Any mock draft done this time of year must consider how free agency will affect a team’s decision-making. For instance, if the Green Bay Packers are able to re-sign Bryan Bulaga and add a reasonably priced inside linebacker (such as Nick Kwiatkoski) in free agency, GM Brian Gutekunst might be able to shift his focus away from the two positions and prioritize powering up a passing game that needs big help at both receiver and tight end.
That’s what we’re projecting here. In this mock draft completed on The Draft Network’s simulator, we were able to inject serious playmaking ability and upside into the Packers’ passing game, plucking two top receivers from a deep class and a tight end with a high ceiling as a dual-threat player:
Mock drafts are best served as tools for understanding the prospects and projecting different ways to match teams with players and fix roster needs. They can be predictive, but the value isn’t necessarily in the predictions.
In this scenario, the Packers were able to add serious help to a passing game that has been mostly ignored in the draft for the better part of a half-decade.
Reagor has game-changing speed and open-field running ability. His tape over the last two seasons shows Tyreek Hill-like ability to separate downfield and create plays after the catch. The TCU star would be an ideal fit as the fast, vertical complement to Davante Adams.
But why stop there? Aiyuk is another dynamic player who can produce to all areas and create massive amounts of yards after the catch, giving the Packers offense a Deebo Samuel-like player.
Provide the Packers offense with Reagor’s speed and Aiyuk’s explosiveness after the catch and everything that ailed the passing game in recent years could vanish.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the Packers added two receivers from this class. Two in the first two rounds might be surprising, but it’s possible if the Packers give themselves enough roster-building flexibility in free agency.
The third round could provide the final piece. Bryant isn’t yet a common name mocked to the Packers, but he’s highly regarded by some, including NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, who compared him to George Kittle in his draft profile. (The Draft Network isn’t as high as Bryant, which is likely why he was still available at No. 94.)
The Packers will need to add a tight end in free agency or the draft if Jimmy Graham is released and Marcedes Lewis isn’t re-signed. Jace Sternberger is a breakout candidate in 2020, but he’ll need help.
Imagine complementing Sternberger, last year’s third-round pick, with Bryant, who Zierlein believes has the “toughness as a blocker” and “speed and separation talent” to be a dual-threat tight end and a “high volume pass-catching target.”
Again, this is just one potential scenario. It projects how moves made in free agency could affect the Packers’ plans in the draft, and which players could be there at each spot during the first two days. Is it likely to happen? Probably not. But there’s a good chance the Packers will have strong opportunities at each pick in the first three rounds to add a potential difference-maker in the passing game.
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