100 Days of Mocks: One Week to Go, One Star Receiver
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers and first-round receivers. As Frank Sinatra might have pointed out, they don’t quite go together like love and marriage, horse and carriage.
But, with one week until the 2023 NFL Draft, three new mock drafts sent FanDuel Sportsbook’s clear-cut betting favorite to be the No. 1 receiver drafted to Green Bay.
CBS Sports’ NFL insider Jonathan Jones selected Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Packers, of course, haven’t taken a receiver in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002. That means Aaron Rodgers never benefitted from one but, this time, “it’s in the stars,” Jones said.
Even while sharing targets at OSU with 2022 NFL first-round draft picks and rookie stars Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, Smith-Njigba dominated in 2021. Here’s his slot-only production and where it ranked nationally, according to Pro Football Focus: fifth with 87 receptions, third with 1,367 yards and seventh with eight touchdowns.
His 1,606 receiving yards broke a 20-year-old Big Ten record. While he missed most of 2022 with a hamstring injury, he aced the predraft process.
“I just think my playmaking ability is second to none in this draft,” he said at the Scouting Combine.
Jones’ CBS colleague, Chris Trapasso, also went with Smith-Njigba atop a seven-round mock to give Jordan Love a “fun pass-catching trio” of the prolific Ohio State slot and second-year players Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs.
Trapasso took care of one of Green Bay’s underrated needs by tripling up on defensive tackles – a position group in which only three players have even played in a game. The Packers got a second-round pick for Aaron Rodgers, which was used on big Michigan defensive tackle Mazi Smith, who has “ridiculous” strength. In the fourth round he grabbed South Carolina’s Zacch Pickens. In the seventh, Trapasso added Arizona State’s Nesta Jade Silvera.
The odd-ball pick was Arkansas linebacker Drew Sanders in the second round. Sanders is a quality player, to be sure, but that cost the Packers a shot at a tight end until Miami’s Will Mallory in the fifth.
In a three-round mock draft by Draft Wire’s Curt Popejoy, Smith-Njigba also was the No. 1 pick. The Day 2 picks addressed the defense, including Iowa State’s Will McDonald in the second round. Highlighted by an All-American 2021 season, McDonald for his career piled up 34 sacks, 42 tackles for losses, 10 forced fumbles and eight passes defensed.
The Packers went big in a three-round mock by The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer. In the first round, rather than a receiver, Iyer grabbed Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer. Mayer is a “complete” tight end with the ability to make plays down the seam as well as be a “reliable force” in the red zone.
The Day 2 picks were dedicated to the trenches with North Dakota State offensive tackle Cody Mauch and LSU defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy.
Mauch was a two-time FCS All-American as the Bison’s left tackle. At 6-foot-5 and 302 pounds, he’s got the athleticism the Packers love but probably lacks the arm length to stick at tackle. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah called him “legitimately a five-position guy.”
The Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins selected Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski, a dominant player at left tackle in the Big Ten who also might have to move inside because of the lack of desired arm length.
The grandson of Packers legend Bob Skoronski, Peter Skoronski in 2022 became the first unanimous All-American in Northwestern history.
“No one has really said, 'You have to play guard. You can't play tackle.' No one has really boxed me in, which I'm pretty pleased about,’” he said at the Scouting Combine.
For Pro Football Network, Adam Caplan grabbed Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid, who is “clearly the best player” in a strong group of tight ends.
The Ringer’s Danny Kelly updated his mock. Instead of Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones, he selected Iowa pass rusher Lukas Van Ness.
Kelly agreed with our comparison between Van Ness and Rashan Gary as players who were good in college but haven’t reached their potential.
“Van Ness reminds me a little bit of Rashan Gary, another big, strong, and highly versatile defensive lineman with scintillating athletic traits,” Kelly wrote.
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.
8 days: A wild three-team Aaron Rodgers trade among 10 mocks
9 days: Four pass catchers and Peter Schrager among 10 mocks
10 days: Breaking down seven-round mocks by Brugler, CBS
11 days: Seven-round mock and a trade
12 days: Rodgers traded to Jets for first-rounder
13 days: Packers trade back, pick tight end
Packer Central’s seventh all-Packers mock draft
14 days: “Ideal” picks among 10 fresh mocks
The Sports Illustrated publishers mock draft
