Will Green Bay bolster offensive line in the NFL Draft? | The Exempt List
Yahoo Sports NFL writer Charles McDonald is joined by contributor and host of The Athletic Football Show Nate Tice examine some early-round options at the tackle position for the Green Bay Packers. . Hear the full conversation on “The Exempt List with Charles McDonald” - part of the “Zero Blitz” podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen.
Video Transcript
CHARLES MCDONALD: The Green Bay Packers, our friend Jess Mosqueda is convinced that they are taking a tackle in the first round. And what other name would be better for that than DJ Burns Jr. from North Carolina State? Big, 6' 7", 270 to 290 pound guy compared-- based on whoever you're talking to on the day.
NATE TICE: I love that. Yeah. I'm sure Justice would love that. He seems like a great interview. Yeah, just let him enjoy it. Just let him enjoy it.
CHARLES MCDONALD: But as far as real offensive tackle prospects go, I think a Amarius Mims would be fun. You look at the later portion of the first round. I don't even hate taking Graham Barton if he's still there and just saying, hey, figure it out. Because they've had someone play tackle with similar dimensions in Bakhtiari. I don't know if Barton's quite the athlete Bakh was at his peak. But still, it's not an unreasonable thing to suggest that you could start him at left tackle, then see where he plugs in along the way.
NATE TICE: Yeah. And they're set up, too. They say Barton's gone. If they-- or if they just want to go more for a true tack-- like, what they think is a tackle-only guy, there's some interesting kind of projecty types, like Kingsley Suamataia. And I think Justice actually likes him because he has some Oregon background there originally. But that's a guy that I actually like as far as he's a little bit of a project, but his upside is a true blindside guy.
I think he's the type of guy that would usually go in the top 20 in a normal tackle draft. But this draft is so loaded with guys that he's actually going to get pushed back a little bit. But that's a guy that I've really kind of talked myself into a fit.
CHARLES MCDONALD: I would still kind of put like-- I still think they could use another cornerback outside of Jaire Alexander, too.
NATE TICE: Yep. I liked DeJean for them because, in my fan fiction head headcanon, I like-- he could start at safety for them. And then a couple of years, when Jaire moves on, they bump him out to replace Jaire or be an outside guy. It's like, what spot is he best at? I don't know. Like, everything we've said about Barton-- which spot do you put him in? Just plug and play.
DeJean is kind of the DB version of that. And so I've kind of liked that as a fit. But this-- and this is the range that it seems like he might be going.
CHARLES MCDONALD: They're just in such a good spot, and it's annoying. You got quarterbacks--
NATE TICE: They're so younbg.
CHARLES MCDONALD: --out.
NATE TICE: Every pass catcher is on a rookie deal, or they're entering-- their latest-- their third year. It's ridiculous.
CHARLES MCDONALD: That Josh Jacobs contract is fake as hell. It's like-- [LAUGHING] it's basically a one-year deal. If he stinks, he can just move on with no consequence.
NATE TICE: And they can just take another running back on day two and be fine. They got picks there.
CHARLES MCDONALD: Yeah.
NATE TICE: Yeah. I know. It's annoying.