GREEN BAY, Wis. – Cornerback is the Green Bay Packers’ “biggest need,” according to The Draft Network’s Justin Melo, and he hit it right away in a new seven-round mock draft.
With former All-Pro Jaire Alexander likely finished in Green Bay, Melo spent the first-round pick on East Carolina’s Shavon Revel. Revel is coming off a torn ACL but should be ready for the start of training camp.
Revel would bring ball skills (two interceptions in three games in 2024) and size (6-foot-1 7/8) to the secondary.
“Revel Jr. is long, athletic, and fiery. If healthy, he's an instant starter,” Melo concluded.
After striking out in free agency at receiver and pass rusher, Melo hammered both needs in Day 2 with Iowa State receiver Jayden Higgins and Michigan edge Josaiah Stewart. Both players put up big-time production against big-time opposition.
The 6-foot-4 Higgins caught 87 passes for 1,185 yards and nine touchdowns with only two drops in 2024. He’d help offset the loss of Christian Watson, who will miss the first half of the season with a torn ACL and will be a free agent after the season.
Higgins “checks Gutenkunst's size and athletic boxes,” Melo wrote. “The 6-foot-4, 214-pound HIggins ran a 4.47 at the NFL Combine and leaped a 39-inch vertical and a 10-foot-8 broad jump. He'd be a like-for-like replacement for the oft-injured Christian Watson.”
Higgins lined up all over the formation for the Cyclones. He caught 29 passes in the slot, according to PFF.
“I would say my versatility,” Higgins said at the Scouting Combine. “Being a big guy, I can do anything that a small guy can do, and also just being able to catch the ball when it's in the air and make plays.”
Stewart would provide some much-needed juice to a pass rush that ranked in the top 10 in sacks but in the middle of the pack in pressures. He had 30 sacks in four seasons, highlighted by 12.5 sacks at Coastal Carolina in 2021 and 8.5 for Michigan in 2024.
However, he measured 6-foot-1 and 249 pounds at the Scouting Combine. The Packers haven’t had interest in smallish pass rushers in the past. On the other hand, PFF credited him with a pass-rush win rate of 27.7 percent – an elite figure. For his size, he’s tough against the run.
The Day 3 picks were used on an offensive tackle, another cornerback, a linebacker, a defensive tackle and an offensive interior lineman.
The cornerback is Zy Alexander, who has elite size (6-foot-1 3/8) and production (13 career interceptions) but disappointing athleticism (4.56 in the 40, 31.5-inch vertical). He allowed a 43.5 percent catch rate in 2024, according to PFF, and is at his best in zone.
“A lockdown corner” is how he described himself at the Combine.
Yahoo: East Carolina CB Shavon Revel
Going back to the start, Revel also was the first-round choice for ESPN.com’s Mike Tannebaum and the latest at Yahoo.
“He has the size, twitch and most of all the toughness to be an impact player on the outside,” Yahoo’s Nate Tice explained.
Other than Arizona’s Tet McMillan, all the receivers were available for the Packers. The defensive line was hit hard, with Mykel Williams, Shemar Stewart, Derrick Harmon and Kenneth Grant off the board.
The Vikings took a cornerback, as well, and the Lions bolstered their offensive line.
CBS: Georgia DE Mykel Williams
In Pete Prisco’s latest, the choice was Georgia’s Mykel Williams, who played through an ankle injury in 2024 and had five sacks.
“He is a bigger end, which the Packers like, and they have a need,” Prisco wrote. “They could also consider corner or receiver here.”
Other than Colorado’s Travis Hunter, all the receivers were on the board and only Michigan’s Will Johnson and Texas’ Jahdae Barron were picked at cornerback. The Vikings took a safety and the Lions took a potentially “dominant” guard.
Who's in? Who's out? Here is our #Packers free agency report card, with a grade for every signing/re-signing/departure.https://t.co/I6NrxP042D
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) March 25, 2025