Green Bay Packers mock draft: Complete 7-round edition

Much like the signing of Jared Cook eliminated the need for an upgrade at starting tight end, the re-signing of versatile defensive lineman Leroy Guion made improving the defensive tackle position a much less pressing issue.

Guion missed the first three games of the 2015 season while serving a suspension stemming from an arrest for marijuana possession, but still managed to show the Green Bay Packers’ front office enough to warrant a three-year, $11.25 million contract.

But with longtime starter B.J. Raji announcing a hiatus from football and Mike Pennel getting hit with a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, Green Bay still has plenty of uncertainty on the interior defensive line.

With the exception of missing the entire 2014 with a torn biceps injury, Raji had started all but three of the Packers’ regular season games since becoming a full-time starter following his rookie season in 2009. Off-the-field concerns about both Pennel and Guion create a need for depth at the position.

Drafting Robert Nkemdiche in the first round would provide the team with a player capable of filling in at defensive tackle if needed, but the Ole Miss product has a lengthy list of character concerns of his own. As a result, Green Bay goes with Clemson’s D.J. Reader with the 163rd overall pick in the fifth round.

One of the biggest knocks on Reader is that he never experienced a breakout season during his college career, but a strong showing at the Senior Bowl helped to dispel some of those concerns. Given his athleticism, physicality and ideal 6-foot-3, 327-pound frame, a situation with little immediate pressure in Green Bay could be a blessing.

Next: Round 6