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Green Bay Packers beef up linebacker, weapons in pre-Combine 7-round mock draft

By Cody Williams

STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 30: KJ Hamler #1 of the Penn State Nittany Lions carries the ball as Christian Izien #12 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights defends in the first half at Beaver Stadium on November 30, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - NOVEMBER 30: KJ Hamler #1 of the Penn State Nittany Lions carries the ball as Christian Izien #12 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights defends in the first half at Beaver Stadium on November 30, 2019 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Green Bay Packers mock draft (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Green Bay Packers mock draft (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

The Green Bay Packers can address linebacker and improve the offense in the 2020 NFL Draft. They accomplish that in this pre-Combine 7-round mock draft.

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, coming off of an appearance in the NFC Championship Game, may not seem like a team that has a lot of work to do in the 2020 NFL Draft. But considering how the Niners embarrassed them with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, there are definite needs that must be addressed.

The most obvious of those needs, however, is the lack of weaponry around Rodgers. While the offense was talented and saw Davante Adams shine — when on the field — and Aaron Jones lead the NFL in rushing touchdowns, the pass-catchers were lacking. That has to change for the Packers offense to take its full form under head coach Matt LaFleur.

Green Bay could also have needs on the offensive line depending on what happens in free agency and there are definite needs to improve the defense that was abysmal against the run this past season. But with all of their own picks and two extra late-round selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, they have the ammo to make noise.

Here’s the noise they make in a pre-NFL Combine 7-round mock draft for the Green Bay Packers. (This mock draft was compiled using The Draft Network’s mock draft machine.)

While getting the offense on track is critical to the long-term success of the Green Bay Packers, there is one massive hole on defense. The linebacker group for Mike Pettine’s defense struggled to stop the run and now they may be losing Blake Martinez in free agency. Thus, fixing the position alongside Oren Burks is huge.

Patrick Queen can be the player to do that for the Packers. The LSU product was only the starter for the 2019 season under Ed Orgeron thanks to playing behind, which many people will certainly point to as an issue. However, his improvement and performance given his lack of experience makes me think about the upside he has.

Queen was phenomenal for the Tigers defense this past season, displaying every physical tool needed to succeed as a three-down linebacker in the NFL. He has range sideline-to-sideline in coverage and against the run and the strength to stack and shed coming down against the run. His presence could be huge for the Packers in revamping the defense.

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