Packer Central

Packers Focus on Trenches in Two-Round ESPN NFL Mock Draft

Just like The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, the Green Bay Packers used their first-round pick on a havoc-creating defensive tackle with their first pick of a new mock draft by ESPN.
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Georgia center Jared Wilson
Georgia center Jared Wilson | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Every team in the NFL covets athletic prospects, but few relish size, speed and explosion more than Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.

Thus, a new two-round NFL mock draft by ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid’s focus was on the right place when he used the Packers’ first-round pick on Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon and their second-round pick on Georgia center Jared Wilson.

The Packers could need help at both positions, depending on how NFL free agency shakes out. At defensive tackle, TJ Slaton is headed to free agency after starting every game the past two seasons and anchoring one of the NFL’s best run defenses. At center, former second-round pick Josh Myers will be a free agent, as well.

Harmon would provide more juice to the front. At 6-foot-4 1/2 and 313 pounds, Harmon’s 4.95-second time in the 40 was the second-fastest among the 300-pound defensive tackles at the Scouting Combine.

He’s not just a workout warrior, though. After recording 3.5 sacks and seven tackles for losses during his final two seasons at Michigan State, Harmon had five sacks and 11 tackles for losses in 2024 at Oregon.

It’s not just the sacks but the consistent havoc. Harmon had 12 more pressures than any other defensive tackle, according to Pro Football Focus, and he finished second among defensive tackles in the draft class in pass-rush win rate.

“Harmon is just really disruptive,” NFL.com’s Jeremiah said in a pre-Combine conference call. “He has quick hands. He just lives under the side of the line of scrimmage. He’s really instinctive. He’s aware. He knows where blocks are coming from and he gets up the field. So, he’s a fun, fun player.

“But I want to see him show his power. It flashes. It’s all in there. I would love to see him play into his power a little bit more.”

Reid called Harmon the “difference-maker” the Packers need on the defensive line.

“Oh, man, he’s just a monster,” outside linebacker Teitum Tuioti said before Oregon faced Michigan. “He plays within the scheme, and he just creates havoc.”

Harmon also was the pick for Green Bay by Dane Brugler of The Athletic.

Wilson would bring a dose of athleticism to Green Bay’s front, as well. At 6-foot-3 and 310 pounds, his 4.84 in the 40 was the fastest among the offensive linemen at the Combine. For more perspective:

Wilson played less than 200 snaps during his first two seasons at Georgia before stepping in at center in 2024. He was superb with zero sacks and six total pressures allowed, according to PFF.

“The standard is the standard at Georgia, especially coming in there,” Wilson said at the Combine. “I did not understand the standard but, about two weeks in, I quickly caught the flow of things.

“Man, they prepare you in the film room, in the weight room, on the field, off the field. For example, like in those team runs, you have to have mental and physical toughness, and that leads over not just for football but also into life. When you're going through things, when you got adversity in life, you got to have some mental toughness to get through.”

By focusing on the trenches, the Packers did not add a cornerback, receiver or defensive end. After the Packers took Harmon at No. 23, pass rushers went at No. 28 to the Lions, No. 29 to the Commanders and No. 32 to the Eagles. 

After the Packers took Wilson at No. 54, Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos went 57th, Iowa State receiver Jayden Higgins went 58th and Stanford receiver Elic Ayomanor went 59th. 

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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.