Packers Take Elite Pass Rusher in Seven-Round Mock Draft
In a new mock draft at Pro Football Network, the Packers started with an elite pass rusher, then added a cornerback and receiver with the Day 2 selections.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – To run the defense how he desires, Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley needs a more consistent pass rush. One of his former pupils at Boston College could help.
Donovan Ezeiruaku was the Packers’ first-round pick in a new seven-round mock draft at Pro Football Network. He finished second in the nation with 16.5 sacks and fourth with 21 tackles for losses to win ACC Defensive Player of the Year and All-American honors.
“Ezeiruaku is a dynamic and disruptive pass rusher with multiple moves in his arsenal,” PFN’s Reese Decker wrote.
The Packers historically haven’t had much interest in small edge rushers, so Ezeiruaku’s lack of size – he was 6-foot-2 1/2 and 248 pounds at the Scouting Combine – could take him off the board. However, his familiarity with Hafley, 34-inch arms and his elite production could change the equation.
Ezeiruaku is Daniel Jeremiah’s No. 25 prospect at NFL.com as a pass rusher who “has all the tricks in his bag to win against good players.”
“He just knows how to win and can really rush the quarterback,” Jeremiah said in a pre-Scouting Combine conference call.
