Manic Monday Mock Drafts: Packers Take ‘Draft-and-Develop Prospect’

Here is a look at who the Green Bay Packers selected in the latest and greatest mock drafts, with Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart among the choices.

American team defensive lineman Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M (right) during Senior Bowl practice. / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – From the team that used first-round picks on Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness, is there a more perfect Green Bay Packers draft prospect than Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Stewart?

Stewart has elite traits but late-round production with three consecutive seasons of 1.5 sacks. Nonetheless, he’s been deemed a sure-fire first-round pick. He was the Packers’ pick in a new mock draft by Pro Football Focus.

“The Packers love to invest first-round picks in front-seven defenders, and they’re due after skipping out last year,” Jordan Plocher explained. “Shemar Stewart has tremendous size at 6-foot-5 and 281 pounds with 34 1/4-inch arms. Stewart will be a great draft-and-develop prospect after earning an 88.2 PFF run-defense grade in 2024 and continuing to improve as a pass-rusher.”

Stewart had a big week at the Senior Bowl to show that he’s maybe closer to being an impact player than his college stats would suggest.

“Here we have a height-weight-speed freak,” NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah said in naming Stewart one of his 12 Senior Bowl standouts. “There was more disruption than production from Stewart during his college career -- he posted just 4.5 sacks in 37 games -- but I thought he had an impactful week in practices. All of his traits are elite, and he showed he’s starting to figure some things out as a pass rusher.”

Stewart’s more accomplished Texas A&M teammate, Nic Scourton, went to the Detroit Lions at No. 28 “to pair with the uber-productive Aidan Hutchinson.”

Detroit Lions: Florida State CB Azareye’h Thomas

The Packers lined up with Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes for Week 1 against the Eagles. There’s a good chance neither will be back, so DetroitLions.com beat writer Tim Twentyman grabbed Florida State’s Azareye’h Thomas, who would bring needed size to the secondary.

“Thomas has terrific length (6-2, 198), and though he has to sharpen his technique, he's got all the tools to be a quality starter in the NFL.”

The Vikings at No. 24 and the Lions at No. 28 added juice to their defensive lines.

Sharp Football: Florida State CB Azareye’h Thomas

The logic was faulty in his updated mock, but Ryan McCrystal also went with FSU’s Thomas. The last two years, he allowed catch rates of 48.8 percent and 51.5 percent, according to PFF.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: East Carolina CB Shavon Revel

Buccaneers.com beat writer Scott Smith followed the same line of thinking as Twentyman in picking East Carolina’s Shavon Revel, a long and rangy cornerback who is coming off a torn ACL.

“Is Jaire Alexander a potential cap casualty this offseason? He's still one of the NFL's best (and highest-paid) cornerbacks in the league when healthy but he has missed 34 games over the past four seasons, including 10 in each of the last two years. Either way, it's a position of need for the Packers, who tend to use their first-round picks on the defensive side of the ball.”

Philadelphia Inquirer: East Carolina CB Shavon Revel

The Eagles won the Super Bowl after using their first two draft picks on cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. The Packers used their top pick in this mock on Revel.

“Though Revel is coming off torn ACL in September, his strong 2023 tape and hot start to 2024 (two interceptions in three games) along with his closing speed in coverage and natural straight-line speed makes him a strong candidate to still go in the first round,” The Inquirer’s Devin Jackson said.

With Milton Williams potentially exiting in free agency, the Eagles replaced him with a playmaking defensive tackle.

The Draft Network: Minnesota OT Aireontae Ersery

While offensive tackle is a familiar target in mock drafts, Aireontae Ersery is a unique selection by The Draft Network’s Daniel Harms at No. 23.

The 6-foot-6, 339-pounder has NFL length and size, and he’s got the feet to thrive in a zone scheme. PFF charged him with one sack and 12 total pressures in 12 games as the Gophers’ left tackle. A three-year starter, he gave up five career sacks.

Noting center Josh Myers will be a free agent, Harms wrote: “Aireontae Ersery gives them a tackle who can play either spot and has the athletic ability and power in the run game to go with refined hand usage. They are a team that likes to get their ‘best five’ linemen out there and Ersery helps them do that.”

The Lions took a big run-stopper at No. 28.             

Pro Football Network: Oregon DT Derrick Harmon

A transfer from Michigan State, Harmon at Oregon had five sacks and 11 tackles for losses in 2024. Among interior defensive lineman, Harmon’s 55 pressures were 12 more than anyone else, according to PFF.

“Oregon’s Derrick Harmon is a disruptive force inside and plays with quick twitch and power to wreak havoc,” Brentley Weissman wrote. “He would be a great addition to the Packers’ defensive front that continues to add young talent.”

The Athletic: Seven Rounds

The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman “contemplated” a pass rusher such as Marshall’s Mike Green but opted to take North Dakota State lineman Grey Zabel, who proved he belonged with the big-school stars at the Senior Bowl. Zabel was one of Jeremiah’s 12 winners from the week.

With four-year starter Josh Myers headed to free agency, Zabel could be a plug-and-play replacement.

Zabel’s four-year snap counts, according to PFF: 974 at left tackle, 453 at left guard, 17 at center, 222 at right guard and 1,064 at right tackle. He played left tackle in 2024 and allowed one sack and seven total pressures.

“He looks like a Day 1 starter,” Jeremiah wrote. “We knew he would be ready to compete at guard and tackle, but he looked really comfortable at center in practices, as well. If you can play every position on the offensive line, that is going to endear you to a lot of GMs and coaches around the league.”

Schneidman took receivers in the second and seventh rounds and cornerback Nohl Williams in the third round. Williams spent three years at UNLV and his final two seasons at Cal, where he was outstanding in 2024 with a catch rate of just 47.7 percent and an FBS-leading seven interceptions to be a consensus first-team All-American.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, there are questions about his speed but not his ability to see the ball and get the ball.

Click here for his full mock.

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