Packers Add Big Defensive Lineman in Sports Illustrated Mock Draft

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The NFL Draft isn’t all about filling immediate needs, but the Packers do have a hole – a big hole – to fill after free agency.

With TJ Slaton, who started all 17 games the past two seasons, signing with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Packers have a 340-pound void on their defensive line. Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano filled it with Michigan’s Kenneth Grant in his new mock draft.

“The Packers are in a good place with their well-balanced roster,” Manzano wrote. “Yes, Jordan Love needs a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, but this draft class for wideouts is about specialists and lacks the all-around playmaker worthy of a top-10 pick. Green Bay goes with the best player available here. Grant gives the Packers plenty of depth on the inside with Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt.”

Grant is a size-speed freak; The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman picked him for his annual Freaks List. At 6-foot-3 5/8 and 331 pounds, Grant’s got plenty of size. While he didn’t go through testing at the Scouting Combine, this play shows his speed.

From the start, Grant will help replace Slaton’s superb run defense – a big deal for one of the best units in the NFL. His athletic upside gives him a chance to provide a lot more juice as a pass rusher. 

“We always pride ourselves as d-linemen to stop the run first and that gives us the ability to rush the passer,” he said at the Combine. “It goes hand in hand.”

At receiver, Texas’ Matthew Golden and Arizona’s Tet McMillan were off the board, but Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka was available. Defensive linemen Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M, Derrick Harmon of Oregon and Walter Nolen of Ole Miss went after Grant in the first round.

The Vikings took a safety and the Lions took an offensive lineman.