50. Wisconsin 48, Kent State 0 (2019)

I have decided to get back into the countdown. I haven’t done it the past few years, but since I am so excited for Bucky football once again, I have decided to change up the countdown. Since Paul Chryst has exceeded 50 wins since becoming the head coach, I have decided to make the countdown my top 50 wins in Paul Chryst’s tenure. He has 56, so there are plenty of lopsided wins on this list, starting at No. 50.

To begin the countdown, Jonathan Taylor tied a program record with five touchdowns, leading the Badgers to an easy 48-0 over Kent State. The Badgers avoided the major letdown after winning their first two games in the Big Ten campaign, including a demolition of No. 11 Michigan. The shutout for Wisconsin was its third such game in its first five contests of the season. The Badgers outgained the Golden Flashes 520-124.

If you want to know how this game went, well, Wisconsin scored touchdowns on its first seven possessions to run away with the game. While the Bucky train scored touchdowns on its first three drives, the Golden Flashes made the Badgers work for them. In the three possessions, Wisconsin ran a total of 37 plays, including a 17-play drive to put the Badgers in front 21-0.

Predictably, all three drives ended the same way. Jonathan Taylor, rushing touchdown.

The game was an indicator of how the game went. KSU went 3-and-out, and the Badgers started their day offensively with a 21-yard toss from Jack Coan to A.J. Taylor.

If the game wasn’t over already, Taylor slammed the door shut on the Golden Flashes two plays into the second half. Nakia Watson had a tremendous kick return to the Badgers 40 to begin the half. On the first play of the drive, JT23 ran for 12 yards into KSU territory. On the second play, Taylor busted a 48-yard run up the middle for the score to put it away, 35-0, and give the junior a program record-tying fifth touchdown on the afternoon.

He could have broken the record, but Chryst showed mercy.

Wisconsin had a 70-yard touchdown drive on its second drive in the third quarter, aided by a KSU pass interference penalty. Jake Ferguson scored on a 2-yard toss from Coan to make it 41-0. Wide receiver Jack Dunn scored on a 3-yard touchdown run to make the final 48-0 on the first play of the final period.

The Badgers added another shutout the following week when Wisconsin whipped Michigan State 38-0 at Camp Randall Stadium for their fourth shutout in six weeks. That came crashing down with two consecutive losses, including an embarrassing loss at Illinois. But the team did rebound for a Big Ten West division win and berth in the Rose Bowl.

Top 20 current coaches who have yet to make the Final Four

We are nearly two months removed from the college basketball season, so it is time to put up an updated list of the top 20 current coaches who have yet to make the Final Four. This past season, UCLA’s Mick Cronin broke through and graduated from this list, as did the coach of the national champion Baylor Bears, Scott Drew. There is also change at the top with Sean Miller being fired at Arizona. Here is my updated list:

Honorable Mention:

Bobby Hurley, Arizona State (146-103, 3 NCAA Tournaments)

Anthony Grant, Dayton (271-151, 3 NCAA Tournaments)

Fred Hoiberg, Nebraska (129-101, 4 NCAA Tournaments, 1 Sweet 16)

20. Kevin Willard, Seton Hall (249-199, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances)--previous: 19

Last year, Willard basically came out of nowhere to make Seton Hall into a national power. The Pirates had three wins in conference play the year before he arrived in Newark. The 25 wins in 2015-16 were the most for the program since P.J. Carlesimo led them to 28 wins in 1992-93. Last season, Willard led Seton Hall to its first conference crown since that 1992-93 season, reaching as high as No. 8 in the polls. The team went down a bit in 2020-21, finishing with a record of 14-13, but the program is on the upswing with him in command.

