GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — After opting to use their first three picks on offense, the Green Bay Packers focused predominantly on defense on the third day of the NFL draft.
The Packers, hosting the draft for the first time in their franchise history, stocked up on defensive talent. They used their fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round picks on guys who stood out in college as major pass rushers. The team also added a cornerback in the final round.
Green Bay is coming off a good season on that side of the ball. For the first time since 2015, the Packers finished in the top 10 in total defense. They were sixth, allowing 19.9 points per game.
The Packers started their Saturday by picking edge rusher Barryn Sorrell out of Texas in the fourth round (124th overall). The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder has been watching Packers defensive end Rashan Gary perfect his craft for quite some time. The rookie wants to step in and replicate Gary’s game.
“Just watching his tape, similar body types,” said Sorrell, who finished last season with 5 1/2 sacks and 10 1/2 tackles for loss. “There’s a lot of things that I’ve learned and tried to emulate and use in my game. I’m ready to actually get face to face with him and actually sit down and learn.”
The Packers finished eighth in the NFL last season with 45 sacks. Gary had a team-leading 7 1/2.
Green Bay’s fifth and sixth-round picks were also used on defensive linemen: Oklahoma State’s Collin Oliver (159th) and Georgia’s Warren Brinson (198th). In the seventh round, the Packers added Tulane cornerback Micah Robinson (237th) and Cincinnati offensive lineman John Williams (250th).
Texas forever
After picking Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden in the first round, the Packers went back to the Longhorns to select Sorrell.
Sorrell was in the green room on Day 3 of the draft. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the selection of Sorrell to the Packers-friendly crowd.
“Obviously, just blessed to be here and had the opportunity to go to the draft,” said Sorrell, who is an edge rusher. “I was here since Wednesday. Watched the draft at the hotel the first night, went to the green room the second night. Had to make a decision this morning, do I go back or do I go home and do it that way? Just so blessed and thankful that I made the decision to come back, because it couldn’t have turned out better.”
Sorrell is looking forward to teaming up with his friend Golden to make an impact with the Packers.
“Just going back to what got us here, and that’s just hard work,” Sorrell said. “Matt’s a hard worker. I’m a hard worker. And we let the work speak for itself.”
Another pass rusher
In the fifth round, the Packers took a chance on a player who only got on the field for five quarters last season.
Oliver has his senior year cut short after fracturing his foot in the second game. However, he bounced back and had a strong showing at the Senior Bowl; however, the injury hurt Oliver’s draft stock.
“Even if I went undrafted, I was just happy to get an opportunity to go to the league,” Oliver said. “Because it’s been a lifelong dream of mine, and when it finally came to fruition, it’s a really cool feeling.”
Another Georgia defender
For the fourth time in the past five years, the Packers selected a defender from the University of Georgia.
Brinson follows in the footsteps of fellow Bulldogs Eric Stokes (2021, first-round pick), Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt (2022, both first-round picks). Walker and Wyatt are both still with the Packers and will be teammates once again with Brinson.
“It feels good being able to walk into a place and just have the same camaraderie that I had back in the Georgia locker room, and like I said I’m just ready to swap out one G for another and just be around the guys that I already know,” Brinson said.
Brinson, who is 6-foot-4, 310 pounds, started four games last season for Georgia, rotating in and out of a stacked defensive line.
A big class
The Packers drafted eight players and did not make a trade during the three days for the first time since 2014. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst feels as if this year produced fewer trades in general than in past drafts.
In the first three rounds, the Packers nabbed a pair of wide receivers in Golden (No. 23) and TCU’s Savion Williams (No. 87). Green Bay used its second-round pick on North Carolina State offensive tackle Anthony Belton (No. 54).
Packers coach Matt LaFleur likes that his offense became more explosive.
“I think Golden, his ability to — I mean you can’t coach 4.29 or whatever they had him at,” LaFleur said. “So, between him Savion Williams, another big explosive guy, 6-foot-4, 220-plus. Just being able to find different ways to get him the ball. He’s still unpolished, I would say as a route-runner, but I think there’s a ton of upside there in his development. There’s a lot of different ways that we’ll be able to use him. So, really excited about that.”
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Greg Bates, The Associated Press
