Packers land ILB Eric Kendricks in latest mock draft

With less than a month until the actual draft in Chicago kicks off, the mock draft pundits and their websites are kicking it into overdrive. WalterFootball.com is usually an accurate gauge into what might actually happen come April 30th, and they recently updated their mock draft after several big names performed at their respective pro days.

Here's a look at what Walter's latest five-round mock looks like with his own brief explanation to his selections.

Round 1, Pick 30 - Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA

The Packers will be extremely fortunate if Eric Kendricks drops to them at No. 30. Kendricks, the top inside linebacker in this class by a wide margin, would fill a huge need, as he would allow Clay Matthews to play on the edge in 2015. Kendricks could be chosen by the Chiefs, Browns, Cardinals, Cowboys, Broncos and Colts, so as with Ryan Shazier last year, Green Bay could miss out on the top player who would address its biggest hole.

Round 2, Pick 62 - Xavier Cooper, DE/DT, Washington State

The Packers managed to re-sign both B.J. Raji and Letroy Guion but they still need to address the defensive line at the five-technique position.

Round 3, Pick 94 - Jacoby Glenn, CB, Central Florida

The Packers lost both Tramon Williams and Davon House this offseason, so they'll need to replenish depth at cornerback.

Round 4, Pick 129 - Josh Robinson, RB, Mississippi State

The Packers want to bring in a running back to ease Eddie Lacy's workload, and there should be plenty of good ones available in Rounds 3-4.

Round 5, Pick 166 - Zach Wagenmann, DE/OLB, Montana

Julius Peppers was a great addition to the Packers, but a long-term backup is needed behind Clay Matthews and Nick Perry is needed once Peppers moves on.

Overview

Defense, defense, and more defense. It's obvious the team has needs at inside linebacker and cornerback, but they also need to be proactive with a long-term plan to replace Julius Peppers at OLB and adding some more athleticism at the five-technique would be a wise investment as well.

It's no surprise that the mock drafts continue to project the Packers focusing on defense, and it's especially obvious that the inside linebacker and cornerback positions will get a boost in the first two days of the draft. The comparison between the draft prospects of Eric Kendricks and Ryan Shazier is an interesting one, but if the Packers fan find another falling prospect at 30 the way they did with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix a year ago, that could very well outweigh the immediate need at linebacker.