I’ve held off from doing a mock draft just because there are so many moving parts in the simulations. Players fall that likely won’t during the actual draft and trades are offered that make little sense. With all of that said, I wanted to be apart of the fun and did one anyways. I didn’t mess with any trades and drafted based on value along with current and future need.
Pick 13: Peter Skoronski – OT Northwestern
I expect the Packers to trade out of this spot tonight to add more picks overall but the opportunity to grab arguably the best tackle in the draft was too good to pass up. With David Bakhtiari as good as gone next season due to his cap hit, finding his replacement a year early sounds like a great idea. Pro Football Focus has him as their 5th rated player and grabbing him with pick 13 would be an absolute steal.
Pick 42: Drew Sanders – LB Arkansas
I struggled with this pick as both Sanders and Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell were on the board. As much as I like Campbell, I think Sanders is more versatile. His ability to take on blocks along with rush the passer make his a great fit with the 2 starters the Packers currently have. With De’Vondre Campbell’s struggles last season, it wouldn’t be a surprise to the see Packers move on next season. Having Drew Sanders and Quay Walker as your inside linebackers gives your defense a ton of speed and versatility.
Pick 45: Luke Musgrave – TE Oregon State
Tight end is arguably the biggest weakness for the Packers at the moment. Although many nationally are projecting them to take one in the first round, the value just isn’t there. That value gets even worse when you take a look at how many good options there are in this draft. Georgia tight end Darnell Washington to the Packers has been talked about a lot, but I think Musgrave is a better weapon. He has the type of speed and agility to punish linebackers and the size to out muscle cornerbacks.
Pick 78: Gervon Dexter Sr. – DT Florida
This is a round the Packers have long struggled in and Dexter is the kind of pick that could keep that trend going. However, he has the type of explosiveness on the defensive line that cant be taught. He’s raw when it comes to technique but this is a position of need for Green Bay and they’ve done a good job of coaching up raw talent the last couple of years.
Pick 116: Jonathan Mingo – WR Ole Miss
Mingo is a player that a lot of Packer writers think would be a perfect fit in the middle rounds. He fell to me in the mock draft but I don’t expect that to be the case this weekend. He has great size and speed and has improved as a route runner over the last year.
Pick 149: Jarrett Patterson – OC Notre Dame
I have no doubt the Packers will find a versatile, under the radar offensive lineman somewhere in the middle to later rounds. It happens every year like clockwork. I went with Patterson because center is an area of concern along the offensive line and he could easily flex to a guard if needed. Green Bay usually prefers lineman that can play tackle or guard but finding a potential replacement for Myers in the later rounds would be great value.
Pick 207: Nick Herbig – OLB Wisconsin
This pick was a no brainer even though there is no chance he’s available at this pick come Saturday. His speed and burst off the edge makes it difficult for offensive lineman to stop him and he’s strong enough to make moves inside if his outside angle isn’t there. He’s an extremely hard worker and has the college production to warrant a much better draft position.
Pick 232: Jordan Howden – S Minnesota
Safety is a major question mark for the Packers coming into the 2023 season but unfortunately the draft isn’t the ideal place to fill that hole, at least not this season. This draft is full of safeties that are smart football players but lack the raw physical tools. Grabbing someone like Howden on day 3 would be a decent flyer as he has ideal size to play safety and better speed then most of his classmates at the position.
Pick 235: Evan Hull – RB Northwestern
Running back isn’t a huge need at the moment for Green Bay but could be in the next year or so. Adding someone like Hull who has ideal size and efficient speed could help in the short and long term. Although there may be better running backs late in the draft to take a chance on, Hull is a solid, safe pick that could very well be RB2 for 2024 and beyond.
Pick 242: Matt Landers – WR Arkansas
It’s very likely the front office takes a couple receivers this draft and betting on a size/speed combo later in the draft sounds like a direction they go. Landers has sub 4.4 and when paired with 6’4″ height, he’s a homerun waiting to happen. He’s almost 24 so he’s by no means young but the physical tools are there and worth taking a shot on late in the draft.
Pick 256: Brenton Strange – TE Penn State
I don’t see Strange lasting this long but if he does, he’s another pass catching tight end the Packers can add to the team. He isn’t much as a blocker but that’s something that can be taught. It wouldn’t shock me to see Green Bay take a run blocking tight end here instead but if their goal is to find a pass catching weapon out that position, taking two shots at it isn’t a bad ideal.
As much as I’d love this draft to happen this weekend, it’s highly unlikely to happen. I was at least able to portray the positions that I hope the Packers target. I also expect to see Green Bay take a mixture of players with great raw athleticism along with players that are technically sound. Having overlap is great but that’s not usually the case as the draft moves along.
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