DB heavy mock draft
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You have insufficient rights to see the content.1.25 S Nubin
The most instinctive Safety that makes the least mistakes in this draft. May not have elite range to play cover 1 at FS, but can be used in every other way. His best spot might be SS.
I'd draft Nubin here either way, but I'm putting more value into SS role more than most years as Hafley talked about the importance in value of a Safety to come up and quickly make that tackle. And if that's an extra important piece for his scheme, then we need a good SS. Nubin is one of the extremely few Safeties in this draft with a missed tackle rate of under 10%.
2.47 FS Bullard
Bullard has the athletic range to play Cover 1 at FS and he has started at both Nickel and FS the last two years. Probably putting him at FS. Bullard's missed tackle percentage was under 11%. Also Gute said he wanted the two Safeties and slot CB to be interchangeable, in that case Bullard is probably being looked at hard.
2.57 RB Brooks
Possibly the best RB in this draft class, but he was buried on the depth chart until this year (he had the 2023 8th overall pick and a big physical RB in front of him). The big concern is that in his one year of playing time, he got an ACL injury. So it's a boom or bust selection, but with Jones we have seen how a stud RB can open up this offense.
3.88 CB Jones
Jones was at outside CB, before switching to the slot in 2024, and played amazingly well there, especially in man coverage. Jones also had the highest RAS (size/athletic) score of CBs at the combine, in part running a sub 4.4. If Packers are running a lot more man coverage, then Jones could be considered.
3.91 RG Mahogany
Gute has twice before drafted an OG from a college we just added a coach from (Jenkins, Rhyan). Mahogany had a GREAT 2021, ACL took his 2022 season, and he had a good 2023 and posted a very good pass blocking grade while playing at RG. Of course, all of Gute's OL draft picks have been between 6'4" and 6'6" and Mahogany isn't.
Mahogany is not short for the NFL standard, but he is for Gute's, but maybe hearing from his former head coach will make Gute look the other way on that. Also very few of the college OGs fit Gute's standards, they most likely will have to grab a college OT to keep that standard up this year.
4.108 RB Benson
PFF considers this a major reach, but honestly he might be gone a round higher than this. 6', 215lb, sub 4.4 speed, great acceleration, explosiveness, broke a ton of tackles in 2022. So why is PFF so down on him?
Because he's over reliant on his athletic traits, and his physical athleticism to get him out of trouble more so than playing smart. He rather try to outrun a guy going east/west instead of simply using vision and finding a cutback lane.to go north/south. Physically he's got all the tools, but what about mentally, instinctively and can he be coached to play smarter?
4.126 DT Boyd
6'2", 320lb, Packers have loved pass rushers with powerful hands to make an impact and that's Boyd's calling card. Boyd dominated lower levels, but they didn't think he could do it against the bigger schools. He proved them wrong at the East-West Shrine Practices, larger school players couldn't hold him back either. He's power to make an impact and Packers need some more power in the middle. I don't think people really have a good feel for where he could go. Some team could love him and take him on Day 2 (2nd and 3rd round) or he could fall further if NFL teams fall unsure about his level of competition.
5.168 IOL Sundell
6'4½" 300lb, 3 year starter at Center which is primarily where I'm thinking about starting him. But his final year he started at LT for his heavy run team.
6.203 OG Bortolini
RAS scores aren't necessary important for linemen, that being said of the 1434 OGs from 1987 to 2024, Bortolini would of placed 6th in RAS score. What hurt him the most was his size of only being 6'4" 303lbs. But of the athletic testing numbers, his worst event would be the board jump where he scored just 9.57 out of 10. (Still elite).
As far as on the field, Bortolini has consistently been moved around every season, going from RT, LG and finally C. While he can play Center, I'm not sure it's natural for him, and I think he'll be an OG and only a Center for emergencies. He doesn't have true power, but a lot of technics and stuff are very good, he should be pretty good in the zone blocking and pass blocking, but will struggle in man blocking.
6.216 CB Dial
A man coverage CB that's more athletic than most, and very physical with WRs, including beating their block attempts. That being said, he falls this far because he doesn't play very smart, plays the WR, not the ball, and while he's good at being physical to beat the WR block, he's not exactly in a hurry to continue the physicality and get to and make the tackle on the RB. Plus only one really good year. Athletic potential if you can smarten him up which Hafley's former players have said he does a great job of teaching and helping you figure out what limited options the offense might be trying to run out of their look.
7.243 RT/OG Ezirim
6'6" 330lb, former DT turned RT, started for two years, and the first year was BAD, the second year was ALMOST GREAT! Normally you don't see that much improvement that freaking fast. Which suggest he's taking this serious and might have the mental ability to keep improving a lot. He clearly has the physical tools, BUT he's also still extremely new and needs a lot of practice refs. Probably a 3 or 4 year developmental player, but he's physical tools are there, and if he continues to be a fast improver, he could become a starter someday. For the price of a 7th, it's worth the risk of a potential bust.
7.251 LB Magee
He's only about 230lbs, but I'm seeing this selection like Packers picking SS Carpenter to play ILB, mainly STs and backup. EXTREMELY aggressive in fast to pull the trigger to come down and hit, which will get him in trouble at times, but he makes more plays with it than he gives up. But supposedly he gives up his run fit to go make a play and that works because he's a play maker at his current level, but if he can't make the play at the NFL level, then that potential could make more mistakes than it helps. But he's said to be extremely high character and extremely on field smart, so maybe he'll learn to be less aggressive.