The Green Bay Packers must use the 2020 NFL Draft to provide the finishing touches on a team that won 13 regular-season games and got within one game of the Super Bowl during Matt LaFleur’s first season as head coach.
Between now and the draft, Packers Wire will periodically break down one top prospect fitting the Packers’ roster needs.
Up next is Texas receiver Devin Duvernay:
What he can do
– Rock-solid build at 5-10 and 200. Looks like a running back. Plays like one too
– Slot superstar. Caught over 100 passes from the slot in 2019
– Quick in a straight line (1.51 10-yard split) and has great top speed (4.39 40) but worrisome three-cone time (7.13) highlights lack of game-changing stop-and-start ability
– Brings elite tackle-breaking ability to the table. Has some wiggle and a lot of strength. Created 23 missed tackles in 2019, per PFF
– Took Grant Delpit’s soul during the season opener. LSU’s safety couldn’t tackle him. In total, caught 12 passes and scored twice against eventual National Champions
– Sticky hands. Catches just about everything. Quarterback’s best friend
– Production was highly inflated by screens
– A little tight in his movement. Can he get open on his own? Scheme will play a big factor in his production
– So strong and balanced. Battles through contact and doesn’t get moved off routes
– Might not be a contested-catch winner
– Only played in the slot. Next to no experience outside. Lacks versatility
– Good runner in space. Texas manufactured touches for him all the time
How he fits
The Packers don’t have a natural slot receiver. It’s fair to wonder if Matt LaFleur’s scheme really needs a traditional slot, but if the Packers want a high-volume pass-catcher who can handle all the requirements of playing inside, Duvernay is a great fit. There’s a good chance Duvernay could provide some value as a gadget-type player, both as a returner and as a runner for the right playcaller. Duvernay isn’t hyper-quick or a sudden route-runner, but he does a lot of things well, and his body is ready-made for gobbling up catches and yards after the catch. Aaron Rodgers loved Randall Cobb. He’d love Duvernay, too.
NFL comp
Golden Tate. Same ability in the slot and after the catch, and they are nearly identical in terms of size and athleticism. Easy comparison here.
Where Packers could get him
Day 2. Even in a receiver-heavy draft, teams are going to fall in love with Duvernay’s straight-line speed, toughness and ability to work everything from the slot.
Previous Prospects for the Pack
WR Tee Higgins
LB Kenneth Murray
LB Patrick Queen
WR Jalen Reagor
WR Justin Jefferson
TE Harrison Bryant
WR Denzel Mims
WR Brandon Aiyuk
WR/TE Chase Claypool
LB Zack Baun
LB Akeem Davis-Gaither
OT Josh Jones
OT Austin Jackson
S Antoine Winfield Jr.
DL Raekwon Davis
DB Xavier McKinney
WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
DL A.J. Epenesa
TE Hunter Bryant
RB Jonathan Taylor
RB Zack Moss
WR Michael Pittman
WR K.J. Hamler
WR John Hightower
LB Jordyn Brooks
LB Troy Dye
LB Willie Gay Jr.
OT Jack Driscoll