The 2020 NFL Draft starts on Thursday, April 23. As a lead up to the draft, we’ll be giving a team-by-team breakdown for positional needs. For each team, we’ll give an overview of each team’s current depth chart and how big of a need each position in the upcoming draft. Find all teams and the rest of our draft content in our NFL Draft Hub.
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Green Bay Packers 2020 Draft Picks Overview
Round 1 (30)
Round 2 (62)
Round 3 (94)
Round 4 (136)
Round 5 (175)
Round 6 (192)
Round 6 (208)
Round 6 (209)
Round 7 (236)
Round 7 (242)
Green Bay Packers Offense
by Rich Hribar
2019 Green Bay Packers Offensive Ranks
*denotes new addition
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers
Tim Boyle
Manny Wilkins
Rodgers will turn 37-years-old this December, but still is under contract through 2023 with two huge salary seasons left on the books over the immediate future. Green Bay won’t be in the mix for a quarterback early. Backup Tim Boyle is slated to be a restricted free agent after this season. It’s hard to see the Packers going quarterback in the draft unless it’s late-round depth.
Running back
Aaron Jones
Jamaal Williams
Dexter Williams
Damarea Crockett
Tyler Ervin
Aaron Jones broke out in a big way last season, totaling 1,558 yards on 285 touches and adding 19 touchdowns, tied for the league lead. Jones has averaged 5.5 yards per touch in each of his first three seasons while improving his role in the passing game and pass protection each season. He enters 2020 in the final year of his rookie contract while the two sides have expressed early mutual interest in an extension.
Taken ahead of Jones in the 2017 draft, Jamaal Williams also enters the final season of his rookie deal. Williams handled 146 touches (4.9 yards per touch) in 2019. Green Bay selected Dexter Williams in the sixth-round last season (194th overall), but the rookie found the field for just 10 offensive snaps. Given the expiring contracts of Jones and Williams paired with the limited use and investment into last year’s rookie, the Packers should be a target to add a running back.
Wide receiver
Davante Adams
Allen Lazard
Devin Funchess*
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Equanimeous St. Brown
Jake Kumerow
Darrius Shepherd
Malik Taylor
The Packers know what they have at the top in Davante Adams, who is under contract through 2021. Behind him is a different story. After Adams led the team with 83 receptions in just 12 games played, the next highest players on the roster in terms of receptions were Aaron Jones (49), Jamaal Williams (39), and Jimmy Graham (38).Over a four-game stretch with Adams absent in 2019, Jones led the team with 22 catches with the highest wide receiver (Lazard) checking in with 12 receptions during those games.
The team went out and added Devin Funchess on a one-year deal, but for no tangible commitment. Given their exposed depth behind Adams a year ago, the team should be in the market to add another playmaker. With all of their depth being bigger-bodied archetypes, an influx of downfield speed paired with interior versatility is a need.
Tight End
Marcedes Lewis
Jace Sternberger
Robert Tonyan
Evan Baylis
The Packers lost Jimmy Graham via free agency this offseason. The 33-year old played 58% of the offensive snaps in 2019. But managed to produce only a 48-447-3 line on 60 targets in the receiving game. The team was rumored to be in the mix for a veteran tight end during free agency, but with limited options available, they brought Marcedes Lewis back on a one-year deal.
The team drafted Jace Sternberger in the third round last season (75th overall). The rookie got on the field for just 60 total snaps during the regular season, but did catch a touchdown in the NFC Title game to close the season. Converted wide receiver Robert Tonyan played 193 snaps in 2019, catching 10 passes for 100 yards. With the Packers having some interest in the free agent market, they could be interested in adding a tight end to the room, but signs point towards exploring what they have in last year’s third-round pick.
Offensive Line
LT: David Bakhtiari/ John Leglue/Yosuah Nijman
LG: Elgton Jenkins/ Lane Taylor
C: Corey Linsley/Cole Madison
RG: Billy Turner/Lucas Patrick
RT: Rick Wagner*/Alex Light/Cody Conway
The Packers were in the front half of the league or better in just about every offensive measure in 2019, ranking fifth in adjusted line yards created (4.63) in the ground game per Football Outsiders and first in pass block win rate per ESPN. The team is returning four of their five starters, replacing Bryan Bulaga in free agency with Rick Wagner. The team drafted Elgton Jenkins in the second round a year ago (44th overall), getting 14 starts from the rookie.
The one area the could look to improve is right guard, where Billy Turner allowed a league-high 33 quarterback hurries for guards a year ago. Turner is under contract through 2022, but Green Bay does have a potential out year after this season.
While the line is steady shape approaching this season, they do have expiring contracts coming up for both of David Bakhtiari and Corey Linsley after the 2020 season.
Green Bay Packers Defense
by Dan Pizzuta
2019 Green Bay Packers Defensive Ranks
interior defensive line
Kenny Clark
Dean Lowry
Tyler Lancaster
Montravius Adams
Keke Kingsley
Kenny Clark is fantastic. He was 14th among defensive tackles in pressure rate last season among 97 tackles with at least 100 pass rushes. He’s 25 and is on the final year of his rookie contract and should be in line for a huge extension. Lowry and Lancaster provide fine depth next to Clark, but the hope is 2019 fifth-round pick Kingsley will get more playing time in his second year. The Packers also often kick their edge rushers inside, which lowers the need for more true interior linemen.
EDGE
Za’Darius Smith
Preston Smith
Rashan Gary
Tim Williams
Last year’s free agency spending spree worked out for the Packers on the edge. Za’Darius Smith finished eighth in ESPN’s Pass Rush Win Rate among edge rushers last season and Preston Smith was 10th. Rashan Gary played through injuries but did little to suggest he wasn’t a reach in the middle of last year’s first round. The Smiths both played 83% of the defensive snaps last season, which is a tough ask for multiple seasons. Because of how the Packers also use edge rushers on the interior, they could target some “tweeners” in the middle rounds for more depth.
Off-ball Linebacker
Christian Kirksey*
Oren Burks
Ty Summers
Curtis Bolton
No team played more Dime than the Packers last season at 52% of defensive plays, per SIS. That leaves use one off-ball linebacker on the field for over half of plays. That was the role of Blake Martinez last season and will fall on the newly signed Kirksey in 2020. Burks is a high SPARQ athlete who could fill in with upside if needed.
Cornerback
Jaire Alexander
Kevin King
Chandon Sullivan
Josh Jackson
Ka’dar Hollman
Alexander has turned into one of the NFL’s better young corners and Chandon Sullivan ranked fourth in Adjusted Yards allowed per coverage snap in 2019 among 145 corners with at least 100 coverage snaps, per SIS. Sullivan played just a third of the defensive snaps last season but should have a bigger role without Tramon Williams on the field. The biggest question comes at No. 2 corner and the uneven performance from Kevin King. Green Bay might target a replacement for the 2017 second-round pick.
Safety
Adrian Amos
Darnell Savage
Will Redmond
Raven Greene
Safety was another position the Packers transformed in the 2019 offseason. Adrian Amos was signed from the Bears and Savage was drafted in the first round of the draft. Both exceeded expectations on the backend of the secondary. While they will be the starters, Green Bay still has room to add depth behind them due to how often the team uses six or more defensive backs on the field.
