100 Days of Mocks: Four-Rounder Leads With Pass Rusher
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers need to bolster their pass rush, and they did just that in a new four-round mock draft.
Walter Cherepinsky of Walter Football went with Notre Dame’s Isaiah Foskey with the 15th overall pick. Foskey is the school’s all-time leader with 26.5 sacks. He was a consensus All-American in 2022 with 11 sacks and 14 tackles for losses.
“The Packers need a receiver, but with the two top prospects at the position off the board, they can focus on bolstering their offensive line or front seven,” Cherepinsky wrote. “The latter is an issue, as Green Bay had to blitz frequently last year as a result of four players not being able to get to the quarterback consistently.”
At 6-foot-5 and 264 pounds, he fits the Packers’ preference for big guys on the edge. He ran his 40 in 4.58 seconds. That’s faster than Kyle Hamilton, an All-American safety for Notre Dame who was the Baltimore Ravens’ first-round pick last year.
“I feel like all 32 teams know I can stop the run and get to the passer,” Foskey said at the Scouting Combine.
“I feel like there’s nothing I can prove (this week),” he continued, “but just showcase that I’m one of the fastest defensive ends for my size. I’m one of the most athletic guys. I can jump the highest, broad jump the farthest. Anything that you guys test me with, I’m pretty much going to be the top prospect for it.”
Foskey was the pick over Alabama safety Brian Branch, Clemson edge Myles Murphy, any of the tight ends and a pair of receivers, USC’s Jordan Addison and Boston College’s Zay Flowers.
In the second round of the mock, the Packers selected Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt. He had a monster 2022 with 67 receptions for 1,267 yards (18.9 average) and 15 touchdowns.
At 6-foot and 176 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.40.
“Christian Watson had some bright moments after a slow start during his rookie year,” was the explanation. “However, the Packers need to continue to add to their pedestrian receiving corps. Jalin Hyatt had a great season with lots of big plays for Tennessee.”
The third-round pick was a surprise tight end and the fourth-round pick was used on a linebacker.
The Draft Network’s Ryan Fowler went with Clemson defensive tackle Bryan Bresee. The Packers have only three defensive tackles who’ve played an NFL snap under contract.
“A versatile lineman that can play the 1, 3, and 5 if need be, if everything meshes, Bryan Bresee could be a dominating force in rapid fashion,” Fowler wrote. “The Packers drafted Devonte Wyatt last spring, but both Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed are UFAs and you can never have enough guys that can clog gaps in the run and push the pocket. Wyatt needs a wake-up call, and the trio of him, Kenny Clark, and Bresee would give offenses fits.”
A first-round mock at SB Nation landed Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid.
So did CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso.
“Kincaid is the most gifted pure receiving tight end in this class, and he'll be an immediate favorite target for Jordan Love,” he wrote.
Draft Countdown took a tight end, too – Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer.
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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.
46 days: A first-round quarterback?
47 days: A fistful of tight ends
48 days: Rodgers traded; Packers take pass rusher, tight end
49 days: First-round playmakers and a seven-round mock
50 days: Rodgers, Jets and the first-round dilemma
52 days: Post-Scouting Combine roundup
All-Packers seven-round mock draft 1.0
