Digesting Five Packers Picks in PFF’s Three-Round PFF Mock

Here are the hits and misses in a three-round mock draft that started with Aaron Rodgers being traded to Jets.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Mar 24, 2023 6:13 PM EDT

In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In a three-round NFL mock drafted focused on the NFC North teams, Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus traded Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets for a pair of second-round picks, then selected tight end Dalton Kincaid in the first round.

“Maybe the New York Jets do send a first-round pick to Green Bay in exchange for quarterback Aaron Rodgers,” McGuinness wrote. “but the fact that New York recently traded WR Elijah Moore for a second-round pick had me pondering whether those two seconds — perhaps with some additional conditional picks — could be what gets the deal done, allowing the Packers to add some more talent in the front seven in McDonald and Smith.”

Here is a look at the draft through the prism of Green Bay’s preferences.

First round: No. 15 – Utah TE Dalton Kincaid

Kincaid, Georgia’s Darnell Washington and Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer are the top prospects at the position. Kincaid is a fabulous receiver and would be an instant contributor in a new-look passing game being built around Jordan Love.

As a senior, Kincaid caught 70 passes for 890 yards and eight touchdowns. Moreover, he was caught 9-of-18 contested-catch opportunities, had two drops and forced 16 missed tackles, according to PFF. At 6-foot-3 5/8 and with giant 10 1/4-inch hands, he did not go through predraft testing due to a back injury. He said he’ll be ready for rookie minicamp.

Second round: No. 42 – Iowa State OLB Will McDonald IV

McDonald piled up 34 sacks, 40.5 tackles for losses and 10 forced fumbles during a prodigious career. He finished as the Big 12’s career leader in sacks. At 239 pounds at the Combine (but 245 at pro day), he’d be a real outlier at a position group that’s been populated by the likes of Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith. However, the Pewaukee, Wis., native took a predraft visit to Green Bay.

Will McDonald finished as the Big 12 career leader in sacks. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

“I'm trying to get to 250 right now because I want to explore how far I can go, how far I can take my body, see if I still have my speed,” he said at the Combine. “Obviously, I'm going to be bigger, stronger, but my goal is to try to get to 250 now.”

Second round: No. 43 – Michigan DT Mazi Smith

At 6-foot-3 and 323 pounds, he is a tower of power with 34 reps on the 225-pound bench press. That’s an impressive total for anyone, let alone a player with 33 3/4-inch arms. A two-year starter, he had just one-half sack. But Green Bay’s run defense has been a chronic weakness and the defensive line class isn’t great, so Smith would be a good fit even in a two-down role.

Second round: No. 45 – Houston WR Nathaniel Dell

At 5-foot-8 3/8 and 165 pounds, there is probably a 0.001 percent chance he’s on Green Bay’s draft board, no matter his 4.48 speed and 199 receptions for 2,727 yards and 29 touchdowns the last two seasons.

Third round: No. 78 – Stanford QB Tanner McKee

There’s no doubt the Packers need a quarterback. In 2008, when Aaron Rodgers was stepping into the starting role, they drafted Brian Brohm in the second round and Matt Flynn in the seventh round. In 2022, he completed 62.0 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns vs. eight interceptions.

McKee is 6-foot-6 with below-average athleticism. He’s a pocket passer in a league that has shifted away from pocket passers. Coach Matt LaFleur likes his quarterbacks to get on the perimeter in the play-action game.