Admit it: you’ve been reading mock drafts.It’s ok!

With the Packers (sadly) on the outside looking in as Championship Weekend rolls around Blake Martinez Color Rush Jersey , the draft and free agency is about all we’ve got.Even though the 2019 NFL Draft is months away, it’s never too early to start perusing draft rankings and projecting your favorites. We’re no different, and this week the APC staff is prepared to reveal who we’re crushing on as our attention turns to the offseason in earnest.What names are you watching?Peter Bukowski — Jachai Polite, EDGE, Florida The RetireMoms movement comes to Titletown. With the Packers in desperate need of an athletic playmaker to rush the passer, enter the twitched up Florida underclassman who exploded onto the scene in 2018 with 11 sacks and 19.5 TFLs. He won’t be for every team because of his size at 6’2 242, but his explosiveness, length, and bend shouldn’t hamper his ability to get after the quarterback in the Mike Pettine’s defense. Here’s a great example of why he’s not “small,” as he can use his length and technique to discard blockers. If Polite can translate some of his playmaking — he had six forced fumbles along with all those tackles behind the line — I just don’t care if he’s a little light to play against the run. Run it all day if you want to, because on third down Polite is coming off the edge and chances are you can’t block him. He’ll likely be available right in the range of the Green Bay’s first pick, and at 20 years old, has plenty of room to get stronger and more advanced with his technique. Harold Landry was a draft crush for a lot of Packers fans last season and Polite compares favorably with the ex-Boston College star who played for Matt LaFleur’s Titans last season. Younger, and without the injury concerns, Polite could turn out to be an even better prospect and would be a great fit at the 12th pick.Kris Burke — Kaden Smith, TE, StanfordThe Packers still have Jimmy Graham for at least another year but he is getting older and they still need to develop a receiving threat at the position.Smith brings size, strength and physicality and is not afraid to attack the middle of the field, something that the Packers’ offense has been lacking at tight end since the days of Jermichael Finley.He’s not projected as the top tight end in the draft and frankly I really don’t care.Smith’s tape to me looks like a perfect blend of Finley and Rob Gronkowski with a little bit of Graham sprinkled in.The Green Bay offense hasn’t gone at its normal clip since Finley was lost with a neck injury and a young talent like this could be just what the offense needs to regain its edge under LaFleur.Paul Noonan — David Edwards, OT, WisconsinI’m not the best person to ask, because I only watch one college team, but I love Edwards. The knock would be he’s a bit light and may conjure memories of Jason Spriggs, but his dominance in run-blocking https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Dave-Robinson-Jersey , a sign of power and tenacity, should put some of that to rest. Edwards stock suffered a bit due to an injury-plagued junior season, but I would advocate ignoring that season entirely. Injuries happen and when he was healthy, he was among the best tackles in college football. The fact that you may be able to get him with a draft discount is just the icing on the cake. The Packers need offensive line depth, and an eventual replacement for Bulaga. Wisconsin linemen usually work, out, and Edwards would be a nice pickup. Jon Meerdink — The Large Tight EndsI’m not far enough into my draft prep (read: I haven’t looked at that many mock drafts) to form much of a substantive opinion on this year’s class, but fairly predictably, I find myself drawn to the tight end group. I haven’t gravitated to one in particular yet, but as with Adam Shaheen in 2017, the larger a the tight end, the better. Maybe it’s because I was once a tall, gangly tight end, but I sympathize with guys who look like they’d be more comfortable on the basketball court. They so often just seem annoyed by the (comparatively) tiny defensive backs swarming around their ankles and knees, and I find that very amusing. This is my draft crush. It doesn’t have to make sense.Whether it’s 6-8 Zach Gentry, 6-6 Foster Moreau, or 6-5 Noah Fant, I don’t particularly care. I’m just hoping the Packers draft a giant pass catcher so that I may adopt him as my large adult son and defend him at all costs.Evan “Tex” Western — T.J. Hockenson, TE, Iowa and Marquise “Hollywood” Brown, WR, OklahomaOf the two Iowa tight ends declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft, Noah Fant will probably make the most noise at the Scouting Combine. He’ll