Alright, let’s talk actual players today. I’ve done my best to watch the top-150-ish prospects in this class at this point, but I’m still cramming to finish the rest of the bunch. As of now, here are the players I like the most for what the Green Bay Packers need and like to do on offense and defense.
Offensive Line
Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech
Jalen Farmer, Kentucky
With the team doubling down on the Aaron Banks contract this offseason by pushing dead cap into the future, I’m not sure that the guard position is going to come up any time soon, but I love Keylan Rutledge
(#65 on the consensus draft board) and Jalen Farmer (#98) as people movers. Rutledge has spent some time this offseason getting looks at center, be it in the all-star circuit or during shirts and shorts season, so there’s the potential for him to play there, too. Remember, Sean Rhyan’s contract has a high average per year, but that was the tradeoff the Packers made for only really giving him a one-year commitment. The two years after that functionally serve as team options.
Defensive Line
Domonique Orange, Iowa State
I think the plan is for Javon Hargrave to play defensive end for the team in base 3-4 looks, because he was only a nose tackle for one year (Minnesota, 2025) in his career and complained about how he was used there after the fact, so I think the hole on the Packers’ depth chart up front is at true nose tackle. If Green Bay needs a real deal space eater, the top guy on my list (who should be available at least) is Domonique Orange (#66), followed by Darrell Jackson Jr. (#86). I don’t really think Lee Hunter (#47) is a true nose tackle, but that’s a separate conversation. All Orange did in that goofy three-high safety, five-man box scheme that Iowa State ran was eat up double teams. If that’s the role Green Bay needs to fill immediately, he’s a great fit, plus I think he has athletic upside that is untapped since he faced double (and triple) teams because of the Cyclone’s scheme.
Edge Rusher
Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
I cannot figure out why Dani Dennis-Sutton (#69) isn’t considered at least a high-second-round pick if not a first-round pick in this draft. It’s not all about the measurables, but he’s a legit 6’6”, 256 pounds and ran a 4.63-second 40-yard dash and a 6.90-second three-cone. No position leans on athleticism as much as the edge defender position. If you look at the history of sub-4.7-second 40-yard dash and sub-7-second 3 cone players, it’s a high concentration of Pro Bowlers and All-Pros. These players almost always work at the next level. He’s got impressive bend and speed at his size, sort of like a younger Robert Quinn, and can immediately come in and play above-average run defense in the NFL. I think I’m going to be rooting for him to be the pick at #52 at this point, unless someone drops.
Cornerback
Almost can’t go wrong
For where the Packers are drafting, I think that by far the best position in this class is cornerback. Even if guys like Colton Hood and Brandon Cisse are gone by the time Green Bay is first on the clock, I still really like David Igbinosun (#78), Devin Moore (#100), Chris Johnson (#42), Malik Muhammad (#91), Will Lee III (#114) and Daylen Everette (#112) for Jonathan Gannon’s quarters-heavy scheme. I think we’ll be happy campers as long as they take a swing in the second through fourth rounds.
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Let us know who you like in this class. Fire off draft questions if you have them, too, and I’ll try to get to them quickly.
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