After taking an inside linebacker in the first round of the SBN mock, the Packers go for a player who can play next to him in the second.
With one of the better offenses in the NFL, don't be surprised if the Packers use their first two or three picks on the defensive side of the ball. They have needs at all levels, so they could just sit back and pick off the best player available. That's what Tex Western of Acme Packing Co. did with this pick.
62. Packers: Nate Orchard, OLB, Utah
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Western: We addressed the inside linebacker position in Round 1, and hoped that one of the upper-tier cornerbacks would fall to the Packers in Round 2. Unfortunately, there was a run at that position in the 50s, and we aren’t crazy about anyone else who’s left at that position as a round two value.
Nate Orchard, however, is the best edge rusher left on our board, and by a pretty decent margin. With both Nick Perry's and Mike Neal's contracts up after the 2015 season and Julius Peppers now in his mid-30s, the outside linebacker position is solid for this season, but a question mark beyond that. After Green Bay's struggles at safety in 2013 and inside linebacker in 2014, we'd like to have a replacement a year too early rather than a year too late.
Orchard would be able to rotate in and out during his rookie year before playing a bigger role in 2016, when one or more of those veterans departs. With his wide range of pass-rushing moves, he should spend plenty of time in the backfield of the Packers' opponents in the next several years.
Dan Kadar, SBNation.com: The conversation for this pick should be among four players – Orchard, Markus Golden of Missouri, Hau'oli Kikaha of Washington and Alex Carter of Stanford. The first three are pass rushers. Carter would be an intriguing choice because he fits Green Bay's system and has starter potential. Of the pass rushers, Orchard is the smart choice. Golden may have a higher rating for me, but he's the hardest to slide out to linebacker in the NFL. Orchard showed he can move well enough in space to man that position going forward. He's a solid all-around player as well.
Dan's Top 5 players remaining
- 50. Markus Golden, DE, Missouri
- 53. Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
- 54. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska
- 60. Hau'oli Kikaha, OLB, Washington
- 61. Ellis McCarthy, DT, UCLA
All picks from this mock draft
Packers picks
- 1-30: Shaq Thompson, LB, Washington
- 2-62: Nate Orchard, OLB, Utah
We're down to our final pick of the day, No. 63 overall. We finally get our first pick from the Seattle Seahawks, and the incomparable team over at Field Gulls.
Source SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1J2VCs3
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