Packers mock draft: Green Bay goes back to the Alabama well

The 2016 NFL Draft kicks off later this month, meaning good information about what each team has planned becomes harder and harder to uncover. General manager have set their draft boards, and the chatter leaking out could just as likely prove to be a smokescreen rather than.

So to add some new flavor to the SB Nation mock draft, Adam Stites has taken over for Dan Kadar for the week. His mock shows a vastly different draft progression, though one that still seems feasible based on each team's needs. In the case of the Green Bay Packers, he has them going back to the school that gave them starting safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. This time, the Packers have selected interior defensive lineman Jarran Reed.

Reed could give the Packers something they mostly lack on defense: a surplus interior run defender with upside. Though Reed can't generate pressure as consistently as other first-round talents at his position, he provides an immediate boost against ball carriers. Such would help the defense adjust to Clay Matthews' shift back to the outside.

Here's what Stites had to say about the selection:

27. Green Bay Packers: Jarran Reed, DE, Alabama

Reed's best fit is as a 3-4 defensive end and he's perfect for Green Bay where he can plug in right away as a starter on the line. While he's still unrefined as a pass rusher, Reed developed quickly at Alabama and has plenty of upside. But even if he can't get after opposing quarterbacks, he'll eat up blockers and free up the outside linebackers on the team like Clay Matthews.