test off the charts, probably with a 40-plus vertical and a 40 time under 4.60. That’s great Aaron Jones Jersey , and he’d probably fit in Green Bay well as a move tight end. However, in Hockenson the Packers would get the true all-around tight end that they haven’t had — or haven’t used properly — in all of Mike McCarthy’s tenure. He’s a punishing blocker, but also a reliable receiver who has a knack for making big plays.Watch the film of his three catches against Wisconsin early in 2018 for a glimpse of his receiving ability. He went for 125 yards on those three receptions, giving the Badgers’ secondary fits. At 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, he’s right in the ideal size range for tight ends, and probably could bulk up even a bit more. Iowa’s very much a tight end factory, with George Kittle, C.J. Fiedorowicz, Tony Moeaki, Dallas Clark, and more all coming out of Iowa City in the past decade-and-a-half.But again, Hockenson’s all around ability appeals to me, particularly because of the ways that the Shanahan offense uses those true in-line players. LaFleur was setting up to do so in Tennessee last season as well, before Delanie Walker was injured in week one and missed the rest of the season.My other crush right now is Hollywood Brown from Oklahoma. A small wideout at 5-foot-10 and around 170 pounds, Brown would seem to project as a slot receiver in the NFL. The Packers could certainly use help in that area, with Randall Cobb assumed to be gone in 2019. However, after some further thought, I see him as an inside-outside weapon, with his blazing speed making me think about another NFL comparison: DeSean Jackson. Brown and Jackson are almost the same size. If he runs in the 4.3 range — entirely possible based on his play speed — that could put him in the conversation for a late first-round pick, and he’d finally provide the blazing-fast deep threat that the Packers have lacked for the past several years. With the NFL season winding down, fans of many teams are already looking ahead to the 2019 NFL Draft. The Green Bay Packers still have a long shot at a playoff spot, of course, which is keeping us and our fellow cheeseheads from fully embracing offseason player acquisition. Plus there’s the whole question of finding a new head coach that will need to be answered first.Still, it’s the start of mock draft season now that college football’s regular season has wrapped up Kenny Clark Color Rush Jersey , and ESPN’s Todd McShay published his first of the year on Wednesday. The Packers have two first-round picks, of course, thanks to GM Brian Gutekunst’s shrewd trades on the first day of this year’s draft. Those picks are currently projected at 15th — the Packers’ original pick — and 32nd, where the New Orleans Saints are currently slotted based on their record.Here’s a look at the two players McShay projected for Green Bay.15th overall pick: EDGE Montez Sweat, Mississippi StateSweat, who transferred from Michigan State after the 2015 season, has a tantalizing frame for a 3-4 edge rusher, being listed at 6-foot-6 and 241 pounds. He was an all-SEC player a year ago and now has back-to-back seasons with double-digit sacks. A nice bonus factor is that he has extensive experience as a 3-4 outside linebacker in addition to playing a little bit of 4-3 end, so the transition to a Mike Pettine defense (should Pettine stick around for next year) should be pretty smooth. Sweat probably will test well at the Combine as well. Here’s what McShay had to say about the pick:32nd overall pick (from Saints): WR A.J. Brown, Ole MissBrown is one of the more productive receivers expected to declare this year; like Sweat, he has two years of big numbers, with over 1,250 receiving yards in each of the past two seasons. He has a surprisingly thick build, listed around 6-foot-1 in height and between 220 and 230 pounds, depending on the source. That should make him a dangerous receiver over the middle, but he has great speed as well.McShay did not give the Packers any help on the offensive line here, however, which is an area where we could see Brian Gutekunst going in round one. The Sweat pick came just after back-to-back offensive tackles, however, as he projected Oklahoma’s Cody Ford and Brown’s Ole Miss teammate Greg Little at 13 and 14. Wisconsin Badgers fans may want to keep an eye on the Badgers’ Michael Dieter towards the end of round one or in round two, as he is a versatile player who can play practically any position on the line.Sweat would instantly give the Packers’ pass rush a big boost, while Brown paired with Davante Adams and some of this year’s rookies settling into complementary roles could make for an excellent receiving corps.