100 Days of Mocks: Packers Trade Rodgers to Raiders, Get No. 7 Pick
GREEN BAY, Wis. – A lot of NFL mock drafts have sent Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets. CBSSports.com’s Chris Trapasso went with the betting odds and dealt Rodgers to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Getting the No. 7 pick (and more) in return, Trapasso went with Alabama safety Brian Branch – a familiar name in this series.
“The Packers move Rodgers to the Raiders and add a defensive backfield weapon with Branch. Green Bay's secondary needs more youthful and talented pieces at safety,” Trapasso wrote. “In this trade, Green Bay gets this selection, a 2023 third-round pick, plus the Raiders' first-, second-, and fourth-round picks in 2024 if Rodgers plays that season.”
This, by the way, is completely unrealistic, at least in the eyes of one NFL executive for a story we’ll publish later today.
As for Branch, he’s a big-time player with playmaking ability in coverage, excellence as a tackler and a strong background in the slot. He closed his career with 12 tackles, four tackles for losses and one interception in the Sugar Bowl vs. Kansas State.
“Brian Branch has played well for us all season long,” Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said after the game. “He made some big plays today. The interception was big. We got off to a great start in the second half with a big play and two scores in the first two minutes in the second half, which kind of broke the game open. His interception was a big part of that.”
At times last season, the Packers went with Adrian Amos and Rudy Ford at safety and Darnell Savage in the slot. With Amos and Ford scheduled to hit free agency, safety could be a major need.
The Packers grabbed a tight end with the 15th pick. While he is not one of the usual names, such as Michael Mayer of Notre Dame or Dalton Kincaid of Utah, Daniel Jeremiah’s fourth-ranked tight end does have a familiar name.
Also in the mock, the Vikings added another explosive receiver and the Lions essentially replaced tight end T.J. Hockenson, who they traded to Minnesota at the deadline.
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’s the 100-day-countdown series.
78 days: A seven-round mock includes Big Ten playmakers
79 days: Rodgers traded in two-round mock
80 days: Packers take safety in ESPN mock
81 days: Aaron Rodgers traded in three-round mock
82 days: Seven mocks, including NFL.com
83 days: Two pass-catchers in first-round mocks
84 days: Aaron Rodgers traded for extra first-round pick
85 days: PFF picks a pass rusher
86 days: Tight end in NFL Draft Bible Mock
87 days: Packers trade back, get extra second-rounder
88 days: Sorry, vacation day.
89 days: A “Eureka!” moment in two-round mock
90 days: Playmaking cornerback at PFF
91 days: Three defensive backs in seven-round mock
92 days: Kiper takes a tight end
93 days: Safety first for Bucky Brooks in NFL.com mock
94 days: College Football News mocks Mayer
95 days: Two firsts if Rodgers is traded
96 days: NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah goes back to Georgia
97 days: This pick would break a long drought
