Today, the Tampering Period for NFL Free Agency opened up, and it did not disappoint. With players such as Kirk Cousins, Saquon Barkley, and Christian Wilkens on the move, it can be easy to overlook what the Green Bay Packers did.
There will be mixed feelings among Green Bay fans, as fan favorites such as David Bakhtiari and Aaron Jones were cut. The day wasn’t only filled with losses, however, as Brian Gutekunst and co. signed former Raiders RB Josh Jacobs to a 4-year deal, and then signed former Giants Safety Xavier McKinney to his 4-year deal. Both players are considered amongst the best available players at their positions and were signed to deals that are reasonable, considering factors like age, injuries, production, and scheme fit.
So how do the decisions today change the strategy in April? Green Bay’s Front Office has shown consistently that they are willing to “double-dip” at positions of need, and I don’t see that changing this year. So here is my prediction for this year’s draft with the Tampering Period open:
*Draft Results from 2024 NFL Mock Draft Simulator With Free Trades – Pro Football Network
Green Bay Packers Mock Draft Round 1, Pick 25 – Cooper Dejean, S, Iowa
Dejean is a Swiss-army-knife type player on the back end of a defense. With extensive experience at Boundary Corner, Slot Corner, Deep Safety, Box Safety, and even some run as a linebacker Dejean is capable of filling any role desired of him at the next level. Dejean is perfect for Green Bay, as they still have needs at Safety, Slot Corner, and Boundary Corner.
Round 2, Pick 41 – Edgerrin Cooper, LB, TAMU
Cooper looks like the exact type of player that the Packers will target in this draft. He’s a rangy Linebacker, which is seen on tape and backed up by his 40-time. He is a multi-year starter at LB, consistently making plays behind the line of scrimmage this year, racking up 17 tackles-for-loss and 8.5 sacks. With DeVondre Campbell being a cap-casualty the position has become a need, and Cooper fits that need.
Round 2, Pick 58 – Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota
Nubin feels like a Green Bay Player. Hard-nosed, intelligent, seems to always be in the right place. Does he fill a huge need with McKinney and Dejean already coming in? Not necessarily, but this just means that Dejean might play more Corner than Safety. Nubin didn’t participate in the athletic testing at the Combine, so his Pro Day will be important. Green Bay rarely drafts players that dip below that 8.00 RAS (Relative Athletic Score) mark, so that could impact his standing on Gutey’s draft board.
Round 3, Pick 88 – Jaylen Wright, RB, Tennessee
Okay, this one might be a reach. With players like Jonathon Brooks, Braelon Allen, and Blake Corum available it might be tough to see GB draft Wright here. But hear me out: Wright has a higher RAS than any of those three (Brooks is recovering from an ACL injury and Braelon didn’t do enough tests to qualify, but it’s unlikely either one tops his 9.81), played a versatile role for TEN this year, and looks like he could be a great change-of-pace guy for Jacobs.
Round 3, Pick 91 – Johnny Wilson, WR/TE, FSU
Again, this might not happen. Green Bay already has at least 4 WRs that they LOVE, and putting a 3rd Round Pick into a guy with no guarantee of getting any time is a weird decision to make. Here’s my thought process with this pick: Christian Watson has weak Hamstrings and we don’t know if he’ll overcome them, Wilson plays a different type of WR than any of our current guys and could potentially play the Lazard hybrid role, and he has an elite 9.88 RAS. Gutey likely loves him already, and LaFleur WILL love him.
Round 4, Pick 125 – Mason McCormick, OG, South Dakota State
This may be the first player that you’ve never heard of, and I couldn’t fault you for that. McCormick was on the NOBODIES board at the start of the year. Playing in the FCS does little favors for draft stock, but McCormick found other ways to garner interest. As with the rest of the players on this list, he was a workout warrior at the Combine, grading out in RAS at an astounding 9.97. There is all sorts of explosion in this man, and being from SDSU, you know he can run block. This may be another luxury pick, but RG is most certainly not settled.
Much can still change before Draft Night. This is just how I foresee it going down, based on what I saw today in FA and the way the simulator ran. Let me know what picks I royally screwed-up, up or what players I should have my eyes on as we enter Pro-Day season and grow closer to the Draft.