19. Ben Jacobson, Northern Iowa (301-189, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)--previous: HM

Jacobsen is similar to Randy Bennett at St. Mary’s in that he has had a lot of success at a mid-major, but would like to stay there despite getting offers at bigger programs. He has had some great years with the Panthers, but then has had a number of mediocre ones as well. Despite all his success, he has only two conference championships and none since 2010. Northern Iowa has missed the tournament the last five years (but in his defense, UNI likely would have made it in 2020) after back-to-back trips to the Big Dance. He would have made another Sweet 16 trip in 2016 year if not for one of the biggest late game collapses in the college basketball history. The Sweet 16 trip made during his tenure was highlighted by a huge upset of Kansas in the second round.

18. Steve Alford, Nevada (544-291, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, 4 Sweet 16s)--previous: HM

Steve Alford has been on the NCAA coaching circuit for awhile. He has had a solid run at three schools before and is 34-21 with the Wolfpack in replacing Eric Musselman. He burst onto the coaching scene in 1999 when he led Southwest Missouri State to a Sweet 16 appearance. He has proven to be a mediocre coach with power conference schools and a great coach with the mid-majors. He has alternated between mid-major and power conference schools for the past 20 years. After being let go at Iowa, he led New Mexico to four conference regular season titles and an impressive 155-52 record. That helped him get a job with UCLA, but was let go early in his sixth season, despite reaching three Sweet 16 appearances with the Bruins.

17. Steve Pikiell, Rutgers (272-233, 2 NCAA Tournament appearances)--previous: HM

What Pikiell has done at Rutgers is incredible. After leading Stony Brook to at least 20 wins in six of his last seven seasons and an NCAA Tournament appearance, he came to a program that hadn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1991. He had three below .500 seasons with Rutgers to start his career there, but then it all came together. Pikiell would have led the Knights to two consecutive tournament berths if COVID hadn’t halted play in 2020. His Rutgers team won its opening game against Clemson for the first tournament win for the program since 1983 and nearly defeated Final Four-bound Houston in the second round. He has a chance to fly up the list in the coming years if he doesn’t make it to the Final Four.

16. Randy Bennett, St. Mary’s (454-192, 8 NCAA Tournaments, 1 Sweet 16)--previous: 15

I mentioned him in the same breath as UNI’s Ben Jacobsen due to each team having an uphill climb in terms of making the Final Four in their respective teams. That doesn’t take away from his terrific career, though. His 4-6 record in conference play this year is his worst since his first year with the Gaels. Bennett took over a woeful St. Mary’s program and has turned it into a powerful program. I wonder if Bennett will ever take an offer from a major conference job because that might he might have reached his ceiling with this program and he wouldn’t be able to take the next step. Despite making the tournament seven times, he has only advanced past the first round twice.

15. Jamie Dixon, TCU (424-194, 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, 2 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8)--previous: 14

This is “What have you done for me lately?” sport and his teams have not made it to the second weekend since 2009 and made the tournament just once in his last five seasons.. In his first six years, his Pitt Panthers advanced to the second weekend three times. Those days look so long ago. However, he does get credit for turning the Horned Frogs around a bit and bringing them to the Big Dance. Prior to Dixon’s arrival in Fort Worth, the Horned Frogs were a doormat. In Trent Johnson’s four years with the program, TCU only had one winning season and was a combined 8-64 in conference play and never finished higher than ninth in the conference. Prior to Dixon, TCU had not made either the NCAA Tournament or NIT since 2005, and not made the Big Dance this millennium.

14. Nate Oats, Alabama (138-65, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)--previous: HM

A new entrant on this list, Oats very easily could have been ranked higher. After leading Buffalo to 59 wins and two NCAA Tournament appearances his final two seasons there, he left for Alabama, where he guided the Tide to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2004. Oats’ Alabama squad was ranked in the top five and it took a red-hot UCLA team to take down the Tide. Oats will be a contender for a Final Four berth for years to come.

13. Brian Dutcher, San Diego State (96-31, 2 NCAA Tournament appearances)--previous: 18

Dutcher was given the reigns after Steve Fisher’s retirement and has kept the program rolling. He was kind of screwed, like Greg Gard and others, that the COVID pandemic took away the 2020 NCAA Tournament. His team that season went 30-2 and would have been a one or two seed in the Big Dance. His team had another good season this past year, but nothing like the 2019-20 season. Dutcher’s Aztecs won 23 games, but lost in the first round to Syracuse. 

