GREEN BAY, Wis. – In free agency, the Green Bay Packers were unable to address needs at defensive end, defensive tackle and receiver. Those shortcomings were introduced in our latest seven-round NFL Mock Draft.
Using Mock Draft Database’s simulator, the board was strong for Green Bay’s first-round pick, with edge rushers Mykel Williams of Georgia and Mike Green of Marshall, receivers Matthew Golden of Texas and Emeka Egbuka of Ohio State, cornerbacks Trey Amos of Ole Miss, Benjamin Morrison of Notre Dame and Maxwell Hariston of Kentucky, and offensive tackles Kelvin Banks of Texas and Josh Conerly of Oregon. Only defensive tackle had been picked over.
Here's our latest mock draft.
First Round: Georgia DE Mykel Williams
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst likes prospects from Georgia and he likes powerful edge defenders with upside. Mykel Williams checks those boxes.
At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds with 34 3/8-inch arms, he’s got size and length to set the edge. He doesn’t have elite quickness, but that’s never been a necessity for Green Bay on the edge.
Last season, he played through an ankle injury and had five sacks.
“I feel like I'm trying to get that point across because I feel like that's what I'm different from a lot of other people in this class,” Williams said at Georgia’s pro day. “I feel like I've got a different mentality about work and how I go about my work. The intensity that I do it at and the focus that I have while I'm doing it, that's what I feel like is different.”
Second Round: Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins
Having passed on Matthew Golden and Emeka Egbuka in the first round could be a gamble, because there’s no guarantee any of the next tier of receivers would make it to Green Bay’s spot at No. 54. It did here, with Jayden Higgins and Ole Miss’ Tre Harris on the board.
Higgins doesn’t quite have Christian Watson’s physical tools but he’s not far off. He caught 87 passes for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns in 2024. Not only does he have big-play ability, but PFF charged him with just seven drops while catching 227 passes in four seasons.
Third Round: Texas A&M DT Shemar Turner
Shemar Turner had six sacks and 11 tackles for losses in 2023 but only two sacks and six TFLs in 2024. The six penalties could be alarming. Or he’d bring an edge to defense that lost two-year starting defensive tackle TJ Slaton in free agency.
As Kyle Crabbs wrote in his scouting report for The 33rd Team: “There are baseline traits present to be a dangerous pass rusher, but he’s more proficient and ready to contribute on early downs.” That run-stopping ability made him the pick over Tennessee’s explosive Omarr Lott-Norman.
Fourth Round: Ohio State CB Denzel Burke
I thought about grabbing Denzel Burke in the third round and didn’t spend a second considering anyone else in the fourth. He’s got a nice combination of height (5-foot-11 1/4) and athleticism (4.48 in the 40).
He played extensively in all four seasons for the Buckeyes and finished his career with four interceptions (two in 2024) and 32 passes defensed (10 in 2023). His fit in a zone scheme and aggressiveness in run support would make him a good fit as the Packers have to restock at cornerback.
Fifth Round: LSU OT Emery Jones
Well, there was one player I considered in the fourth round, and that was LSU’s Emery Jones. At 6-foot-5 and with 34 1/4-inch arms and plenty of athleticism, he would provide necessary depth on the offensive line – a big deal with Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker entering their final season under contract.
Jones was the Tigers’ three-year starting right tackle. He went from five sacks allowed in 2022 to one in 2024, though he was guilty of nine penalties.
Sixth Round: South Carolina CB O’Donnell Fortune
The Packers have lost three cornerbacks in free agency and are not expected to bring back Jaire Alexander, either. That’s four corners out the door and only one, free agent Nate Hobbs, added to the mix. So, the Packers need corners.
Fortune had two interceptions in each of his final three seasons at South Carolina and gave up a career catch rate of 57.0 percent. PFF sees Fortune as a Cover-3 cornerback. That’s what defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley wants to run. He’s 6-foot-1, but his lack of elite athleticism and run defense will hurt him in the draft.
Seventh Round: Minnesota G Tyler Cooper
The Packers have picked three offensive linemen with regularity under GM Brian Gutekunst. With Aaron Banks signing in free agency, drafting two linemen would make three newcomers.
The native of Saint Croix Falls, Wis., was a two-year starting guard, with 1,044 snaps at left guard and 265 at right guard, according to PFF. He allowed zero sacks and three pressures in 2023 but three sacks and 10 pressures in 2024. He’s at his best in zone.
Seventh Round: Boston College DT Cam Horsley
TJ Slaton’s forte was stopping the run during his four seasons at Boston College. Stopping the run is Horsley’s forte, as well.
Horsley (6-3, 312) will not need an introduction to Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley; they were together for four seasons at Boston College. He’d be a factor on only run downs, but that’s the starting point for any good defense.
What Worked
The defensive line is better with first-round pick Mykel Williams and third-round pick Shemar Turner. To compete against the powerful offensive lines of the Eagles and Lions, being strong up front is a necessity.
The big one was getting Jayden Higgins in the second round. At 6-foot-4 with 4.47 speed in the 40 and a 39-inch vertical, he’s got some tantalizing gifts to go with outstanding production. He played quite a bit in the slot, too, where he’d be a real matchup problem.
What Didn’t Work
The Packers have needs at defensive end, defensive tackle, cornerback, receiver and offensive line. That’s five position groups but only one pick in each of the first three rounds. So, in bolstering the defensive line in the first and third rounds, cornerback and offensive line got pushed into Day 3.
Would Texas offensive tackle Cameron Williams, who’s a bit of a project, been a better pick than defensive tackle Shemar Turner in the third round? I wanted to get a second receiver, and San Jose State’s prolific Nick Nash was available in the fifth round and even the sixth round.