Packers seven-round mock draft: Linebacker, receiver in early rounds

Round 3, Pick 94: Albert Okwuegbunam, TE, Missouri

As of now, the Packers might have the worst tight end group in football. Everyone loves Marcedes Lewis, but no one is expecting him to be any kind of receiving threat other than an occasional checkdown here and there.

Jace Sternberger earned enough trust from the coaching staff to play extensively in both playoff games last year, and he caught a touchdown pass against San Fransisco. But anything Green Bay can do to help themselves at the position, they ought to do.

It is no secret that while this may be the single greatest draft class of all time at wide receiver, the same can absolutely not be said at tight end. It is a virtual certainty that no tight ends will be picked in the first round, and potentially in the first two.

But this pick is both for immediate depth and a long-term lottery ticket. Albert Okwuegbunam has a lot of untapped potential as he played in a very limited Missouri offense that threw the ball very rarely. While he’s not a particularly great blocker, he’s good enough to hold is own and won’t be asked to while Lewis is still around. Green Bay might have a way to extract something out of a tight end who has largely only been seen in anemic offenses.

Round 4, Pick 136: K.J. Hill, WR, Ohio State

The Packers have no choice but to take advantage of this ludicrously good receiver class. K.J. Hill is another shifty, rangy receiver who can win underneath matchups. He’s not particularly fast, but has a certain short-area quickness that many slot receivers work to perfection. Danny Amendola, Randall Cobb, and Cole Beasley have been among the tougher slot receivers to cover over recent years. Hill is that type of player.

This is a safe, low-risk pick for Green Bay. Hill is a polished player who was very dependable for Ohio State and came through in several clutch situations for them. He doesn’t appear to have the highest of ceilings and may never be a true star in the slot, but the Packers need immediate help given Aaron Rodgers’ advanced age and the complete lack of ability the team has at receiver other than Adams.

Furthermore, drafting projects at receiver makes little sense as Rodgers is infamously tough for young receivers to mesh with.