In my weekly column at CheeseHeadTV, I wrote about the possibility that the Packers may let Davante Adams walk after the year is over (not that I want that to happen, mind you, just that it is a realistic possibility).
It may not be as unlikely as we think.
If it happened, what better way to replace him than with the prospect that is most often compared to him? What could the rest of the draft look like?
We tried to see.
Here are the results:
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Round 1
Rashod Bateman – Wide Receiver
Profile: A phenomenal route runner, Bateman wins off the line with good footwork and has shown the ability to get open from any position. He catches well in traffic and goes up high for jump balls. At 6’2, 210 with 4.37 speed, he’s like a bigger, faster Davante Adams type of receiver.
Analysis: If the Packers had any thoughts of trying to replace Davante Adams with a young receiver, they’d be hard pressed to find a prospect as similar to him as Bateman. The Packers would get a lot of cap flexibility if they could replace Adams in some manner with Bateman.
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Round 2
Dillon Radunz – Offensive Tackle
Profile: At 6’6 300, Radunz has a good frame but needs to add a little weight. Over last 2 seasons, he only allowed 24 pressures, showing good balance, fluid motions, and a nasty. He’s mobile with great hands answered questions about the level of competition he faced by consistently winning his 1x1s at the Senior Bowl.
Analysis: It’s a tough choice between offensive tackle and cornerback for the Packers and neither position had a prospect jump out in this mock. I assumed that if the Packers went with Bateman first, that they were focused on offense, so I took a tackle who should be able to plug into the right side and play a decade of solid ball.
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Round 3
Aaron Robinson – Cornerback
Profile: A 6’1 190 press corner, Robinson has the frame to play outside, but spent a lot of snaps at nickel, matching up well against the big slot receivers that are so en vogue right now. He lacks elite speed, but mirrors well, diagnoses routes, and is a sure tackler. At the Senior Bowl, he was always glued to his guy.
Analysis: I really like Robinson and if he was a little faster, he’d be a 1st round pick. It’s hard to find a complete player at the end of the 3rd round, but after focusing on offense early, I think this is a great pick and he could be a starter by the end of the season… or at the end of September when Kevin King gets hurt.
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Round 4
Jimmy Morrissey – Center
Profile: A mobile center, suitable only for zone blocking, Morrissey won the Burlsworth Trophy for the most outstanding player in college football who began career as a walk on. He has average size at 6’3 300 he lacks explosion and elite athleticism, but he has refined technique, great pad level, and gets in to his pass sets very quick off the snap.
Analysis: The Packers need a new center and they’re running a zone scheme, so a guy like Morrissey is great value on Day 3. The Packers get to fill another hole after targeting Bateman in the 1st round.
Benjamin St-Juste – Cornberback
Profile: At 6’3 200 with an 80″ wingspan, St-Juste is a disruptive cover man who hassles receivers off the line. He doesn’t have the quickness for nickel, but his length serves him well in perimeter coverage. The highest-graded cornerback at Senior Bowl practices, he also holds the edge well in run support.
Analysis: Doubling up at a position of need is never a bad idea. In this case, I took Robinson, who spent most of him time in the slot and hedged that with St-Juste, who is far more suited to the perimeter, giving the Packers more flexibility on the coverage schemes. Much like Bateman is viewed as a like-for-like replacement for Davante Adams, St-Juste plays a lot like Kevin King, but without the injury issues.
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Round 5
Tarron Jackson – Defensive Line
Profile: At 6’3 260, Jackson played a lot of edge in college, but his height may make him a better fit as a pass-rushing defensive end. He shows good burst and quick counters, but struggles to hold the edge with power.
Analysis: The Packers are light on the defensive line, even with the re-signing of Tyler Lancaster. As a team that has traditionally focused on the pass rush more than run defense, Jackson is the kind of defender that could fit their needs.
James Wiggins – Safety
Profile: A freak athlete, Wiggins had a fantastic 2018, then missed 2019 due to an ACL injury, then was banged up in 2020. His injury history could drop him in the draft but his athletic abilities are tantalizing. At 6’0 205, he’s very instinctive and always around the ball, plus he plays physical in the box and had success covering tight ends in the slot.
Analysis: The Packers have a great pair of starting safeties, but lack depth. They like to move Amos and Savage around to fill different roles and Wiggins is a player with similar versatility.
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Round 6
Pooka Williams, Jr – Running Back
Profile: At 5’10 170, Williams isn’t going to power through contact, but he’s a patient zone runner with good vision for cut back lanes. He has good balance and accelerates to the edge with 4.37 speed. In the passing game, he looked solid catching screens out of the backfield.
Analysis: Even with Aaron Jones re-signed, the Packers need another back. Williams would give them a much different type of runner than Jones or Dillon and could take the gadget role previously held by Tavon Austin and Tyler Ervin. Matt LaFleur could have a lot of fun writing this guy into the playbook.
Jalen Camp – Wide Receiver
Profile: The 6’2 225 Camp didn’t play football until his sophomore year in high school. As a result, he’s very raw and is still refining his routes. But with his size and 4.4 speed, he’s an interesting developmental prospect. Last year, he led the team in receiving and sports a respectable 16.8 average per catch over his college career, proving that he knows how to be productive on the field despite less experience than his peers.
Analysis: The Packers need receivers for 2022 and a guy like Camp will need time to develop. In the short term, his measurables and athleticism make him a good candidate for special teams units.
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Round 7
Zech McPhearson – Cornerback
Profile: At 5’11 195, McPhearson is a little undersized. He plays very well in zone schemes and is fluid in space, but looks choppy in limited reps of man coverage. He has a good feel for route patterns and anticipating the ball.
Analysis: The Packers need depth at the corner position and McPhearson could give them a nice dime option or play as a zone corner while contributing on special teams.
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Analysis
I’m not a fan of drafting a receiver in the 1st round, but if they wanted to take one, this class might be about as good as it gets. Bateman is a great replacement for Davante Adams’s skill set and he would have the luxury of easing into the offense. Radunz could shore up the right tackle position, while Morrissey provides another option for the vacant starting center job. Cornerback gets tripled up with guys who could contribute in different ways. Pooka Williams, Jr also provides another wrinkle to the offense.
This haul doesn’t blow me away, but it could be a very effect draft class.
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Of Note
This was the first mock in a long time where the Lions didn’t take Jaylen Waddle. But only because Ja’Marr Chase fell to them.
For this mock, I drafted against the board from Steve Shoup at FanSpeak
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