Another Elite Mega-Star Commit To Packers……

The latest mock drafts include one big trade up and one small trade down for the Packers.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers need help on the offensive line. The Seattle Seahawks need draft picks. Those realities were the impetus behind one of 10 trades in Vinnie Iyer’s new mock draft for The Sporting News.

In this simulation, the Packers moved from No. 25 to No. 16 to select Alabama offensive tackle J.C. Latham.

Lathan was born in Mississippi but spent most of his childhood in Oak Creek, Wis. He played on the varsity of Wisconsin high school powerhouse Catholic Memorial as a freshman and sophomore before transferring to sports-focused IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. He was an Under Armour All-American at left tackle as a senior.

At Alabama, he started 27 games at right tackle. As a sophomore in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus, he allowed zero sacks but was penalized 11 times. Last season, he allowed two sacks and was penalized seven times.

He measured 6-foot-5 3/4 and 342 pounds with 35 1/8-inch arms at the Scouting Combine. He chose not to go through testing.

Unlike Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton, a college right tackle who could play left tackle in the NFL, Latham will play right tackle for his new team.

“Obviously, it’s a question mark on me. I’m a right tackle. Usually tackles taken extremely high are left tackles,” he said at the Scouting Combine. “But I feel like I can break that kind of narrative.

“I have the ability to do anything you ask of me and get the job done. I train myself to not necessarily be one- or two-dimensional. I try to train every aspect of my game so there’s not a weakness in it.”

It’d be hard to quibble with Zach Kruse’s picks. While the Packers lost out on Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean, they landed Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy in the first round and Oklahoma right tackle Tyler Guyton and Washington State safety Jaden Hicks in the second round.

“Green Bay has Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom as likely starters at tackle for 2024, providing Guyton time to develop,” Kruse wrote. “By 2025, he could be the answer at right tackle, which would allow Tom – who can also play guard and center – a chance to move around. Losing David Bakhtiari and Yosh Nijman requires the Packers to invest at offensive tackle in this draft.”

“Despite the signing of Xavier McKinney in free agency, the Green Bay Packers still have multiple holes to fill in their secondary,” the authors wrote. “Who better to fill those needs than a player who has already proven to be a top-tier college corner but has the potential to morph into an impactful safety in the NFL? Cooper DeJean is an athletic freak with excellent versatility and a very bright future.”

DeJean has been mocked more than anyone to the Packers. So, let’s turn to the second-round picks – a pair of big-time gambles on elite college players.

At No. 41, the choice was Miami safety Kamren Kinchens. Kinchens was a first-team All-American in 2022 and 2023, when he tallied an incredible 11 interceptions.

A secondary featuring Jaire Alexander and DeJean at cornerback and McKinney and Kinchens at safety would provide “mouthwatering” potential. However, Kinchens had a horrendous Scouting Combine and wasn’t much better at pro day with a 4.60 in the 40. Will his elite playmaking show up against faster players?

At No. 58, the pick was NC State linebacker Payton Wilson. Like Kinchens, Wilson was a dominant player in college. In 2023, he won the Butkus Award with 138 tackles, six sacks, 17.5 tackles for losses, three interceptions and nine passes defensed. Then, he ran a 40-yard dash that’s faster than most cornerbacks.

However, can he stay healthy? He tore the ACL in his right knee twice and had three shoulder surgeries.

In the third round, the choices were Notre Dame right tackle Blake Fisher and Kansas left tackle Dominick Puni. Puni started at left guard in 2022.