In a way too early 2025 mock draft, Doug Farrar from Touchdown Wire has the Green Bay Packers selecting Ohio State cornerback Denzel Burke with the 24th overall pick.
Listed at 6-1 – 193 pounds, Burke will enter his fourth season at Ohio State in 2024, already having played 1,898 career snaps, most of which have come on the boundary.
Over his three year career, Burke has allowed a completion rate of just 52 percent on 151 targets at 12.2 yards per catch with two interceptions and 21 pass breakups. He has a career passer rating when targeted of 74.7.
In Farrar’s mock draft, he notes Burkes’ press and match coverage abilities, which have become very valuable in today’s NFL and fits very well with what new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley wants to do in Green Bay.
Denzel Burke showed in 2023 that he has it on lock. You need press-man match? Sure. You want a guy who can play off and close quickly to the ball? Got it. Give him another season to shore up the angles and the tackling, watch out. pic.twitter.com/PIOU7y3Ac1
— Doug Farrar ✍ (@NFL_DougFarrar) June 17, 2024
For more on Burke’s game, here is a snippet of what Ian Cummings of Pro Football Network had to say in his early pre-draft scouting report:
“At 6’1″, 193 pounds, with elite explosive athleticism and a near-elite blend of speed, fluidity, and twitch, Burke passes the eye test with flying colors, and he’s also a former WR with certifiable ball skills. He’s proactive with the ball in the air and a physical, fast-flowing player in run support, too.”
The cornerback position has some question marks entering the 2025 season, although Matt LaFleur mentioned recently that he really likes the depth that they have entering training camp, with Eric Stokes fully healthy and Carrington Valentine having bulked up over the offseason.
With Jaire Alexander, Keisean Nixon, and Valentine all under contract through the 2026 season, cornerback may not be a pressing need on paper. However, depth and competition very well could be needed with Stokes and Corey Ballentine both set to be free agents next offseason–particularly if Stokes ends up elsewhere.
During Brian Gutekunst’s tenure as GM of the Packers, he has taken a cornerback in the first round twice, selecting Alexander in 2018 and Stokes in 2021. He also took Josh Jackson in the second round in 2018 as well.
This is a unit that needs more ball production this season, and the addition of Hafley as the defensive coordinator should help with some of that heavy lifting, with his vision-based and more aggressive approach on defense putting the defenders in better positions to make plays on the football.