12. Mike Brey, Notre Dame (547-300, 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16, 2 Elite 8s)--previous: 10

He has been dropping on this list, living on past accomplishments. What have you done for me lately? He made it to the Elite 8 in back-to-back years in 2014-15 and 15-16, but has not made the tournament since 2017-18 and has finished below .500 in two of the past three seasons. As good as Mike Brey is, those Elite 8 appearances are the only trips to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2003-04. In that period, the Irish have missed the tournament completely eight times. Brey is running out of time to reach his first Final Four.

11. Mark Turgeon, Maryland (471-272, 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, 2 Sweet 16s)--previous: 9

Last season, Turgeon coached the Terps 24 wins and a Big Ten championship last season. It was his first conference title since 2005-06 when he was with Wichita State. He had a chance to make a run last year, but the Coronavirus ended those hopes. While he is a really solid coach, he will need to prove more in the NCAA Tournament, though, as he has only led one team past the first weekend since he took the jump to a major conference school.

10. Greg Gard, Wisconsin (119-70, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances, 2 Sweet 16s)--previous: 11

It was a bit of a disappointing year for Gard’s Badgers. They were supposed to be a Final Four contender and ended up with a No. 9 seed and second round exit. In 2019-20, what he and the program had to deal with and turn the season around was remarkable. After a series of unfortunate events, his Badgers won eight consecutive games to earn a share of the Big Ten title. Any one of those could have caused the season to derail, but Gard kept the team together and was rewarded with the Big Ten Coach of the Year. However, with the problems he had with the seniors last year, this season could be a big one, especially with a new Athletics Director in Chris McIntosh.

9. Mike White, Florida (224-115, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Elite 8)--previous: 12

White has had a solid time in Gainesville so far, but nothing has come close to the success of his 2016-17 team. In his past four years, his win total has gone each year. If you were to take his fantastic season away, he is just 96-66. While certainly not bad, it is not what it was under Billy Donovan. He came from Louisiana Tech, where he found plenty of success. In his final three years with Louisiana Tech, he led the Bulldogs to 83 wins and a conference title all three years. However, he could not get his team over the hump and into the Big Dance and had to settle for the NIT all three seasons.

8. Brad Underwood, Illinois (180-83, 5 NCAA Tournament appearances)--previous: 16

His first two seasons were underwhelming seasons in Champaigne, but Underwood’s crew turned it around the last two years, led by Ayo Dosunmu and Kofi Cockburn. The Illini won 21 games and finished 13-7 in conference in 2019-20, good for fourth in the conference. The 13 league wins are more than Illinois had in its previous two seasons combined. This past season,  Illinois was 24-7, which was good enough for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they choked to Loyola in the second round. After an incredible run at Stephen F. Austin in which he led the Lumberjacks to an 89-14 record and an incredible 53-1 conference record, he led the Oklahoma State Cowboys to the tournament in 2017. It will be interesting to see how the Illini do without Dosunmu and Cockburn. Both players are currently testing the NBA Draft waters.

7. Juwan Howard, Michigan (42-17, 1 NCAA Tournament appearance, 1 Elite 8)--previous: N/A

It is a tough act to follow, proceeding John Belein, but Howard has done his best. It was modest first year for the ‘Fab Five’ member, but won the Big Ten regular season and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Despite missing a starter, he led the Wolverines to the Elite 8, but lost in the matchup of who will exit this list against UCLA and Mick Cronin. I think Howard will eventually leave for the NBA, but he has unfinished business at his alma mater first.

6. Buzz Williams, Texas A&M (277-179, 8 NCAA Tournament appearances, 3 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8)--previous: 7

It is only a matter of time that Buzz turns around the Aggies. He did the same at Virginia Tech and elevated the play at Marquette after the departure of Tom Crean. Williams took over the Hokies following a 9-22 season in which they won just two league games. In his fifth season, he took Virginia Tech to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1966-67 and fell by just two points to top-seeded Duke. Before Virginia Tech, he averaged more than 23 wins per season with Marquette and made the Sweet 16 twice and an Elite 8.

