100 Days of Mocks: An ‘Energizer Bunny’ and Two Playmakers
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers tend to use their first draft pick on defensive players. On the other hand, Jordan Love needs more offensive playmakers.
One new NFL mock draft dealt with that history. Another went the opposite direction.
The Draft Network’s Justin Melo cranked out an all-Packers mock draft. In response to the free-agent departures of Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed that left the Packers with only three defensive linemen who’ve played in an NFL game, Melo used the first-round pick on Clemson’s Bryan Bresee, “an Energizer bunny” that “crashes through gaps with consistency.”
The weapons come next. With the potential second-round pick acquired from the Jets in the Aaron Rodgers trade, Melo grabbed Tennessee receiver Cedric Tillman. With the next pick, the selection was Georgia tight end Darnell Washington.
According to Melo, Tillman is perhaps “the draft’s most underrated playmaker” while Washington is “the draft’s premier dual-threat tight end.”
Illinois sfety Sydney Brown, an explosive ballhawk, BYU quarterback Jaren Hall, who “possesses plus-level NFL traits,” and Missouri pass rusher Isaiah McGuire highlight some of the other picks.
At CBS Sports, Chris Trapasso started his three-round mock with TCU receiver Quentin Johnston before turning to the defense with three big-time athletes. With No. 42 from the Jets and their own pick at No. 45, Trapasso went with Northwestern defensive tackle Adetomiwa Adebawore and Auburn edge Derick Hall. In the third round, he added Illinois safety/slot Jartavius Martin.
Adebawore, who at 282 pounds ran his 40 in a ridiculous 4.54 seconds, had 9.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for losses during his final two seasons. Hall, who at 254 pounds ran his 40 in 4.57 seconds, had 15.5 sacks, 24 tackles for losses and four forced fumbles during his final two seasons. Martin, with a 4.48 in the 40 and a 44-inch vertical, had three interceptions and two forced fumbles in 2022.
“I think he is going to be a Day 1 starting nickel,” NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah said of Martin in a conference call. “He is quick and fluid. He can change directions. He is a physical hitter. He shows you his toughness. I'm curious to see what the pure speed is. That's the only box left for him to check is the speed part, but I thought he was somebody that could come in and be a really good nickel right away.”
At DraftKings, Jacob Kornhauser dealt with the picks they officially possess and started his seven-round, all-Packers mock with Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Washington.
At Fox Sports, Jason McIntyre grabbed Iowa edge Lukas Van Ness to join Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Kingsley Enagbare in the outside linebacker platoon.
Van Ness didn’t start a single game in two seasons at Iowa and he might not start for Green Bay, either, if Gary is back for Week 1 following last year’s torn ACL. Regardless, Gary and Smith can’t do it alone and Van Ness would provide some juice and much-needed depth.
“As much as he'd love to play for his hometown Bears, it would be hard for the Packers to pass on this excellent pass-rusher,” McIntyre wrote. “Van Ness grew up in Illinois, played hockey as a kid and is one of the best pass-rushing athletes in the draft.”
100 Days of Mocks
Starting Jan. 17, when there were 100 days until the start of the NFL Draft, we started our mock-worthy goal of 100 mock drafts in 100 days. Here are the last 10 days of the series.
Breaking down ESPN's seven-round mock
29 days: Tannenbaum takes a tackle
30 days: Three mocks, three different first-round tight ends
31 days: First-round receiver streak in Jeopardy
32 days: A Rodgers trade and a short story
33 days: Breaking down NFL.com four-round mock
34 days: Kincaid rests his case
Packer Central’s third seven-round mock draft
35 days: You can bet on Michael Mayer
36 days: Defensive tackle with “special” skill-set
37 days: Seven-round mock shows challenge I Kiper 3.0 I Jeremiah 3.0
