GREEN BAY, Wis. -- One by one, many of the players the Green Bay Packers likely covet in the first round of this year's draft came off the board in our NFL Nation mock draft on Tuesday.

The top-two safeties -- Alabama's Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Louisville's Calvin Pryor -- were both gone, taken by NFC North teams no less.

The top-two inside linebackers -- Alabama's C.J. Mosley and Ohio State's Ryan Shazier -- were both gone, with Shazier lasting until the pick right before the Packers.

The top tight end -- North Carolina's Eric Ebron -- was long gone.

Four receivers also were gone.

If that happens on Thursday when things are for real, who knows what Packers general manager Ted Thompson will do?

After fielding two trade offers -- including one from a quarterback-needy team within the division and one from a familiar NFC team that is a possible postseason opponent -- I decided to stick at No. 21 and make the pick.

The primary reason was that Oklahoma State cornerback Justin Gilbert was still available even though cornerback is not among the Packers' top needs, although it could be in 2015 if Tramon Williams, who is in the last year of his contract, is done and if Micah Hyde's move to safety becomes full time.

Gilbert also has kick return ability. He had six career kickoff returns for touchdowns in four seasons at Oklahoma State, and the Packers have a need at the return spot.

ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay, in his latest mock draft, has Gilbert moving up the board more than any other player, having jumped from No. 22 to No. 11 in the last week.

Picking at No. 21 is a tough spot, especially if things unfold anywhere near how they did in Tuesday’s mock. As one NFL scout said on Tuesday when presented with the Packers' scenario in the ESPN NFL Nation mock, there are probably only 17 or 18 real first-round picks, and Gilbert is one of them.