5. Eric Musselman, Arkansas (155-53, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16, 1 Elite 8)--previous: 13

Musselman has it going in Arkansas. The Razorbacks finished in the top 10 of the AP poll and earned trip to the Elite 8 for the first time since 1995. After an 18-16 the year before he got there, Arkansas was primed to take a major leap in year one under Musselman. The team began the season 14-2, but dropped 10 of its last 16 games and a 7-11 SEC record took them off the bubble and firmly out of the NCAA Tournament running. Musselman came to Fayetteville after beginning his collegiate head coaching career at Nevada. In his first season there, he rebuilt the Wolfpack after a 9-22 season. He led Nevada to a 15-win increase in 2015-16 and a CBI championship. In his next three seasons, he led them to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and a berth in the Sweet 16 in 2018. Musselman has proven he is worthy of this job and may exit this list sooner rather than later.

4. Chris Holtmann, Ohio State (201-129, 6 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)--previous: 8

Holtmann did a masterful job this past year with the Buckeyes, leading them to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and a trip to the Big Ten Tournament title game. Despite his team falling to Oral Roberts in the first round of the Big Dance, it was still a terrific year for OSU. He came to the Buckeyes from Butler, where he was hired to take over for a Butler legend in Brad Stevens. Holtmann was 70-31 in three seasons and reached the Sweet 16 in 2017. His overall record is a little deceiving, as he turned around a Gardner-Webb program that had not had a winning record since 2005-06. In his first two seasons with the Runnin’ Bulldogs, they went 23-41 and did not finish higher than ninth in the Big South. However, in his third season, he led them to a 21-13 record and a berth in the CIT. 

3. Leonard Hamilton, Florida State (600-438, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, 4 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8)--previous: 5

Hamilton is fresh off another terrific season, where they were a No. 4 seed and advanced to the Sweet 16. The Seminoles have made it to the second weekend the last three NCAA Tournaments. At 72, he is the oldest coach on the list and it seems like he is getting better with age. His head coaching career began in 1986 with Oklahoma State, and he lasted four seasons with a 47 percent winning percentage. He went to Miami for 10 years, turning around the program, and making the NCAA Tournament his final three seasons with the Hurricanes. In 2002-03, he went to Tallahassee and turned things around. In 2018, he led them to their first Elite 8 in 25 years. It’s a shame that there was no tournament because he could have made it this year. Eventually, you’d think he’ll make it, don’t you think?

2. Matt Painter, Purdue (380-189, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, 4 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8)--previous: 6

After what would have been NIT season in 2020, Purdue is back on the way up. The Boilers were led by freshmen and earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. While they lost to North Texas in the first round, they are primed for a run in 2020-21. This reminds me a bit of the team in 2007-08 when they had a freshmen group with JaJuan Johnson, E’Twaun Moore and Robbie Hummel. I have faith in Painter, as the Boilers try to make the Final Four for the first time since 1980, and this coming season could be their year. It will be interesting to see if Painter (and Purdue) will finally be able to get over the hump because the Boilermakers are a bit snakebit in that regard because Gene Keady was the same way.

1. Chris Mack, Louisville (272-125, 9 NCAA Tournament appearances, 3 Sweet 16s, 1 Elite 8)--previous: 2

For the first time since I started creating this list, someone other than Sean Miller is atop the ranking. Chris Mack has been such a good coach for so long that it is surprising that he has never been to a Final Four before. His two best years at Xavier, in 2015-16 and 2017-18, were spoiled before the second weekend by Wisconsin and Florida State, respectively. Mack should have made the tournament this past year, but the committee put in a team with a worse resume (Syracuse) over them. It seems inevitable, but of course, people probably thought that with Gene Keady and John Chaney too.

Way too early 2022 Packers Mock Draft

With the 2021 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, here is a waaaaaaay too early 2022 Packers mock draft.

1. DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M

The Packers waited until the fifth round to take a defensive lineman during the 2021 draft. Kenny Clark desperately needs a running mate. I have confidence either draft pick T.J. Slaton or an undrafted free agent can become a good player for the Packers. However, until that happens, I still think the defensive line is a big need for the Green & Gold. Everything starts up front and if the Packers want to become the defense they want to be, the defensive line needs to step up.

2. Jadon Haselwood, WR, Oklahoma

I have mentioned it before, but as of now, the Packers have zero wide receivers signed beyond this season. Obviously they just drafted Amari Rodgers, but I wonder if he will play the role of Tyler Ervin, as opposed to the Randall Cobb role. Davante Adams and Allen Lazard will likely be back, but with the uncertainty surrounding Aaron Rodgers, I wonder if Adams will be eager to re-sign. Ultimately, I think he will because money is money, but I wonder if MVS, Funchess and EQ will be brought back. They could use another receiver.

3. Jake Ferguson, TE, Wisconsin

The Packers have used multiple picks on tight ends recently with Josiah Deguara and Jace Sternberger. Deguara is a jack-of-all-trades tight end who will play the H-back quite a bit and Sternberger hasn’t panned out yet. Robert Tonyan is a free agent in 2022 and he could look to leave if 12 isn’t back. Marcedes Lewis is most likely gone without Rodgers. Ferguson is a tremendous receiver out at tight end and would look even better if the quarterback position wasn’t so choppy. However, in his first game with Graham Mertz in 2020, he caught three touchdowns. I am sure Jake would not mind staying in his home state.

4. Vederian Lowe, OT, Illinois

Green Bay took three offensive linemen in the 2020 draft, and three more in the 2021 draft. They are committed to making the offensive line one of the best units in the NFL (if it isn’t already). Billy Turner likely has one or two more seasons with the Packers. I don’t know if Royce Newman is looked at as the long-term answer at right tackle. If he isn’t, then they will have to look in the draft for that player.

5. Tomon Fox, EDGE, North Carolina

I am kind of surprised Green Bay did not draft an EDGE rusher in the 2021 draft. I guess the board did not fall that way. Preston Smith will have played his last down with the Packers and he will not be brought back in 2022 and there is a possibility Z is gone as well. I think they’ll extend him, but it is not a foregone conclusion. Even if he is brought back, you need more pass rushers than just Z and Gary. Fox will be at North Carolina for a sixth year, so he may not be drafted by the Green & Gold due to his age. He has 13.5 sacks in his last two seasons, so he is a productive pass rusher.

6. Bryce Thompson, CB, Tennessee

The Packers like to draft cornerbacks. They drafted a pair in this past draft, including one with their top pick. It is the fourth time in the past five drafts that they have grabbed a cornerback at some point. Kevin King, Josh Jackson and Chandon Sullivan are all free agents after 2021 and no one knows if they will be re-signed. A cornerback could be drafted higher if I am being honest.

7. Brad Hawkins, S, Michigan

Adrian Amos’ contract is coming up shortly, and this pick is just depth. I like Vernon Scott, but I could still see them taking a safety if they like a guy on the board.

Final Packers Mock Draft 4/29

It is finally here. Draft day! Here is my final Packers mock draft...

1. Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas (previous: Christian Barmore)

Green Bay has David Bakhtiari, but they need a right tackle of the future with Rick Wagner being released. They also would prefer someone who can play immediately due to DBak’s injury, which will force him to miss the first little bit of the season. Why did the Packers and Chiefs lose to Tampa Bay? Offensive line play. Seeing the struggles of offensive lines around the league, you can never have too many quality offensive lineman. He fits all the Packers athletic thresholds and it would not surprise me if they take Cosmi in the first.

2. Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford (previous: Amon-Ra St. Brown)

Kevin King was just re-signed to a one-year deal. Most Packers fans will never forgive KK for his giant dump he laid on Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship game. King will likely start and Chandon Sullivan, who also got dominated in the NFC Championship, will start in the slot. Needless to say, the Packers need to put more talent in the position outside of Jaire Alexander. I don’t know if the team wants two short corners starting on the outside, so I don’t know if they’d go for an Asante Samuel, Jr., even thought he is a beast. Adebo fits all the athletic thresholds the Packers like. Adebo looks like he’d be a Packers pick.

3. Payton Turner, EDGE, Houston (previous: Turner)

When you list the Packers needs, EDGE is not one that immediately pops to mind. After all, they have a tremendous 1-3 with the Smiths and Rashan Gary. However, they restructured Preston’s deal where they will be able to get out from his deal at the end of the season and Z will either be extended or gone as well. I anticipate them extending him, but the Packers need more than two pass rushers in order to give your starters a breather. The Packers love their athletic guys and Turner certainly is that. His RAS score is super high at 9.68/10 and had great explosion and agility scores. The productivity was there as well in 2020, recording five sacks in five games.

4a. Pete Warner, ILB, Ohio State (previous: Benjamin St.-Juste)

I think the Packers like both Khrys Barnes and Kamal Martin, but I do think they could take an ILB. Werner would be a solid pick and have him fight Barnes and Martin for a starting role.

4b. Shaun Wade, S, Ohio State (previous: Dan Moore)

The safety position will be more involved in this new defense. I don’t think Wade would be a good starter as a boundary cornerback, but as a nickel corner, he’d be a good pick in the early third day. Chandon Sullivan struggled in the NFC Championship game, so an upgrade is needed there too. A trio of Jaire, Adebo and Wade with King and King will be big. Wade could be a really solid player in the Raven Greene-type role.

5a. Johnathan Marshall, DL, Arkansas (previous: Robert Rochell)

The Packers have one glaring weakness on this team, which is the defensive line. Their run defense has improved a little bit as the season has gone along, but still not good. Green Bay re-signed Kenny Clark just before the season, but while Kingsley Keke has made a jump, Tyler Lancaster and Dean Lowry are not starting caliber players. They are good enough to have on the roster, but I don’t want them receiving a majority of the snaps. Keke needs to be more consistent and they need another starter. Regardless, you can never have enough strong defensive linemen, as the Eagles showed during their Super Bowl season of 2017. Marshall is an athletic freak who had an insane RAS score. If they could land him in the fifth, it’d be a really nice pick.

5b. Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa (previous: Ta'Quan Graham)

The Packers have wanted to upgrade the position, but they have their price. Last season, they tried to trade for Robbie Anderson. During the 2020 draft, they tried to trade up in the second for a receiver, but did not have a fourth round pick due to the Jordan Love trade. Once their target was drafted, they stopped trying. I still am guessing their target was Chase Claypool. Finally, they tried to sign Emmanuel Sanders as a free agent last offseason, but he opted for New Orleans. He would rather play in a big city in warmer weather. So the Packers have tried to upgrade the wide receiver position. Green Bay has no receivers under contract for 2022 and while they will very like re-sign Adams and Lazard, Smith-Marsette makes a lot of sense. He also would help in a big way in the return game. Green Bay’s special teams are.....well, not special. ISM could help change that in a huge way.

6a. Javian Hawkins, RB, Louisville (previous: Charles Snowden)

Even with the Packers re-signing Aaron Jones, the Packers will likely draft a running back on day three because the team likes to have three capable running backs. Hawkins could be a sleeper at running back who is a one cut and go back. He is an explosive running back who can hit a home run at any time.

6b. Darius Stills, DL, West Virginia (previous: Michael Strachan)

More depth/competition for a position that desperately needs a makeover outside of Kenny Clark. He had a high RAS score, which is what the Packers like.

7. Michael Strachan, WR, Charleston (previous: Avery Williams)

Like I mentioned before, the Packers don’t have any receivers signed past this season. While 17 and 13 will likely be back, the rest are unknowns. Strachan would come in and fight EQ and others for a roster spot.

