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All-Packers Seven-Round Mock Draft 2.0 Fills Key Needs for Jonathan Gannon

In our latest seven-round mock draft, the Packers triple up on Rebels and double up on cornerbacks and Rockets.
Bill Huber|
Illinois defensive end Gabe Jacas is shown lining up at the Senior Bowl.
Illinois defensive end Gabe Jacas is shown lining up at the Senior Bowl. | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

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Green Bay Packers

For the Green Bay Packers, the 2026 NFL Draft will kick off when they’re on clock in the second round on April 24, exactly three weeks from today.

With fewer draft picks than they have needs, general manager Brian Gutekunst is going to have to maximize his limited draft capital to address short- and long-term needs.

Here is our second seven-round, all-Packers mock draft of the year. This was done using the Stick to the Model simulator.

Second Round, Pick 52: Illinois edge Gabe Jacas

After Micah Parsons’ season-ending knee injury, the Packers had three sacks in their final three games. Parsons won’t be on the field to start next season, and neither will Rashan Gary and Kingsley Enagbare.

Enter Gabe Jacas, who had 27 sacks in four seasons, including eight in 2024 and 11 in 2025. He’s 6-foot-3 5/8 and 260 pounds, with a mountain of strength with 30 reps on the 225-pound bench press. Added together, he’s got the size to be a ready-to-go run defender and the production to help the pass rush.

“You’re going to get a physical player, disciplined player, someone that doesn't take a play off,” he said at the Scouting Combine. “Someone that’s just a natural leader, someone that's going to attack every play, someone you can depend on.”

He is the No. 57 prospect, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who wrote, in part: “With his rocked-up, athletic build, Jacas is a quick and violent pass rusher.”

Also considered: With the board short on corners and defensive linemen, the others were Michigan edge Derrick Moore, Louisville WR Chris Bell and Northwestern OT Caleb Tiernan.

Third Round, Pick 84: Arkansas CB Julian Neal

The Packers are OK at cornerback with Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and Benjamin St-Juste. They need to be better than OK. Julian Neal has that type of potential.

In two seasons as a starter, with almost all of those snaps coming on the outside, PFF charged him with a 48.0 percent catch rate and 55.2 passer rating at Fresno State in 2024 and 56.3 percent with an 82.5 rating at Arkansas in 2025, when he intercepted two passes and had 12 passes defensed. He’s a quality tackler and run defender.

This physical skill-set will work.

Also considered: Texas CB Malik Muhammad, Florida DT Darrell Jackson, Duke OL Brian Parker, Nebraska RB Emmett Johnson.

Fourth Round, Pick 120: Mississippi DT Zxavian Harris

As much as general manager Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur have downplayed the schematic change on defense, there’s no hiding from the fact they need a nose tackle. Otherwise, they’ll be run over against physical teams, like the Ravens did to them in Week 17.

Zxavian Harris a mountain of a man at 6-foot-7 3/4 and 330 pounds with 34 5/8-inch arms. That’s a lot of size and length to control the middle of the line. He had three sacks, nine tackles for losses, three pass deflections and three blocked kicks as a senior.  

His off-the-field history will have to be vetted.

Also considered: Boise State OT Kage Casey, Illinois OT J.C. Davis, Baylor WR Josh Cameron, Penn State RB Kayton Allen.

Fifth Round, Pick 160: Mississippi WR De’Zhaun Stribling

The draft isn’t only about this year. It’s about future years. After the upcoming season, the only receivers under contract for 2027 are Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. Given the price for a quality veteran receiver, there’s no guarantee Chrisitan Watson or Jayden Reed will return.

After two seasons at Washington State and two more at Oklahoma State, De’Zhaun Stribling finished his career with the Rebels, catching 55 passes for 811 yards and six touchdowns. He had just one drop.

Todd McShay made his comparison.

Stribling is much more athletic, though, including a 4.36 in the 40.

Also considered: Nobody, really.

Sixth Round, Pick 2021: Mississippi OT Diego Pounds

I honestly didn’t mean to pick three consecutive players from Ole Miss. In fact, I didn’t realize it until typing in the picks.

Diego Pounds fits the typical Packers mold of a college left tackle with excellent athleticism.

He started his career at North Carolina before finishing with two seasons for the Rebels. He didn’t allow a sack in 15 games in 2025. There’s some Rasheed Walker vibes as a late-round tackle who can pass protect but might never be a great run blocker.

The Packers don’t have an obvious backup to new starting left tackle Jordan Morgan.

Also considered: Washington OT Carver Willis, Clemson RB Adam Randall, Ohio State TE Will Kacmarek, Texas A&M DT Tyler Onyedim.

Seventh Round, Pick 236: Toledo RB Chip Trayanum

Gutekunst promised “more competition” at running back, and Toledo’s Chip Trayanum fits Green Bay’s preferences as a powerful runner at 5-foot-10 5/8 and 224 pounds. He’s fast (4.50 in the 40) and athletic.

After bouncing around a bit, Trayanum found a home at Toledo and rushed for 1,064 yards with 21 receptions last season.

Seventh Round, Pick 255: Toledo CB Andre Fuller

There were thoughts about doubling up at defensive tackle or cornerback. Or using another pick on the offensive line, getting a blocking tight end to fill the void created by Josh FitzPatrick’s torn Achilles, or even throwing another quarterback into the competition.

Instead, we’ll double up on Toledo players with cornerback Andre Fuller, who was charged with a 42.3 percent catch rate in 2025.

At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds with 4.49 speed, his RAS was 9.03.

Also considered in seventh round: Stanford CB Collin Wright, Connecticut QB Joe Fagnano, Boston College G Logan Taylor, Tennessee TE Miles Kitselman.

What I Liked

Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back Julian Neal (23) deflects a pass away from Memphis Tigers wide receiver Cortez Braham Jr.
Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back Julian Neal (23) deflects a pass away from Memphis Tigers wide receiver Cortez Braham Jr. | Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

New defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon would like reinforcements on the edge, cornerback and defensive line. Getting Gabe Jacas on the edge and Julian Neal at cornerback would be good starts. With the top defensive tackles off the board, Zxavian Harris would provide good value in the fourth round, so long as the off-the-field stuff checks out.

The Packers really do need a receiver. Given Jordan Love’s fondness for throw the ball downfield, After bypassing receivers in earlier rounds, Ole Miss’ De’Zhaun Stribling would be a great fit with his size and speed.

What I Didn’t Like

With no first-round pick, there’s just no way to come out of the draft feeling like every box has been checked.

Post-draft free agency might be the way to go to ensure a well-rounded roster for the start of OTAs next month. First and foremost, at least based on this scenario, would be getting a veteran lineman who can play center and guard. That prospect just wasn’t available in this simulation.

Or, perhaps the Packers could get a nose tackle in free agency – D.J. Reader, for instance – which would free up the fourth-round pick to go on someone like Boise State’s Kage Casey or Michigan State’s Matt Gulbin.

I would have liked a rugged tight end, too.

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.