Packers: Players to watch during the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine

Day 1: Tight ends, quarterbacks, and wide receivers

Tight ends

This is a position of need for the Packers. It may not be as big of a need as the offensive line if they lose Bryan Bulaga, or wide receiver, but potentially losing both Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis will leave a huge hole at the position. Both are experienced and a great veteran presence.

As of right now, it looks like the Packers are going to roll with Jace Sternberger and Robert Tonyan. Not a whole lot of depth. So here are some tight ends in the Combine you may want to keep an eye on.

Hunter Bryant – Washington

Hunter Bryant would be more of a receiver than a traditional tight end. He doesn’t necessarily have the size to be a blocking tight end. While the Packers are in the market for another receiving threat, they may want to look at a tight end who can block, since they probably have Sternberger in the receiving role. He has great hands and good RAC ability.

Bryce Hopkins – Purdue

Hopkins could be a player the Packers can snag late. He isn’t the most talented tight end in the draft, but he is productive. He earned First Team All-America and First Team All-Big Ten honors as well as earning the Big Ten Tight End of the Year award. His athleticism is limited and he will drop the ball on occasion, but he can produce, which is something the Packers have been looking for.

Cole Kmet – Notre Dame

Kmet is another receiving tight end. He can go up and grab contested ‘jump balls’ and can be tough to bring down after he makes the catch. His blocking is overly polished and he needs to bulk up a bit to be an NFL tight end but could be another weapon for Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers.

Thaddeus Moss – Louisiana State

The third-round pick of my pre-Combine mock draft, Moss is the type of tight end that I think the Packers could use, especially if Lewis moves on. He made some big plays for LSU in their championship season, but he is really a more accomplished blocker than receiver. I think he would fit in nicely with Sternberger, forming a tandem similar to Graham and Lewis.

Quarterbacks

Quarterback is a controversial position for the Packers. It’s similar to the Brett Favre saga when the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers. Favre was still playing well, but Green Bay needed to start looking towards the future, so they drafted Rodgers in the first round when he fell into their laps.

I could see something similar happening this year. Brian Gutekunst may not be actively trying to find a quarterback to replace Rodgers, but if one were to fall, I could see him pulling the trigger on a possible future replacement. Reports last year were that the Packers would have taken Missouri QB Drew Lock in the second round, but Denver traded up in front of them before they could do it.

Jordan Love – Utah State

This may be a bit of a pipe-dream for me, especially with the way quarterbacks go early in the NFL Draft, but I think if Love were to fall to the Packers, they would really have to think about taking him. He has a great arm and good accuracy to go with it. He is a bit of a gunslinger that can produce some awesome throws, but also get him into a little bit of trouble.

Nate Stanley – Iowa

A Wisconsin boy from Menomonie, Stanley was a three-year starter for the Hawkeyes. He has a big arm and nice touch passing the ball. His downsides, however, include his mobility, which could be a big issue with NFL defenses. He would be a project, but with Rodgers ahead of him and some time on the bench, he could grow into a possible NFL starter in a few years.

Jalen Hurts – Oklahoma

Jalen Hurts is a winner. He’s won wherever he’s gone. He finished his college career with a 38-4 record. He has all the leadership qualities you would want in a quarterback. He could bring another dimension to the Green Bay offense with the option to run some RPOs, but he is more than just a mobile quarterback. He has shown that he can make deeper passes with some touch last year in Oklahoma.

Wide receivers

Wide receiver is easily the position of most need according to Packer fans. We want so badly to give Rodgers a weapon opposite of Davante Adams to open up this offense and make it deadly again. Well, this is the draft for that. This receiver class is as deep as it has been in a very long time.

There is a lot of talent, so don’t be surprised if the Packers decide to go with another position in the first round to address a different need. Here are some receivers the Packers could potentially look at in the mid-to-later rounds.

Donovan Peoples-Jones – Michigan

Donovan Peoples-Jones was a five-star recruit coming out of college that never really lived up to his potential. Michigan’s offense didn’t do him a whole lot of favors, but he also lacks the speed to be an outside receiver. Speed is what the Packers need, so I don’t think Peoples-Jones would be the only receiver they would draft, but he could help provide some depth at the position.

Michael Pittman Jr. – USC

Pittman is a big receiver who can get physical with opposing defensive backs. His release off the line needs some work, but he’d be lining up opposite of one of the best in the league when it comes to releasing off the line of scrimmage. Pittman could be a good WR2 for the Packers.

Chase Claypool – Notre Dame

Claypool has a good combination of speed and size. He can be a vertical threat on the outside, taking the top off of defenses, something Packers fans have wanted for a long time. He can also make strong, contested catches over the middle of the field, playing out of the slot. He’s a physical receiver who can handle ‘handsy’ defensive backs.

Tyler Johnson – Minnesota

A dependable receiver who will likely fall in the draft to the later rounds. If the Packers can snag him late, they could find a hidden gem in the draft. He’s not the most physically gifted receiver, but he’s smart and knows how to use his body to get open and make catches. He could make a solid slot receiver and provide some much-needed depth to the position for the Packers.

Quintez Cephus – Wisconsin

Has the body of an NFL receiver. Won’t blow by defenders, but a solid route-runner and sure-handed. Like Johnson, he knows how to use his body to ‘box out’ defenders and get in a good position to make a catch. He’s also been known to make some difficult catches in some big games.