NFL Draft 2017 Preview: Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, WI — The NFL Draft is coming up at the end of April, and the Green Bay Packers have the 29th Pick. Many experts disagree on which type of player the Packers will pick, but most agree it will be on defense.

Of the 15 Fearless Forecasts published by Patch.com last year, only one, Dan Kadar of SB Nation, correctly predicted that the Packers would pick Kenny Clark, DT, UCLA, with the first pick of last year's draft.

Here's what he said about Clark:

Whether it's playing at end or over the nose, Clark showed his versatility at UCLA. That could be attractive to a team like Green Bay, which needs an infusion of young talent up front to go along with players like Mike Daniels and Letroy Guion along the defensive line.

This year, Patch.com looks at 13 mock drafts to see who has the best insight on how General Manager Ted Thompson will go on draft day.:

Note: mock drafts change all the time, click on each headline to see the latest changes (if any) before draft day.

1. NFL.com

• Joe Mixon - RB, Oklahoma
• Imagine Aaron Rodgers playing with a David Johnson-like playmaker in the backfield. Mixon is an exceptional combo back with size, speed, power, and home-run ability.

2. Rotoworld

• T Ryan Ramczyk, Wisconsin
• The Packers draft left tackles and shift them to other positions. The team lost their starting guards in back to back offseasons, and they isolate their blockers as much as anyone in the NFL.

3. CBS Sports

• Gareon Conley, CB, Ohio State
• With clear needs at edge rusher, cornerback and running back, Ted Thompson has plenty of options with this pick with splashy athletes like UCLA's Takkarist McKinley and even Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon possibly in the mix. Conley, however, is the cleaner prospect on and off the field and fills a clear need with the sticky cover skills to help immediate.

4. Fox Sports

• Christian McCaffrey - RB - Stanford
• The Packers were reborn this season when a Stanford wide receiver, Ty Montgomery, turned into a running back and helped establish balance in the Green Bay offensive attack.

5. Sports Illustrated

• JABRILL PEPPERS S, MICHIGAN
• Eric Single: For a defense that just lost Micah Hyde and could use another playmaker within its linebacking corps, Peppers’s versatility might be able to fill two separate holes.

6. Todd McShay Bleacher Report

• Charles Harris, DE/OLB, Missouri

7. Yahoo Sports

• Ohio State CB Gareon Conley
• Slight joke here, but it’s always risky projecting the Packers to use a first-round pick on their biggest-need position. Conley would fill a void for a good No. 2 corner who checks all the boxes for the position with instincts, size and speed but might not have any one elite trait.

8. Draft King

• Jalen "Teez" Tabor, CB, Florida (6'0" 200)
• Tabor played a key role as part of a strong secondary in Gainesville, and he would fill a considerable need for the Packers.

9. NFL Draft Guru

• Haason Reddick, LB, Temple:
• Despite re-signing Nick Perry, the Packers could still use another playmaker at OLB, which would allow the declining Clay Matthews to be more flexible and move from outside to inside on passing downs. Haason Reddick of Temple, who can also play both inside and outside, is just an elite football player who fits perfectly in the Packer mould.

10. Washington Post

• Green Bay Packers — Kevin King, CB, Washington
• King’s name hasn’t been thrown around all that much for first-round consideration, but he’s 6-foot-3, can fly and was highly productive at Washington opposite Sidney Jones, who would’ve been off the board if not for an Achilles injury he suffered on his pro day. The Packers’ cornerback situation is far from optimum and the athletically gifted King fills a need here for certain.

11. Newsday

• T.J. Watt, Edge rusher, Wisconsin
• The Packers had 40 sacks in 2016, tied for sixth. However, they lost two pass-rushers in free agency when Julius Peppers returned to Carolina and Datone Jones signed with division rival Minnesota, so they'll need more edge help alongside Clay Matthews and newly re-signed Nick Perry. T.J. Watt is just as athletic as his two older brothers, J.J. and Derek, and the Wisconsin edge rusher could be a perfect fit with the hometown Packers

12. AZCentral

• CB Tre’Davious White, 6-0, 184, LSU
• Comment: No change. The Packers need all sorts of help in their secondary and thanks to the benefit of this year’s class being so heavy in quality defensive backs, they can have their pick of the litter.

13. Draftek

• Gareon Conley, CB Ohio St
• On the playing field, Conley is a physical corner with the ability to blanket receivers without being grabby. He can track receivers downfield; something Dom Capers' scheme often calls upon his cornerbacks to do. Named a team Captain for the Buckeyes in 2016, Conley displays the leadership qualities Ted Thompson looks for in his draftees (In fact, drafting team Captains is one of wily Ted's overlooked tactics).

The 2017 NFL Draft will take place over three days, from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29.

• Round 1: 7 p.m. CDT, Thursday, April 27
• Rounds 2-3: 6 p.m. CDT, Friday, April 28
• Rounds 4-7: 11 a.m. CDT, Saturday, April 29

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