Final Mock Draft

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

3. San Francisco 49ers: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

4. Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

6. Miami Dolphins: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

7. Detroit Lions: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

8. New England Patriots (from Carolina): Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

9. Denver Broncos: Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama

10. Dallas Cowboys: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

11. New York Giants: Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan

12. Philadelphia Eagles: Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama

13. Los Angeles Chargers: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

14. Minnesota Vikings: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC

15. Carolina Panthers (from New England): Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

16. Arizona Cardinals: Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern

17. Las Vegas Raiders: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

18. Miami Dolphins: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

19. Washington Football Team: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

20. Chicago Bears: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

21. Indianapolis Colts: Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia

22. Tennessee Titans: Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama

23. New York Jets: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU

26. Cleveland Browns: Jeremiah Owusu-Karamoah, LB, Notre Dame

27. Baltimore Ravens: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

28. New Orleans Saints: Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss

29. Green Bay Packers: Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas

30. Buffalo Bills: Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami

31. Baltimore Ravens (from Kansas City): Joe Tryon, EDGE, Washington

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

Packers Mock Draft 4/24

It has been awhile since I did one of these....and I don’t think I have done one in the offseason, which is when things change. So....here is my first offseason Packers mock draft. I’ll probably put my final version out on Wednesday or Thursday.

1. Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama (previous: Jaycee Horn)

The Packers have one glaring weakness on this team, which is the defensive line. Their run defense has improved a little bit as the season has gone along, but still not good. Green Bay re-signed Kenny Clark just before the season, but while Kingsley Keke has made a jump, Tyler Lancaster and Dean Lowry are not starting caliber players. They are good enough to have on the roster, but I don’t want them receiving a majority of the snaps. Keke needs to be more consistent and they need another starter. Regardless, you can never have enough strong defensive linemen, as the Eagles showed during their Super Bowl season of 2017. Alabama is known for churning out quality defensive linemen, so I hope Barmore is able to help out Kenny Clark. A defensive line of Clark, Barmore and Keke is a lot more formidable.

2. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC (previous: Jaylen Twyman)

The Packers have wanted to upgrade the position, but they have their price. Last season, they tried to trade for Robbie Anderson. During the 2020 draft, they tried to trade up in the second for a receiver, but did not have a fourth round pick due to the Jordan Love trade. Once their target was drafted, they stopped trying. I still am guessing their target was Chase Claypool. Finally, they tried to sign Emmanuel Sanders as a free agent last offseason, but he opted for New Orleans. He would rather play in a big city in warmer weather. So the Packers have tried to upgrade the wide receiver position. If the Packers take a receiver, it would probably be early because I just don’t see late round guys coming in and beating out MVS or EQ for significant playing time. St. Brown is interesting because he would be competing for playing time with his brother, so I don’t know if the Packers want that if they have to cut one of them down the road. However, other teams have done that successfully, such as New England with the McCourty twins, and Seattle with the Griffins. As for Amon-Ra the player, he is a big bodied guy who ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, which is fine. He plays faster than he is. Also, the Packers love their blocking wideouts. They already have one of the best in the game in Allen Lazard, but St. Brown is a great blocker and will be a better receiver than the former Iowa State product. One more thing that is over-looked: the Packers have zero wide receivers signed for the 2022 season. I expect Davante Adams and Lazard to be re-signed, but still, they need more receivers for the future.

3. Payton Turner, EDGE, Houston (previous: Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest)

When you list the Packers needs, EDGE is not one that immediately pops to mind. After all, they have a tremendous 1-3 with the Smiths and Rashan Gary. However, they restructured Preston’s deal where they will be able to get out from his deal at the end of the season and Z will either be extended or gone as well. I anticipate them extending him, but the Packers need more than two pass rushers in order to give your starters a breather. The Packers love their athletic guys and Turner certainly is that. His RAS score is super high at 9.68/10 and had great explosion and agility scores. The productivity was there as well in 2020, recording five sacks in five games.

