Packers 2018 Draft: Pros and cons of every top prospect

3. Mike Hughes, CB, UCF

Pros: Hughes enjoyed a quick ascent into the first round of most mock drafts after a great season at UCF. After only starting one year in college, Hughes is about as raw a prospect as there could be this high in the draft. Scouts, however, are impressed with just how good he was in his one season as a starter despite his limited experience. Hughes was tenacious at the line of scrimmage and frustrated receivers with his Mel Bount-style of physicality at the point of release.

Hughes can also run with the best of them. The 4.53 40-yard dash isn’t anything to write home about, but Hughes almost never got beat by receivers looking to outrun him down the boundary. That is an extremely attractive trait to general managers who are always looking to add speed to their defense. The Packers need speed more than any other team in the NFL, and pairing Hughes with Kevin King would be a step in the right direction.

Cons: Hughes is a bit short at 5-foot-10, and while he won’t get beat in a footrace, he does get high pointed by wideouts quite often. The Packers aren’t facing many tall receivers in their division, but the possibility of matching Hughes up against Julio Jones or Michael Thomas in a potential playoff game is a slight concern.

Hughes is also brutally inexperienced. He has only been in football for two years and started for just one. On one hand, this is an encouraging development as his ability despite such little playing time could mean big things for him in the NFL.

But on the other, the Packers would rather have someone who is a little bit more polished than Hughes as they desperately try to improve their depleted defense. The potential for a bust here is extreme.