Our first look at positions in the NFL Draft and how it relates to the Green Bay Packers takes us first to special teams. With five picks in rounds six and seven this year, the Green Bay Packers aren't probably thinking about adding a kicker or punter, but there is depth at the latter position in this year's NFL Draft.
Green Bay owns 10 picks in this year's Draft, so there's probably not a lot of urgency to add competition to either kicking spot via the Draft. The Packers drafted a punter and a long snapper in the same NFL Draft in 2018, but it's unlikely that Green Bay will double-dip into special teams in 2020, and probably also unlikely that Green Bay will seriously consider a pick at any spot for strictly special teams.
Here's the Packers' NFL Draft pick order as of today:
NFL Draft Preview: Packers hold 10 selections in 2020 Draft
By Jimmie Kaska
At kicker, the Packers just handed Mason Crosby a lucrative extension, so in a shallow class at the position, it's improbable that Green Bay will even consider a kicker in the NFL Draft. Georgia Southern's Tyler Bass and UCLA's J.J. Molson are the two consensus top prospects, but any team looking for kicking help will be taking a flyer this offseason outside of an unexpected cut of an established veteran. Crosby is now under contract for three years, so barring a massive drop in performance after hitting on 22 of 24 field goals and 40 of 41 extra points in 2019, he's not going anywhere, at least this year.
Punter might be a slightly different story, given the overall depth of this year's group. J.K. Scott has been solid with flashes of spectacular in his very young career, as the 2018 5th-round pick saw a slight dip in performance in 2019. It seems unlikely that the Packers would chase a second punter in three drafts, but there are some intriguing targets, perhaps none more so than Arizona State punter Michael Turk, the nephew of Greenfield native and former Wisconsin-Whitewater punter Matt Turk, a longtime NFL veteran who played 16 seasons in 17 years in the NFL.
Long snapper is probably not going to be considered for the Packers, since they spent a pick in 2018 on the position. Of all positions in the NFL, long snapper is the hardest to predict in terms of who gets drafted, so unless the Packers have their eye on someone, there's not much to consider here.
With 10 selections, it would seem the Packers could use their picks, especially their five in the later rounds, to take a lottery ticket on help at positions that need depth, such as the secondary, along the lines, and at pass catcher. There is no glaring need for a specialist in this year's Draft, only two years removed from taking two of them in one class. Kicker will become a priority as Mason Crosby moves closer to retirement, but at least for this year, it's a position group that is rock-solid with the current core in place.
The NFL Draft is April 23-25 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Photo: Getty Images (Michael Turk, punter, Arizona State)