We’re another day closer to the 2018 NFL Draft, and that means another slate of mock drafts to review. The latest this week comes from ESPN’s Todd McShay, who performed a three-round mock draft this week and fills a couple of the Green Bay Packers’ roster holes while landing one of APC’s favorite draft prospects with the team’s first selection.
Here is a look at McShay’s three picks for the Packers.
14: Derwin James, safety, Florida State
If James falls to 14, it’s tough to imagine the Packers picking someone else. The multi-talented safety can cover in the slot as well as play a more conventional safety role. Landing James would also allow Josh Jones to focus more on being a full-time weak-side linebacker, the role in which he performed the best as a rookie. This pick would be a slam-dunk, particularly if, as McShay projects, Ohio State corner Denzel Ward and Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick go in the top ten.
45: Tyrell Crosby, offensive lineman, Oregon
A left tackle at Oregon, Crosby fits fairly well with many of the Packers’ traditional characteristics for highly-drafted offensive linemen. His 3-cone and shuttle times at the Combine were a bit slower than the Packers have tended to look for, but only slightly, and that experience as a blind-side tackle is likely a plus. Crosby could fill multiple positions on the line as well, as APC’s Owen Riese believes that he projects better as a guard in the NFL; one option is for him to fill in for Bryan Bulaga at right tackle early on then shift inside to right guard when Bulaga returns.
There are some other players on the board here whom this writer would have preferred, though, including wide receiver Courtland Sutton. However, if McShay were set on an offensive lineman, a better (and more likely) pick might have been UCLA’s Kolton Miller, who had an absurd workout at the Combine and blew away Crosby’s numbers. Miller was still on the board here, and it would be difficult to imagine the Packers going with an inferior athlete given their demonstrated love of offensive linemen who are hyper-athletic.
76: Isaac Yiadom, cornerback, Boston College
In round three, McShay plugs the cornerback spot with a solid prospect who seems to check the Packers’ boxes. Yiadom is 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds and he posted a 4.52 40-yard dash in Indianapolis at the Combine. He recorded three interceptions in his career at BC, two as a senior. Other cornerback options at this pick would include Texas’ Holton Hill, Stanford’s Quenton Meeks, or Florida’s Duke Dawson.
Overall, the picks in this mock fill needs for the Packers, particularly if Crosby can play inside at the next level. However, considering the draft board and the prospects available, there are some questions marks with the second and third spots, particularly around that Crosby selection. Still, getting Ward at 14 would likely help ease any major concerns about later picks, as he would instantly be a versatile player for Mike Pettine to use in a multitude of roles.
Poll
How would you grade McShay’s 3-round mock draft for the Packers?
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