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With pro days and top-30 visits almost over, the Green Bay Packers and the rest of the NFL will soon have all the information available to make their draft decisions. That also means that a few mock drafts remain before the real selections occur in Nashville on April 25.
As such, SB Nation draft guru Dan Kadar has projected less variance over the past few mocks. That trend continues this week, as the Packers land prospects at two positions long associated with the team.
12. Green Bay Packers: Noah Fant, TE, Iowa
Offseason needs: Tight end, safety, defensive line, offensive line
Aaron Rodgers hasn’t had a tight end with 60 or more receptions since Jermichael Finley in 2012. Jimmy Graham was decent last season, but at 32, his career is winding down. Fant could find himself as Graham’s replacement and a reliable pass catcher for Rodgers.
In this mock, T.J. Hockenson, Ed Oliver, Brian Burns, and most of the other top prospects linked to the Packers have come off the board. Iowa’s Noah Fant fits a need given the age and deterioration of Jimmy Graham, though this selections represents the perceived ceiling of his draft stock. Still, if Green Bay feels it has to exit the draft with one of the top prospects at the position, it has this option.
30. Green Bay Packers: (via New Orleans): Dalton Risner, OL, Kansas State
Offseason needs: Tight end, safety, defensive line, offensive line
The Packers smartly signed guard Billy Turner, but the offensive line could still use a top player. Right tackle Bryan Bulaga only has a year left on his contract, and guard Lane Taylor only has two. Risner — whose rough-and-tumble style seems perfect for Green Bay — could fit at either position. A safety like Deionte Thompson of Alabama could be in play here as well.
The Packers should benefit from Dalton Risner, whether immediately or in the near future. Risner could step in as a starting guard should Lane Taylor fail to bounce back or recently signed Billy Turner disappoint, or he could become the heir apparent to longtime starting right tackle Bryan Bulaga. Risner doesn’t offer the top-of-the-class athleticism of prospects like Garrett Bradbury or Chris Lindstrom, though he doesn’t grade too far behind them. That could prove enough for Green Bay to select him here.