QUARTERBACKS
What they want: An inexpensive starting quarterback.
LaFleur is a protégé of Kyle Shanahan, and their offensive scheme is built on running the ball, using play action to get receivers open, and creating run-after-the-catch opportunities. They don’t need a $50 million a year quarterback to do those things. Jake Plummer, Jay Cutler, and Matt Schaub made Pro Bowls in this system. Shanahan and LaFleur had the NFL’s top offense in 2016 (Atlanta), with Matt Ryan as their quarterback. LaFleur coached the top offense again in 2017 (L.A. Rams), with Jared Goff behind center. A functional, semi-accurate passer who can throw on the move will do just fine in this system.
That cost savings can be used for veteran talent at other key positions. It’s no coincidence that Rodgers’ only Super Bowl season came years ago, when his contract consumed only 6 percent of the Packers’ total salary cap. It’ll account for more than 13 percent of the team’s cap this year, and it only grows from there.
Who they have: Aaron Rodgers (6’2”, 225, signed through 2026)
Jordan Love (6’4”, 219, signed through 2023)
What they need: Improvement from Love. The Packers can’t afford to delay the Rodgers transition beyond next offseason. They’ve already pushed huge amounts of salary obligations into future years; continuing to borrow against the cap will doom the next dynasty before it starts. The sooner a suitable successor is ready to play, the better the chances that the Packers’ 30-year run of Super Bowl contention continues after Rodgers is gone.
Who they’ll draft: No one. They aren’t giving up on Love just yet. Aaron Rodgers didn’t start until his fourth year with the Packers, and he looked like a bust until his third. Ideally, the lights start to come on for Love this preseason, so that Gutekunst can feel comfortable trading Rodgers next offseason and using a bounty of extra picks to kick off the Love Era.
And if the lights don’t go on for Love this season? The 2023 draft is expected to be one of the better quarterback classes in recent years—far more talented than this year’s group, which is widely panned as one of the worst in living memory.
RUNNING BACKS
What they want: A stable of tough, decisive runners with good vision who can catch the ball.
Backs are a big part of the passing game in LaFleur’s offense, accounting for roughly a quarter of all completions—much higher than the McCarthy days. Their importance in the passing game will only increase as more NFL defenses implement the low-risk, low-blitz, “bend-but-don’t-break” philosophy that the Rams, Chargers, Packers, 49ers, and other playoff defenses adopted in recent years. That kind of defense forces an offense to dink and dunk its way down the field with short, safe completions to guys who can drag tacklers for a few extra yards after the catch. Backs are perfect for that job.
Who they have: AJ Dillon (6’0”, 247, signed through 2023)
Aaron Jones (5’9”, 208, signed through this season before contract balloons)
Kylin Hill (5”10”, 214, signed through 2024)
Patrick Taylor (6’3”, 223, signed through this season)
What they need: Not much, at least not early in the draft. Dillon and Jones are a perfect pair, and Hill looked like a solid third option before a season-ending knee injury in October. But there’s no telling whether Hill will be the same guy post-injury, and reserve backs often make key contributors on coverage and return units—an area where the Packers certainly need some help.
Who they’ll draft: A late-round back with the right attitude and skills to contribute on special teams. He must be ready to take meaningful snaps on offense as a rookie if Hill’s knee is toast.
It’s a decent class of running backs, especially for the steady, grind-it-out types that thrive in the Shanahan scheme. Gutekunst may take the same approach he took in 2019 (Dexter Williams, 6th round) and 2021 (Kylin Hill, 7th round): wait until day 3 to nab a highly regarded back who fell through the cracks earlier in the draft. Here are a couple who might tempt the Packers if they fall into the second half of the draft:
RACHAAD WHITE, Arizona State (6’0”, 214). White is made for the dink-and-dunk offense. He caught 43 passes last season—more than any back his size in the draft—and he gained more receiving yards (456) than any draftable back, big or small. The Sun Devils even motioned him out of the backfield and lined him up as a receiver sometimes, a la Aaron Jones. And he played well at the Senior Bowl, which matters a lot to the Packers’ front office. (“We liked we did at the Senior Bowl” is a common refrain in Packer post-draft press conferences.)
