Packers 2019 mock draft: Both sides of the ball addressed in first round

Pick 9: Buffalo Bills

Rashan Gary, EDGE/DE (Michigan)

This is where I want people to know that these picks are not necessarily what I would do if I were the team’s GM, or are indicative of my overall player rankings, but rather what I think these teams will do.

That being said, I don’t believe Gary is worth a pick this high, to be honest, but the athleticism and potential are clearly there for Gary. Gary offers elite burst and explosion at his size, but the production just hasn’t been there. There is plenty of talk of the Bills wanting to add players along their offensive and defensive front in the draft.

Trent Murphy didn’t quite produce how the Bills were hoping he would when they signed him last offseason. If the Bills brass believe they can maximize Gary’s potential and turn his athleticism into production, the Bills could have a major steal with ninth pick.

Pick 10: Denver Broncos

Dwayne Haskins, QB (Ohio State)

There has been a lot of talk about John Elway having interest in Drew Lock, but I also think he was assuming Dwayne Haskins would be gone already. In my opinion, Haskins is much more NFL ready than Lock. Luckily for the Broncos, though, they don’t have to play him right away. They can let him learn a thing or two playing behind a Super Bowl-winning quarterback in Joe Flacco. I believe Elway would be delighted to have possibly the best QB in this draft fall to him at pick 10.

Pick 11: Cincinnati Bengals

Drew Lock, QB (Mizzou)

The Bengals are another team with quite a few holes, so this pick could certainly be spent on the offensive line or on the defensive side of the ball. This could be a likely landing spot for Montez Sweat or Brian Burns, but I think they go for their future franchise quarterback.

This would also be a perfect situation for Drew Lock, as his game is not complete and he has some accuracy issues that need to be worked out. His film against a premier college defense, Alabama, was awful, to put it nicely. This way he can sit behind Andy Dalton for a year or two to work on his mechanics and get his accuracy up to NFL standards.

Pick 12: Green Bay Packers

Devin Bush, LB (Michigan)

I was very close to mocking an offensive lineman right here, but I don’t think the Packers paid Billy Turner that kind of money to be a backup, and with the return of Cole Madison, their offensive line depth got a little better.

This isn’t a knock on Blake Martinez at all, as I believe Martinez is a good player. This is more of a best-player-available pick, as well as a move to bolster the middle of the defense. Devin Bush and Martinez would make for a great combo at linebacker.

Pair that with a defensive front consisting of Kenny Clark, Mike Daniels, Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Dean Lowry and this front seven could be one of the best in the league. With a front seven like that, pressure can be taken off the defensive backs, and we could see a much improved defense in Green Bay in 2019.