Now that the NFL season has officially ended, the Packers should begin getting ready for some significant summer decisions.
“B/R NFL Scouting Dept.’s Post-Super Bowl Picks,” the most recent NFL Mock Draft from Bleacher Report, was just published.This year, the Packers choose position that is in dire need of filling, as reported by the staff at Bleacher Report, with their 25th pick in the NFL Draft:
Attacking Tackle, BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia
During his time in college at BYU, Kingsley Suamataia, an athletic offensive lineman, played both left and right tackle. It’s never a terrible idea to commit extra money up front to help protect Jordan Love, especially with David Bakhtiari’s health and contract issues causing concern for the Packers. Suamataia would ostensibly go off against Rasheed Walker, who emerged as a strong replacement for Bakhtiari for the majority of this season.
Scouting Report
Here is additional information regarding Suamataia’s scouting report from the NFL scouting department according to Bleacher Report:
Positives:
– He possesses a robust physique, with weight evenly distributed, along with good arm length and large hands.
– Demonstrates excellent burst and agility, enabling him to reach designated spots efficiently on combo blocks, and he can forcefully dislodge and block defenders.
– Agile when moving upfield or pulling to block at the second level.
– Exhibits the necessary agility and adaptability to handle tackle duties independently.
– In pass protection, he primarily initiates contact with his inside hand, complemented by a nimble outside hand technique to disrupt rushers’ timing effectively.
Negatives:
– His upright stance and inconsistent hand placement make it easy for defenders to breach his defense or catch him off-guard.
– His decision-making process can be hit-or-miss, often leading to drifting against wide rush angles and susceptibility to stunts.
– Occasionally adopts a risky, overly aggressive approach, resulting in missed blocks against elusive defenders.
Bleacher Report’s scouting department provides exceptional insights into NFL draft prospects! For a more detailed discussion on Kingsley Suamataia, follow this link.
Considering the insights provided by Bleacher Report’s Scouting Department, Suamataia appears to be a suitable addition to the Packers’ offensive line unit, especially given his potential for further development. This aligns with the Packers’ tendency to make intelligent draft choices. However, the question remains whether using a first-round pick on an offensive lineman is the optimal strategy.
Given the Packers’ history of successful selections of offensive linemen in later rounds under GM Brian Gutekunst’s leadership, it might be wiser for them to maintain this approach. Instead, they could prioritize adding depth behind Rasheed Walker later in the draft, particularly considering the departure of David Bakhtiari.
To diversify their defensive options, I believe the Packers should prioritize selecting assistance for their secondary in the first round. This area proved challenging for the team during the recent season. Players such as Cooper DeJean from Iowa or Kool-Aid McKinstry from Alabama present promising prospects. Both were recognized as first-team All-American cornerbacks last season and could inject valuable energy into Jeff Hafley’s evolving defense.
With ample time to refine their strategy leading up to April’s draft and NFL free agency in March on the horizon, the Packers are poised for an exciting offseason. Their roster is solid overall, with just a few areas requiring attention to strive for the ultimate goal achieved by the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.
