Green Bay Packers seven-round pre-combine mock draft

Round 4: Cole Hikutini, TE, Louisville (6-foot-5, 248 pounds)

Whether Jared Cook returns or not, the Packers could stand to add a tight end in this draft as Richard Rodgers has proven to be nothing more than average at best, and Hikutini is an excellent value in the middle rounds.

Whenever I tuned in to see Lamar Jackson last year, the guy who caught my eye when the Cardinals’ offense was on the field was Hikutini and his ability to simply get open. His size allows him to box out smaller defenders in zone coverage and he’s sneaky fast for a big guy.

He will fall because he’s not a good blocker (which the Packers don’t concern themselves with too often at tight end) and he only has a year of solid production. But Hikutini has all the tools to provide an impact in the passing game as a rookie, which is everything you could ask of a fourth-round selection.

Round 5: Zach Banner, OT/OG, USC (6-foot-8, 361 pounds)

This maybe goes against everything Thompson values in an offensive lineman, but someone of Banner’s potential, if available in the fifth round, may be too much to pass up. He played both tackle positions in college, but mainly stayed on the right side. His size is his most obvious trait, as well as his biggest weakness as he struggled in pass protection on the outside due to his slow feet.

A move inside to guard, however, may mitigate some of those weaknesses while still allowing him the versatility to pop outside in a pinch. His skill set sounds a lot like Don Barclay in a much more massive frame, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing in the later rounds of the draft.

And with T.J. Lang looking more and more like a future free agent, some depth on the line, specifically at guard, will be a need.