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In many of SB Nation’s NFL mock drafts, the Green Bay Packers have ended up with Florida pass rusher Jachai Polite and a tight end at the back of the first round. That remains a highly possible outcome for the team, but Dan Kadar has provided a different scenario to consider in his latest mock.
12. Green Bay Packers: Brian Burns, Edge, Florida State
Offseason needs: Edge defender, tight end, guard, defensive line
The Packers should easily be able to find a pass rusher with the 12th pick, so combine testing could split a tie between players. Maybe those players are Burns and Florida’s Jachai Polite. There’s a lot to like about Burns as a prospect. He has impressive length and first-step quickness to create pressure.
Brian Burns possesses a vastly different stature than that of Polite. At 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, Burns has a longer reach but also a lankier body. The track record of pass rushers with his body type should concern the Packers and other teams, but his productivity paints a different picture. Burns registered 23 sacks over the past three seasons, including 10 in 2018.
30. Green Bay Packers: (via New Orleans): Dalton Risner, OL, Kansas State
Offseason needs: Edge defender, tight end, guard, defensive line
That’s right, not a tight end with this pick for Green Bay. Risner is a versatile lineman that the Packers could utilize almost anywhere along the offensive line. He’s a pro-ready player too — just what a team like Green Bay needs.
Rebuilding the interior of the offensive line remains one of the top priorities for the Packers this offseason, and Dalton Risner could quickly fill their biggest hole at guard. Better still, Risner could also move to tackle when the team eventually moves on from longtime starter Bryan Bulaga.
As an added bonus, Kadar projected the second and third rounds as well. There, he sees the Packers addressing another need while also building depth along the defensive line.
44. Green Bay Packers: Jace Sternberger, TE, Texas A&M
75. Green Bay Packers: Renell Wren, DT, Arizona State
Make sure to check out Kadar’s entire mock draft.