, both had issues with their blocking.
No. 89 and No. 81 combined for 49 catches for 548 yards and five touchdowns. Still, their overall blocking was subpar.
That is why the selection of Ben Koyack of Notre Dame would make a lot of sense. Not only is he a good blocker, but he has upside in the passing game as well. He has the potential to be a decent weapon down the seam.
Koyack also has excellent size and is an inviting target.
He backed up Tyler Eifert in 2012 and Troy Niklas in 2013. In his career as a member of the Fighting Irish, Koyack had 44 receptions for 542 yards and five touchdowns.
The four-year player at Notre Dame also played in the Senior Bowl but did not do drills at the combine.
Round 5: Offensive Tackle Sean Hickey (Syracuse)
5 of 9
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 309 pounds
Sean Hickey played both left and right tackle at Syracuse. In 2012, he played both positions, but in 2013 and 2014 he played strictly left tackle.
The former member of the Orange is considered a solid pass-protector and is more of a technician in the run game.
The Packers need a player like Hickey to back up both tackle positions. Don Barclay can be the backup at right tackle, but the Packers prefer that he plays inside at guard. Currently, starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga would move to left tackle if David Bakhtiari was injured.
Hickey had a good week at the East-West Shrine Game, and I'm sure that caught the attention of Ted Thompson.
The versatile offensive tackle showed his strength at the combine with 35 reps in the bench press.
Round 6: Nose Tackle Ellis McCarthy (UCLA)
6 of 9
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 338 pounds
Jason Wilde of ESPN Wisconsin expects the Packers to re-sign both B.J. Raji and Letroy Guion. That would help the Packers man the nose tackle position, plus the team hopes that second-year player Khyri Thornton improves his play there as well.
Raji was having a fine training camp last summer before he tore his biceps, which put him on injured reserve.
On the other hand, Thornton did not look good at all in camp, and it appeared he was a candidate to get cut before he too ended up on injured reserve.
Because Raji and Guion would most likely get just one-year "prove it" deals and the team has questions about Thornton, I expect the Packers to select a big man who can be a force inside the defensive trenches for Green Bay.
Ellis McCarthy could be a possibility. For one thing, the former UCLA Bruin has excellent size. But his production in college was not exactly earth-shattering, plus he had surgery on both knees.
In his career at UCLA, McCarthy had 59 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, six sacks and one forced fumble.
He has the size and the ability to be a solid run-stuffer, but he needs to get stronger, as he put up just 24 reps in the bench press at the combine.
Round 6 (Compensatory): Cornerback Craig Mager (Texas State)
7 of 9
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 201 pounds
Cornerback Craig Mager was another player who performed well during the week of the East-West Shrine Game.
Mager had a nice career at Texas State with 160 tackles, eight tackles for a loss, two sacks, seven interceptions and 31 passes defended.
He occasionally returned kicks at Texas State and brought back a punt for a touchdown in 2012.
The former Bobcat backed up his solid week in St. Petersburg for the East-West Shrine Game with a nice showing at the combine, where he ran a 4.44 in the 40.
Round 6 (Compensatory): Running Back Malcolm Brown (Texas)
8 of 9
Height: 5'11"
Weight: 224 pounds
With the Packers deciding to pass on bringing back DuJuan Harris, the team is in the market to add another running back to back up Eddie Lacy and James Starks.
Malcolm Brown of Texas could possibly become that back.
In his career as a Longhorn, he rushed for 2,678 yards and 24 touchdowns. Brown also caught 50 passes in his college career.
Brown had a solid week at the East-West Shrine Game and also met with the Packers, according to WalterFootball.com.
At the combine, Brown showed nice ability in the three-cone drill and the 60-yard shuttle.
Round 7: Quarterback Brandon Bridge (South Alabama)
9 of 9
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 229 pounds
The Packers recently re-signed Scott Tolzien to back up Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, but it also appears that they are ready to move on from Matt Flynn, who was the main backup to No. 12 last season.
For that reason, the Packers will likely draft a quarterback in the upcoming draft.
That being the case, they might be inclined to select an intriguing prospect like Brandon Bridge of South Alabama.
He has excellent size, a strong arm and decent running ability. What Bridge doesn't have is a lot of experience, and he is going to need a lot of work to refine his skills.
In his senior year at South Alabama, Bridge threw 15 touchdown passes versus eight interceptions for 1,927 yards. He also ran for 297 yards and four touchdowns.
The quarterback school that the Packers utilize for their quarterbacks will certainly come in handy for someone like Bridge. That is due to his inexperience, his lack of accuracy (52.1 completion percentage) and because he is prone to lock in on his primary receiver.
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