4a. Benjamin St.-Juste, CB, Minnesota (previous: Josh Ball)

Kevin King was just re-signed to a one-year deal. Most Packers fans will never forgive KK for his giant dump he laid on Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship game. King will likely start and Chandon Sullivan, who also got dominated in the NFC Championship, will start in the slot. Needless to say, the Packers need to put more talent in the position outside of Jaire Alexander. I don’t know if the team wants two short corners starting on the outside, so I don’t know if they’d go for an Asante Samuel, Jr., even thought he is a beast. He is another big cornerback, like King. He is a good enough athlete, especially for a man his size, as his RAS score is 8.12/10. Green Bay certainly likes players 8.00+.

4b. Dan Moore, OT, Texas A&M (previous: N/A)

Green Bay loves taking linemen on day three, and a lot of times, they turn out to be solid players. The Packers took three interior linemen last season and Jon Runyan, Jr. has turned out to be a find. Green Bay has David Bakhtiari, but they need a right tackle of the future with Rick Wagner being released. They also would prefer someone who can play immediately due to DBak’s injury, which will force him to miss the first little bit of the season. Seeing the struggles of offensive lines around the league, you can never have too many quality offensive lineman. Moore had a tremendous RAS score of 9.08. His explosion and 3-cone scores are tremendous. The offensive tackle class is loaded, so they may be able to wait until early day three to address the position, but they very easily could take an OT earlier.

5a. Robert Rochell, CB, Central Arkansas (previous: Michael Carter)

This is an outstanding cornerback class, not to mention it is deep. Yes, I admit, it would be cool to draft a guy from a Southland Conference school. Like I said above, they need talent at the position. King, Josh Jackson and Chandon Sullivan are all on the last year of their contracts, and without major improvement, they might all not be back. The 5-11 cornerback is super athletic and has great ball skills having been recruited by the Bears as a wide receiver. He has the potential to be a big-time player at the next level.

5b. Ta'Quan Graham, DL, Texas (previous: N/A)

This is just a depth pick. At this point in the draft, it is just darts at a dart board. Kenny Clark needs help. Taking multiple players could maybe help them hit on one. If he can come in and take over for a Tyler Landcaster, all the better.

6a. Elijah Mitchell, RB, UL Lafayette (previous: Charles Snowden)

Even with the Packers re-signing Aaron Jones, the Packers will likely draft a running back on day three because the team likes to have three capable running backs. Mitchell could be a sleeper at running back who is a one cut and go back. He is an explosive running back who can hit a home run at any time.

6b. Michael Strachan, WR, Charleston (previous: N/A)

Like I mentioned before, the Packers don’t have any receivers signed past this season. While 17 and 13 will likely be back, the rest are unknowns. Strachan would come in and fight EQ and others for a roster spot.

7. Avery Williams, CB, Boise State (previous: Paddy Fisher)

The Packers desperately need a return man, and not only is Williams a solid cornerback, he is a fantastic return man. Right now, Green Bay has no one on the team who is a natural return man. They can’t survive another pathetic special teams like they had in 2020. Avery would be a great choice as a return man.

Mock Draft 4/17

 1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

3. San Francisco 49ers: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

4. Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

6. Miami Dolphins: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

7. Detroit Lions: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

8. Carolina Panthers: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

9. Denver Broncos: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

10. Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama

11. New York Giants: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

12. Philadelphia Eagles: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

13. Los Angeles Chargers: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC

14. Minnesota Vikings: Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan

15. New England Patriots: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

16. Arizona Cardinals: Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern

17. Las Vegas Raiders: Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami

18. Miami Dolphins: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami

19. Washington Football Team: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

20. Chicago Bears: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

21. Indianapolis Colts: Taven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

22. Tennessee Titans: Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia

23. New York Jets: Jayson Oweh, EDGE, Penn State

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas

25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU

26. Cleveland Browns: Jeremiah Owusu-Karamoah, LB, Notre Dame

27. Baltimore Ravens: Joseph Ossai, EDGE, Texas

28. New Orleans Saints: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

29. Green Bay Packers: Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama

30. Buffalo Bills: Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington