Packers.com consulted more than a dozen mock drafts from reputable national outlets and compiled a list of players most frequently mocked as draft selections in the bottom third of the first round (picks 20-32).
Between now and draft day, when the Packers are slated to select at No. 29 overall, those players will be profiled with thumbnail sketches in a new series entitled "Draft Digest."
Today's player is …
Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama
Height/Weight: 6-4, 310
Key stats: Led the national champion Crimson Tide in 2020 with eight sacks over 12 games, which ranked second in the Southeastern Conference.
College honors: Chosen third-team All-America and first-team All-SEC by the Associated Press.
Background: A Philadelphia native, Barmore had offers from several SEC programs and chose Alabama. Now, after a redshirt year, a season as a reserve, and one year as a starter, he's off to the NFL as one of the top defensive linemen in a draft class not very deep at the position. Barmore impressed in 2020, overcoming a slow start due to a knee injury and becoming much more impactful as the season went along. He finished his college career in style, getting named defensive MVP of the national championship with a sack and tackle for loss on fourth down against Ohio State. He has the size and all the physical tools NFL teams look for in an interior lineman, and while he could make an impact as a rookie, the long-term projection is even more enticing. Alabama has produced a first- or second-round draft pick on the defensive line in each of the last five drafts (A'Shawn Robinson, Jonathan Allen, Da'Ron Payne, Quinnen Williams, Raekwon Davis) and Barmore is next to continue the streak.
Potential fit with Packers: The Packers have Kenny Clark in the fold long-term and are counting on another step forward in Year 3 from Kingsley Keke, but the rest of the future on the defensive line is very much up in the air. Investing a high pick in a player like Barmore could shuffle the current pecking order that also includes Dean Lowry and Tyler Lancaster, as well as give the Packers another every-down lineman to build around moving forward. Single-season career highs in sacks for the interior linemen are six for Clark, four for Keke and three for Lowry, and Barmore has the credentials to bring at least that much if not more to the group. With Barmore one of the top prospects in a thin draft class on the defensive line, there's no guarantee he'll be available at the end of the first round. But if he is, it could present an effective merger of need and value.
View all the Draft Digest profiles here.
