Green Bay Packers select Georgia Tech safety Tariq Carpenter in seventh round of 2022 NFL Draft
The Green Bay Packers have selected safety Tariq Carpenter out of Georgia Tech with the 228th overall selection (via CHI through HOU) in seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft.
Carpenter put together a solid 2021 campaign with the Yellowjackets, finishing fifth on the team with 65 tackles. He ends his college career with a total of 223 tackles to go along with four interceptions and 17 passes defended.
Coming into the weekend, the Packers had a gaping hole to fill at the wide receiver position, after Davante Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. Green Bay received their first-round pick (22nd overall selection) and a second-round pick (53rd overall selection) in exchange for the two-time first-team All-Pro receiver. While Adams was far and away the premiere talent they lost at receiver, the franchise also lost Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Kansas City Chiefs) and Equanimeous St. Brown (Chicago Bears) to free agency. The Packers also recently signed former Baltimore wideout Sammy Watkins.
In last year’s draft, the Packers selected Clemson’s Amari Rodgers in the third round, but he wasn’t utilized very much in the 2021-2022 season. He had eight targets last season, catching four passes for 44 receiving yards and no touchdowns. Green Bay’s leading receiver they return on their roster is Allen Lazard. He had a career year last year, hauling in 40 catches for 513 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Another pass catcher that returns is Randall Cobb, but he just wrapped up his 11th NFL season. Tight end Robert Tonyan also returns. He tore his ACL against the Arizona Cardinals on Oct. 28, but is expected back and healthy in time for the start of the 2022-2023 NFL season.
Green Bay needed to draft multiple receivers in this year’s draft to give Aaron Rodgers weaponry on the offensive side of the ball. It’s going to be hard to replace Davante Adams, who will be a Hall-of-Famer once he hangs up his cleats. Rodgers and Adams’ chemistry was among the best in the league. That blend of elite talent and chemistry are hard to come by.
The offensive line was also another position of need for the Packers entering this year’s draft. Green Bay lost two key offensive linemen, Lucas Patrick to the Chicago Bears (967 snaps) and Billy Turner to the Denver Broncos (866 snaps) in free agency. The Packers will also need to add a pass rusher to replace the elite production of Za’Darius Smith, who departed via free agency to the Minnesota Vikings. The two-time Pro Bowler racked up 26 total sacks, 29 tackles for loss, and 60 quarterback hits for the Packers in 32 games between 2019 and 2021.
The Packers will now have two more selections left in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft to wrap up the weekend. With their two picks in the first round, Green Bay selected linebacker Quay Walker and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, both from Georgia. In the second round, they drafted North Dakota State receiver Christian Watson. Then in the third round, they went with UCLA offensive lineman Sean Rhyan. They had two selections in the fourth round and went with receiver Romeo Doubs and offensive lineman Zach Tom. Then, in the fifth round they selected linebacker Kingsley Enagbare out of South Carolina.