The 2021 NFL Draft has come and gone. Despite the drama with Aaron Rodgers that unfolded hours before the first round started, the Green Bay Packers ended the draft weekend with nine additions to the team. Here is the 2021 Green Bay Packers draft class:
1. Eric Stokes CB, Georgia (No. 29)
2. Josh Myers C, Ohio State University (No. 62)
3. Amari Rodgers WR, Clemson (No. 85)
4. Royce Newman G, Ole Miss (No. 142)
5. Tedarrell Slaton DT, Florida (No. 173)
5. Shemar Jean-Charles CB, Appalachian State (No. 178)
6. Cole Van Lanen OL, Wisconsin (No. 214)
6. Isaiah McDuffie Inside Linebacker, Boston College (No. 220)
7. Kylin Hill RB, Mississippi State (No. 256)
The Packers addressed their most pressing needs heading into offseason—cornerback, defensive tackle, inside linebacker, offensive linemen, and wide receiver.
The loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship game showcased the Packers’ weakness in the cornerback position–aside from Jaire Alexander. Green Bay re-signed Kevin King and Chandon Sullivan, but it was clear that the Packers needed to add depth there. They did that with Eric Stokes and Shemar Jean-Charles.
Stokes is incredibly fast and athletic. He ran a 40-yard dash under 4.30. He held his own against SEC receivers. Jean-Charles is undersized and not as athletic as Stokes, but he should compete with Sullivan for the slot position. In single coverage last season, Jean-Charles had 35 targets and allowed just five receptions (zero touchdowns), and had 17 forced incompletions—the most in FBS, per Pro Football Focus.
The offensive line was another area the Packers were looking at in the draft. The loss of David Bakhtiari prior to the NFC Championship game was exploited by the Buccaneers. Green Bay also lost center Corey Linsley to free agency.
Green Bay got a potential replacement for Corey Linsley in Josh Myers, their second-round draft pick. As the tweet above said, Myers played all 1,511 snaps at center for OSU. Of those snaps, he allowed just six sacks on 755 passing blocks. Myers also has the versatility to play at guard if needed. Royce Newman is another versatile offensive lineman the Packers drafted. Newman played three different positions at Ole Miss and should be an option at either guard or tackle. Newman’s snap timing and quickness have been praised by scouts. The third offensive lineman the Packers drafted was Cole Van Lanen of Wisconsin. He played left tackle at Wisconsin but is also looked at as someone that could move to the guard spot.
As I said in my previous article, the Packers were probably going to add a receiver. Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, and Devin Funchess are all going to be unrestricted free agents in 2022. Green Bay traded up in the third round to draft Amari Rodgers of Clemson. The Packers actually tried a few times to trade up specifically to get him before they finally got a deal to work. Rodgers could be that slot receiver the Packers and Aaron Rodgers haven’t had since Randall Cobb. Amari Rodgers also has the ability to break tackles and get yards after the catch. Rodgers should fit in Green Bay’s receiving attack nicely with a Adams, Valdes-Scantling, Lazard and Robert Tonyan. And Funchess could contribute as well.
Tedarrell Slaton fits the need of an interior defensive lineman that will fill up space and hopefully help out Kenny Clark. The defense needed a big body that could hold the line of attack and get the pesky double-teams off of Clark.
For the linebacker position, Isaiah McDuffie might be undersized but he has good speed (4.58 40-yard dash). He could be a special teams player.
Running back Kylin Hill had almost 2,400 total rushing yards and 22 total touchdowns in the SEC. The productive running back only had one fumble as well. He has the tough running style that got him compared to Jamaal Williams. The Packers re-signed Aaron Jones this off-season and drafted AJ Dillon last season, but having depth at a skill position can never hurt.
All in all, I’d say that Brian Gutekunst and the front office did a good job of addressing the team’s most important needs.
What’s left now is to wait and see what’s real and what’s fake in the Aaron Rodgers situation. Green Bay will lose their status as contenders if Aaron Rodgers is actually done with the team.
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