White doesn’t have much experience on special teams, but he has the size, speed (4.48 40-yard dash), and athleticism (38-inch vertical jump) to return kicks and be a handful on coverage units.
ABRAM SMITH, Baylor (6’0”, 213). Smith is the kind of guy a special teams coach will pound the table to get. He was a high school running back who’d never played defense before converting to linebacker as a college sophomore. He picked it up fast, starting the last four games of his junior year, before converting back to running back as a senior—where he promptly led the Big 12 in rushing yards. Along the way, he played almost 500 special teams snaps across all coverage units.
Smith only caught 13 passes last year, so he has some catching up to do in the passing game. But if anyone in this draft has proven he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make himself useful, it’s Smith.
WIDE RECEIVERS
What they want: Strong guys who will block cornerbacks, snare passes over the middle without breaking stride, and run hard for extra yards after the catch.
The emphasis on yards after the catch is a hallmark of the Shanahan-LaFleur offensive scheme, which uses lots of horizontal passing routes, with receivers crisscrossing the middle of the field. If the play design works, those receivers can catch it at full speed, press up field quickly, and find themselves with lots of open space and yards to be gained. Receivers are expected to help running backs gain yards after the catch, too, by blocking cornerbacks on screens.
In each of LaFleur’s three seasons as coach, the Packers have generated more than half their total receiving yards after the catch—one of only four teams in the league to do so. (Kyle Shanahan’s 49ers is one of the others.) By comparison, McCarthy’s Packers never crossed the 50 percent threshold in any of Rodgers’ nine seasons as a starter.
Who they have: Allen Lazard (6’5”, 227, signed through this season)
Sammy Watkins (6’1”, 211, signed through this season)
Randall Cobb (5”10”, 195, signed through this season)
Amari Rodgers (5’9”, 212, signed through 2024)
Malik Taylor (6’1”, 220, signed through this season)
Juwann Winfree (6’3”, 215, through this season)
What they need: Everything. The Packers threw more than 250 passes last season to the departed Davante Adams, MVS, and EQ. Sammy Watkins might be good for a quarter of those if he stays healthy, which he hasn’t lately, and none of the holdovers looked worthy of a bigger workload last year.
They need guys who can contribute right away in LaFleur’s system, the more the better. At least one must be a deep threat.
Who they’ll draft: There are a lot of draftable receivers this year, but few have the right combination of traits for this scheme—and none are being hailed as future Pro Bowlers. Gutekunst will need to grab a “sample pack” of receivers who can fill different functions within the offense and special teams, and hope LaFleur can find ways to utilize their strengths. Here are a handful of guys with skills he can use:
DRAKE LONDON, USC (6’4”, 219). Worried about replacing Davante’s ball-hogging 7.6 catches per game last season? London averaged 11 catches a game, including 15 for 171 yards against Notre Dame. He’s roughly the same size as Jordy Nelson, and he wins the same way Nelson did: by out-bodying a defender for the ball, shrugging off a tackle attempt, and charging upfield. London’s not as quick as Adams, though he’s still pretty good on screen plays and—like Adams—comes from a basketball background. (London scored nearly 30 points a game in high school and played briefly on USC’s basketball team.) And unlike Adams, London’s willing to block.
London won’t outrun anyone deep, but he can outrebound them on 50-50 balls. Rodgers won’t throw those kinds of passes (interceptions hurt his passer rating), but Jordan Love is the king of the YOLO ball. London’s more likely than any receiver in the draft to turn those would-be interceptions into big plays.
London is expected to be off the board in the top 20 picks, perhaps as early as the top 10. A trade into the top 10 could cost the Packers both their first-round picks, while a trade into pick-15 range would probably cost them their higher first-round and higher second-round picks. It’s a stiff price to pay, but the Packers have picks to spare and a salary cap situation that screams “win now.” London is the win-now receiver.
TREYLON BURKS, Arkansas (6’2”, 225). Most years, if you’re hellbent on drafting the college receiver with the most yards after the catch, it means you’re taking a 180-pound jitterbug. This year, it’s the linebacker-sized Burks, who dragged SEC tacklers for more than nine yards after the catch last season. The stopwatch says he’s a little slow (4.55 40-yard dash), but he caught 12 deep balls last year—including 8 catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns against Ala-freaking-bama.
His Wonderlic score says he’s a little slow, too (11 out of a possible 50), which won’t endear him to his Jeopardy-hosting quarterback. (Burks, an avid hunter who grew up near the Arkansas-Louisiana border, seems like more of a Favre kind of guy.) But there’s still value in a 225-pound screens-and-bombs specialist who can maul smaller corners in the run game, even if he’ll never be fluent in Rodgers-ese. Burks is expected to go anywhere from the early teens to late first round.
SKYY MOORE, Western Michigan (5’10”, 195). What a great year for receiver names! Skyy left tacklers in his jetwash last season, catching 8 passes a game and leading all college receivers in missed tackles forced. He’s about the size of Randall Cobb, but far more elusive, and he has the speed to get deep (4.4 40-yard dash). And while he’s not big enough to manhandle anyone as a blocker, he’s a feisty pest who can do enough to tie up corners. Moore is projected to go in the last first or early second round.
CHRISTIAN WATSON, North Dakota State (6’4”, 208). With Watson, the good news and the bad news are both the same: he’s an MVS clone. Watson has the same size and blistering speed as MVS, together with the same shaky hands and small-school rawness. But speed alone is valuable in the NFL—the Chiefs agreed to pay MVS $10 million a year—and Watson beat big-school corners at the Senior Bowl, suggesting he could one day be something more than a designated deep threat. Watson comes from a run-oriented offense and is willing to throw a block, too. He’ll likely go in the second or third round.
TYQUAN THORNTON, Baylor (6’2”, 181). Without MVS, LaFleur needs someone to make defenses nervous about the bomb. Thornton is the fastest guy in the draft, with a 4.2 speed and seven receptions of 40 yards or more last season. He can’t do much else, at least not yet, but his speed alone gives him decoy value. And unlike MVS, Thornton hangs on to the ball (only three drops all season). He could go anywhere from the second to fourth rounds.
VELUS JONES, Tennessee (6’0”, 204). If Thornton’s spindly frame makes Gutekunst nervous, Jones is 20 pounds thicker and only a tick slower. He’s not as skilled at catching the deep ball, but he’s deadly on screens and was the SEC’s best kick returner last season. Jones played with Drake London and the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown at USC before transferring to Tennessee. He’s expected to go in the fourth or fifth round.
LATER OPTIONS: SMU’s Danny Gray (6’0”, 186) and Rutgers’ Bo Melton (5’11, 189) are speed demons who should be available in the middle rounds. Melton’s a two-time team captain with four years’ starting experience in the Big Ten, while Gray’s a firecracker with the ball in his hands.
Boise State’s Khalil Shakir (6’0”, 196), Nevada’s Romeo Doubs (6’2”, 201), and Texas Tech’s Erik Ezukanma (6’2”, 209) aren’t the pure burners that Watson, Thornton, Jones, Gray, and Melton are, but they still caught an inordinate number of deep passes last year. They’re also polished receivers with multiple years of college starting experience, so they should be ready to contribute immediately. They’ll go in the middle rounds.
If Gutekunst wants to rummage through the late-round “project” bin, he’ll find a couple intriguing options. Idaho State’s Tanner Conner (6’3”, 226) was a skinny championship hurdler who wandered into a college weight room and emerged as a linebacker-sized brute. He’s earned All-Big Sky honors the last two seasons while still figuring out how to play. Northern Iowa’s Isaiah Weston (6’3”, 214) is a deep-ball extraordinaire with a 40-inch vertical jump. He’s a one-trick pony, but that’s trick’s a pretty good one: he averaged more than 22 yards a catch over his college career.
TIGHT ENDS
What they want: Three types of guys: a big in-line blocker tasked with manhandling edge rushers on running plays; a smaller jack-of-all-trades blocker who can line up at fullback or H-back; and an overgrown possession receiver who can run routes and pick up yards after the catch.
LaFleur and Kyle Shanahan have followed this formula at every stop. Their blocking tight ends have included the 6’8”, 268-pound Levine Toilolo, the 6’5”, 268-pound Logan Paulsen, and the 6’6”, 267-pound Marcedes Lewis. Their fullback/H-backs have included Pro Bowlers Patrick DiMarco and Kyle Juszczyk. Their overgrown possession receivers have included Jordan Reed, Austin Hooper, and George Kittle.
Who they have:
In-line blocker: Marcedes Lewis (6’6”, 267, signed through this season)
Fullback/H-back: Josiah Deguara (6’2”, 238, signed through 2023)
Dominique Dafney (6’2”, 243, signed through this season)
Possession receiver: Robert Tonyan ( 6’5”, 237, signed through this season)
Tyler Davis (6’4”, 252, signed through this season)
What they need: Nothing in particular. Lewis is nearing the end, but the roster probably only has room for one blocking tight end. Deguara and Dafney haven’t shown much yet, but they’re still young. Tonyan and Davis don’t offer much pizzazz after the catch, but they’re smart and reliable possession receivers with better speed than most of the tight end prospects this year.
All that said, Tonyan’s coming back from a season-ending ACL injury and no one but Deguara is signed past this year. They could justify taking one if they see a perfect fit.
Who they’ll draft: Probably no one. There are a few possession-receiver types who’d fit the system quite well, like UCLA’s Greg Dulcich (6’4”, 243, averaged 7 yards after the catch) in the second or third round, or Coastal Carolina’s Isaiah Likely (6’5”, 245, also 7 yards after the catch) in the later rounds. And there’s a mid-round H-back, Maryland’s Chig Okonkwo (6’2”, 238), who’s faster than Deguara and Dafney (and most of our wide receivers, for that matter).
But it’s a lousy year for tight ends overall, which inflates their price tag, and there’s little sense in overpaying for a position that isn’t a pressing need. Unless someone drops—or unless Tonyan’s knee is worse than we know—it’s unlikely the Packers will use an early or mid-round pick on a tight end this year.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
What they want: Athletic, team-first guys who don’t get noticed. This scheme uses lots of zone blocking, which differs from traditional power schemes. Rather than trying to blast defensive linemen and move them against their will, zone blockers use defenders’ momentum against them, walling off defenders at angles to seal gaps and create cutting lanes for backs.
Teamwork and athleticism are critical. On any given play, a zone blocker might be called upon to briefly help a neighbor double-team a defensive lineman, then peel away to cut off a linebacker five yards past the line of scrimmage. It’s not a job for guys who are slow, fat, or uncoordinated.
Who they have: David Bakhtiari (6’4”, 310, signed through this season before contract balloons)
Elgton Jenkins (6’5”, 311, signed through this season)
Yosh Nijman (6’7”, 314, signed through this season)
Josh Myers (6’5”, 310, signed through 2024)
Jon Runyan (6’4”, 307, signed through 2023)
Royce Newman (6’5”, 310, signed through 2024)
Jake Hanson (6’4”, 296, signed through this season)
Cole Van Lanen (6’5”, 312, signed through this season)
What they need: More of the same. The Packers have drafted seven linemen since LaFleur arrived in 2019, and they’re all cut from the same mold: decent athlete, decent size, experience at a major college program, often at multiple positions along the line. That versatility is invaluable when an injury wave hits, as it did in 2021.
Who they’ll draft: It’s a solid draft class for offensive linemen, especially if you don’t need a left tackle (and the Packers don’t). With a bunch of extra picks to spare—and with Billy Turner and Lucas Patrick departing in free agency—expect Gutekunst to spend a couple picks on standard-issue zone blockers. Here are a few who fit:
ABRAHAM LUCAS, Washington State (6’6”, 315). In Green Bay, the First Commandment of Drafting Offensive Linemen is “Thou shalt not put the team’s $50 million a year quarterback at risk.” Lucas is as safe as they come. He was a four-time all-Pac 12 right tackle and two-time captain for a team that threw the ball more than 50 times a game. He has a lot to learn in run blocking, but he has the size and feet to succeed as a zone blocker. Lucas will likely go in the second or third round.
LUKE GOEDEKE, Central Michigan (6’5”, 312). From Valders, Wisconsin, Goedeke was a tight end at UW-Stevens Point before transferring to Central Michigan, packing on 60 pounds, and earning first-team All-MAC at right tackle. (He’d wanted to transfer to Wisconsin, but the Badgers only offered him a walk-on spot.) His lunch-pail Midwestern roots will resonate with Packer coaches and former Big 10 linemen Adam Stenavich, a Marshfield native, and Luke Butkus, from the Chicago area. He’ll likely go in the same range as Lucas, second or third round.
LOGAN BRUSS, Wisconsin (6’5”, 309). You want major college experience? Bruss started 35 games for a sophisticated running offense, earning all-conference honors at both right guard and right tackle. His athletic testing numbers are better than the usual Wisconsin lineman. And he’s from Kimberly—so you know he fully grasps how devastating a season-ending quarterback injury can be to the mental state of the citizens of Wisconsin. Bruss will likely go in the middle rounds.
LATER OPTIONS: In the middle round zone-blocker aisles, Gutekunst will find North Carolina’s Joshua Ezeudu (6’4”, 308), a team captain with experience at every position but center, and Louisiana’s Max Mitchell (6’6”, 307), a late bloomer who thrived at right tackle in a zone-heavy offense.
If Nijman’s success last year inspires Gutekunst to invest in another late-round project, North Dakota’s Matt Waletzko (6’8”, 312) and Connecticut’s Ryan Van Demark (6’6”, 307) have the same kind of athletic gifts as Nijman. They’ll likely need a year of quality time with NFL coaches and strength trainers before they can be trusted to hold up against more powerful edge rushers.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
What they want: Guys who will do the “dirty work”: standing up to double-teams, bouncing blockers out of the path of linebackers, and making a monkey pile at the line of scrimmage.
Joe Barry’s defense is designed to prevent big plays, not to make them. He doesn’t need gap-shooting penetrators at defensive tackle. He needs guys like Kenny Clark, a former state-champion wrestler who ties blockers in knots with strength and leverage.
Who they have: Kenny Clark (6’3”, 314, signed through 2024)
Dean Lowry (6’6”, 296, signed through this season)
Jarran Reed (6’3”, 313, signed through this season)
T.J. Slaton (6’4”, 330, signed through 2024)
Jack Heflin (6’3”, 304, signed through this season)
What they need: Another live body. Clark, Lowry, and Reed all have plenty of starting experience, so they don’t need immediate help. But they could use another mid-round investment, preferably someone with untapped potential who will give highly regarded line coach Jerry Montgomery a chance to show what he can do.
Who they’ll draft: There are a couple mid-round prospects who fit the description:
ERIC JOHNSON, Missouri State (6’4”, 299). Thanks to the extra year of eligibility due to COVID, Johnson is a rare five-year starter. He didn’t face many great offensive linemen in those five years, but he impressed scouts against big-school prospects at the Senior Bowl. He also possesses an uncommon but undeniably useful skill: blocking kicks. He blocked four (two field goals and two PATs) in his college career.
MATTHEW BUTLER, Tennessee (6’4”, 297). Last December, Gutekunst had to cut a former fifth-round pick (Kingsley Keke) for immaturity issues. He won’t have that problem with Butler, an honors student, team captain, and father of a four-year-old. Butler wasn’t a playmaker in college (only 9.5 career sacks), but he’s fast and doesn’t let runners escape (152 career tackles).
LATER OPTIONS: In the late round “undersized” discount bin, Cincinnati’s Curtis Brooks (6’2”, 287) and Wisconsin’s Matt Henningsen (6’3”, 289) provide versatility, grit, and surprising athleticism. They both hit vertical jumps of more than 35 inches, which is better than most receivers.
- EDGE RUSHERS
What they want: A little bit of everything. Barry’s had many edge rushers in his various coaching stops, but none were one-trick speed rushers. They were a lot like Preston Smith, who Barry drafted in 2015 with Washington: reliable run defenders with the awareness and balance to chase down screens and pick up effort sacks.
Who they have: Rashan Gary (6’5”, 260-ish, signed through 2023)
Preston Smith (6’5”, 265, signed through 2026)
Jonathan Garvin (6’4”, 257, signed through 2023)
Tipa Galeai (6’5”, 235, signed through this season)
Randy Ramsey (6’3”, 236, signed through this season)
What they need: Another starting-caliber player to rotate into the game on passing downs, teaming with Gary, Smith, and Kenny Clark to form a solid four-man rush. Whitney Mercilus briefly served that role last year, but he retired this offseason. None of the remaining edge rushers struck fear in anyone.
Who they’ll draft: Quality edge rushers don’t come cheap, and three could go off the board within the first 20 minutes of the first round. Fortunately, this year’s draft has a healthy number of other options, a few of whom have the all-purpose skills Barry seems to want:
ARNOLD EBIKETIE, Penn State (6’2”, 250). In 2019, even with two starting edge rushers under contract (Za’Darius and Preston Smith), Gutekunst couldn’t resist pulling the trigger on Rashan Gary—the most athletic edge rusher in the draft. This year, that title may belong to Ebiketie, a former soccer player whose jumps and agility tests are better most slot receivers and cornerbacks. Ebiketie had 17 tackles for loss last year (second in the Big Ten), including 9.5 sacks. He can fly off the edge to rush the passer, or he can fake it and drop back into coverage to allow a safety or linebacker to blitz. He’ll likely go off the board in the first or early second round.
DeANGELO MALONE, Western Kentucky (6’3”, 239). In 2017, the L.A. Rams—who employed both LaFleur and Barry as coaches at the time—spent a fourth-rounder on Samson Ebukam, an undersized edge rusher from a smaller school with a resume full of sacks. He’s been a multi-year starter and a handful in the NFL ever since. Malone comes with the same caliber of credentials: his college highlights included 34 sacks, nine forced fumbles, four seasons with all-conference honors, and two conference defensive player-of-the-year awards. He’ll likely go in the second or third round.
DOMINIQUE ROBINSON, Miami (Ohio) (6’5”, 253). Robinson’s a high-school quarterback turned college receiver turned edge rusher, putting on 20 pounds and switching to defense in the shortened 2020 season. He didn’t lose his receiver agility and quarterback brain, though, which makes him a fun project for new outside linebackers coach Jason Rebrovich. Robinson’s probably a third or fourth round pick.
LATER OPTIONS: UAB’s Alex Wright (6’5”, 271), Virginia Tech’s Amare Barno (6’5”, 246), and Coastal Carolina’s Jeffrey Gunter (6’4”, 258) test like NFL edge rushers, and they all have long arms to help keep offensive tackles at bay. None had the dominant college production to match their traits, though, and they all could use some time to develop. With Rashan Gary and Preston Smith on the roster, the Packers are a team that can afford to give it to them.
- LINEBACKERS
What they want: Steady Eddies. Barry doesn’t need linebackers with exotic skills; he hardly ever sends them on blitzes, and he doesn’t force them to patrol massive territory in coverage. He just needs guys who can do the bread-and-butter basics: sniff out fakes, tackle reliably, and break up passes over the short middle. They typically serve key roles in special teams coverage units, as well.
Who they have: De’Vondre Campbell (6’3”, 232, signed through 2026)
Krys Barnes (6’2”, 229, signed through this season)
Isaiah McDuffie (6’1”, 227, signed through 2024)
Ty Summers (6’1”, 241, signed through this season)
What they need: A run stuffer. The Packers gave up 4.7 yards a carry last season, among the worst teams in the NFL. Barry doesn’t have one on the roster right now. Campbell is a sleek speed linebacker built for coverage and open-field tackles, not blasting into offensive guards. Barnes and McDuffie are too small for trench warfare, and Summers has barely seen the field in three years. They need a linebacker who can stand up to 300-pound offensive linemen up the middle on short-yardage downs, which frees up Campbell to wreak havoc from the weak side.
Who they’ll draft: There are plenty of solid linebackers in this year’s draft, but relatively few who are built for third-and-one. The leading candidate is a name we know well:
LEO CHENAL, Wisconsin (6’3”, 250). Chenal is not your normal Wisconsin linebacker. He has a vertical jump of 40 inches, better than any of the draft’s top receivers. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.53 seconds, better than any of the draft’s top tight ends. He bench-pressed 225 pounds 34 times, better than any of the draft’s top linemen. And he had 18.5 tackles for loss last year, better than any defender in the Big Ten, despite missing two games due to COVID. He’s also a special teams dynamo and, if things don’t work out for him at linebacker, he’d make a terrifying fullback in LaFleur’s run-heavy scheme. Chenal’s not the most graceful athlete in coverage, which is why he probably won’t be drafted until the second or third round.
DARRIAN BEAVERS, Cincinnati (6’4”, 237). Beavers played everywhere from defensive end to safety at Cincinnati, though scouts say his best fit is inside linebacker. He isn’t the explosive athlete Chenal is, but he’s big, moves well, and plays smart. That works.
LATER OPTIONS: Indiana’s Micah McFadden (6’1”, 238) is a two-time team captain and three-year starter who seems to know opponents’ playbooks as well as they do (36 tackles for loss the last three years). Chenal’s teammate, Jack Sanborn (6’2”, 234) is the more typical Wisconsin linebacker—average athlete, average size, big heart and brain. He’s better in coverage than Chenal, and he’ll be available much later in the draft.
- SAFETIES
What they want: Safe, smart, and boring. Barry’s safeties typically play “two high,” with each responsible for half the field. That means they don’t need super speed or slick man-to-man coverage skills, and—like most other positions in Barry’s defense—they almost never blitz. What they do need, however, are the same traits Barry wants in his linebackers: good vision and anticipation, reliable tackling, and good timing for breaking up completions.
Who they have: Adrian Amos (6’0”, 214, signed through this season)
Darnell Savage (5’11”, 198, signed through this season)
Vernon Scott (6’2”, 202, signed through 2023)
Shawn Davis (6’0”, 206, signed through this season)
What they need: In the short-term, the Packers need someone to replace the departed Henry Black, who played 25 percent of the team’s snaps last season as an extra safety in passing situations. Neither Vernon Scott nor Shawn Davis have shown anything to suggest they’re ready for that role. They also need live bodies for special teams, and backup safeties are prime special teams candidates.
Longer term, though, they may be looking to replace Savage, Amos, or both. Quarterbacks took advantage of Amos’s diminishing speed and Savage’s diminutive size too often last season, especially teams with big, fast tight ends like George Kittle. Neither Savage nor Amos is signed beyond this season.
Who they’ll draft: It’s a good time to be shopping for future starters at safety, because this draft has plenty of them. Here are a few that might entice Barry:
JAQUAN BRISKER, Penn State (6’1”, 206). Brisker broke Badger fans’ hearts last fall with a key interception in the red zone, followed by a 41-yard return. He was a team captain and All-American who committed zero penalties in two seasons as a starter, so he’ll fit right in with the rest of the Packers; they had the fewest penalties of any NFL team last season. Brisker will probably go somewhere in the second round.
BRYAN COOK, Cincinnati (6’1”, 206). Cook had five interceptions for Howard University while still in his teens, then transferred to a bigger football stage in Cincinnati. He was a tackling machine (96 as a senior, most of any safety in the draft) and played well in big games—including an interception and nine tackles against Alabama in the Cotton Bowl. He’ll likely go in the second or third round.
LATER OPTIONS: Kentucky’s Yusuf Corker (6’0”, 203) and Iowa’s Dane Belton (6’1”, 205) were multi-year starters with strength and plenty of experience against future NFL receivers. UCLA’s Quentin Lake (6’1”, 201) learned from one of the best: he’s the son of former All-Pro safety Carnell Lake, who played for the Steelers in the 1990s. They’re likely mid- to late-round picks.
If Gutekunst is looking for special teams stalwarts in the later rounds, he could turn to the Georgia Tech pair of Juanyeh Thomas (6’1”, 212) and Tariq Carpenter (6’3”, 230). They didn’t play traditional safety roles in college and may need some time to develop, but they can be heat-seeking missiles on punt and kick coverage units.
- CORNERBACKS
What they want: Feisty pass breaker-uppers. They don’t have to be silky-smooth man-to-man cover guys; unlike Mike Pettine, Barry won’t bring the house on a blitz and force corners to fend for themselves one-on-one. In Barry’s scheme, corners almost always have safety help over the top, which leaves them free to bait, bump, and take chances underneath without worrying about the deep ball. (There’s a reason the slow-footed Rasul Douglas failed in other systems but succeeded in this one.) Barry’s corners do need good eyes, good timing, and a quick burst to break on throws in their territory.
Who they have: Jaire Alexander (5’10”, 196, signed through this season)
Eric Stokes (6’0”, 194, signed through 2024)
Rasul Douglas (6’2”, 209, signed through 2024)
Keisean Nixon (5’10”, 200, signed through this season)
Shemar Jean-Charles (5’10”, 184, signed through 2024)
What they need: Depth. While last year’s parade of journeyman veterans ultimately ended well, the Packers have no interest in going through that process again when injuries strike. They have three capable starters, but Jean-Charles looked small and slow as a rookie and Nixon was signed primarily for his special-teams leadership. They need one or two more backup-level players in the pipeline.
Who they’ll draft: Probably no one until the mid- to late rounds, where they’ll find a wide variety of experienced corners with enough size and aggression to play special teams:
Damarri Mathis (5’11”, 196) from Pittsburgh (the Pennsylvania one) and Dallis Flowers (6’1”, 196) from Pittsburg (the Kansas one) are willing tacklers who each had double-digit pass breakup seasons in their college tenures. The more highly regarded Mathis recorded an absurd 43.5 inch vertical jump at his pro day, while Flowers offers kick-return skills.
Sam Houston State’s Zyon McCollum (6’2”, 199) is a five-year starter with freakish athletic traits and a nose for the football, totaling 54 pass deflections across 52 college starts. Mississippi State’s Martin Emerson (6’2”, 201), Ouachita Baptist’s Greg Junior (6’0”, 203), and Texas’s Josh Thompson (5’11”, 194) are late-round prospects with multiple years of starting experience.
Draft Adventure 