The Green Bay Packers may have finished 2014 with the tenth best pass defense (just 226.4 yards allowed per game) in the league, but they lost two of their top three corners to free agency this offseason. Tramon Williams took more money from the Cleveland Browns and Davon House took more money and more playing time from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Now, if Green Bay hopes to finish in the top ten in pass defense again next year, they are going to have to find some suitable replacements.
That's where the NFL Draft comes into play. The Packers have long been known to stand pat in free agency in favor of the young and less expensive talent pipeline that is the draft. This year, ESPN's draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. projects the Packers to select LSU cornerback Jalen Collins in his Mock Draft 4.0.
"I can see the Packers targeting a pass-rusher here, but I also think they'll be able to find help there in Round 2," Kiper wrote. "Like most teams, they're also in need of another cornerback, and given the QBs and pass-catchers they face six times a year in the NFC North, it's not a position where you can be short on depth without being exposed. Collins is a high-upside play as a cornerback as he offers good size, length and athletic ability. He can play physical but also turn and run with the fastest wide receivers in the league. He's not a complete package yet, but he can press, play off and shows awareness in zone. The pick makes sense here."
The Packers have also been linked to Washington cornerback Marcus Peters.
Collins has impressive size (6-foot-1, 203 pounds) and speed (4.48 40-yard dash) for the cornerback position. One knock against him, though, is that he started just 10 games in his college career. However, in seven starts for the Tigers in 2014 he led the team with 10 passes defended. Here's what one NFC director of personnel had to say about him.
"They all have holes, but Collins is what you are looking for in an NFL cornerback with his length and speed. He isn't there yet, but he has the traits and ability to become a high-end starter and maybe the best cornerback from this draft."
The Packers have proven to be capable of developing players so taking a raw prospect with high-upside like Collins wouldn't be too much of a risk.
