Packers Seven-Round Mock Draft 3.1: First-Round Trade and PFF Hatred

GREEN BAY, Wis. – I wouldn’t consider myself an expert in this draft class yet but here’s what I do know: It’s going to be hard for the Green Bay Packers to address all their key needs.

Of course, free agency in March could make life easier for general manager Brian Gutekunst in April. But in a relatively poor free-agent class, the draft might be the only real shot at improving the roster.

Using Pro Football Focus’ simulator, I traded the Packers’ first-round pick (No. 23) to the Philadelphia Eagles for their first- and second-round picks (No. 32 and No. 64).

Let’s dive in.

First Round: Florida State CB Azareye’h Thomas

PFF gave this pick an F. But, in Daniel Jeremiah’s pre-Scouting Combine conference call, he mentioned Thomas as a possibility for the Vikings at No. 24. That was confirmation that I wasn’t barking up the wrong tree with Thomas, who at 6-foot-1 1/2 would add some needed size to Green Bay’s secondary.

“I think Azareye’h Thomas from Florida State would be in the mix,” Jeremiah said. “I think you’re going to start hearing a lot more about Maxwell Hairston from Kentucky after the Combine. I think he has a chance to go in the first round.”

Hairston was available, too, but adding size at corner seems important with Keisean Nixon being 5-foot-10 1/4 and Carrington Valentine 5-foot-11 5/8.

Thomas had only two interceptions in three seasons but allowed catch rates of 51.5 percent in 2024 and 48.8 percent in 2023, according to PFF.

Second Round: Mississippi WR Tre Harris

PFF gave this pick a D-minus but Harris was one of four prospects that Jeremiah mentioned when I asked him about second-round receivers for the Packers. In eight games in 2024, he caught 60 passes for 1,030 yards (17.2 average) and seven touchdowns.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, he doesn’t quite have Christian Watson’s size and he certainly doesn’t have his speed, but he’s got enough speed and his strength would bring a different element to the Packers’ receiver corps.

Second Round: Purdue OL Marcus Mbow

With the bonus pick acquired in the trade, the Packers landed a Packers-style lineman and Milwaukee native. Mbow played right tackle in 2023 and 2024 and right guard in 2022. He probably can play center. The Packers like position versatility and athleticism from their linemen.

PFF gave this pick a D but The Athletic’s Dane Brugler ranked him as his No. 66 player, which is right in line with picking at No. 64.

Third Round: Mississippi DT J.J. Pegues

Pegues spent two years at Auburn before transferring to Ole Miss for his final three seasons, when he tallied 10 sacks, 27 tackles for losses and seven passes defensed.

Pegues not only would help replace TJ Slaton, assuming the two-year starter leaves in free agency, he would provide the added appeal of being a short-yardage runner. In 2024, he carried 21 times for 69 yards and seven touchdowns.

PFF gave this pick a D-minus but here’s what Jeremiah said: “One of my favorite players to study is Pegues from Ole Miss, who is 323 pounds. I have him bottom part of the second round. If you want to have fun, pull up a YouTube and look at the stuff he does offensively at Ole Miss. It’s a lot of fun.”

Fourth Round: Virginia Tech edge Antwaun Powell-Ryland

The Packers need to improve their pass rush. Powell-Ryland was third-team All-America in 2024, when he was third in the nation with 16 sacks. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 252 pounds, he might be a bit small to live at defensive end in the Packers’ 4-3 scheme but he could be a tremendous situational asset and late-game closer.

Fifth Round: Ohio State LB Cody Simon

With Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson scheduled to be free agents, linebacker depth could be a big need behind what would be the returning trio of Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper and Ty’Ron Hopper.

Simon had 112 tackles, seven sacks, 13 tackles for losses and seven passes defensed to help the Buckeyes win the national championship.

It might be far-fetched that Simons lasts until the 159th pick. Penn State linebacker Kobe King, San Jose State receiver Nick Nash and Ohio State center Seth McLaughlin would have been fallback options.

Sixth Round: UNLV WR Ricky White

A transfer from Michigan State, where he was teammates with Jayden Reed, White caught 80 passes for 1,314 yards (16.4 average) in 2023 and 79 passes for 1,041 yards (13.2 average) and 11 touchdowns in 2024. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, he broke 23 tackles in 2024, according to PFF.

For added appeal, White was the Mountain West Conference Special Teams Player of the Year after blocking four punts in 2024.

Seventh Round: Nebraska CB Tommi Hill

Hill dabbled a bit on offense in 2022 and 2023 before becoming a full-time cornerback. In 2023, he had four interceptions and 13 passes defensed. A foot injury limited him to seven games (five starts) in 2024, when he finished with one interception (a pick-six).

Listed at 6-foot, 205 pounds, PFF charged him with a 54.3 percent completion rate in 2023 but 72.0 percent in 2024.

Seventh Round: Oregon State G Joshua Gray

The Packers love college left tackles. Gray was a four-year starting left tackle at Oregon State before moving to left guard in 2024. As a sixth-year senior, he allowed just one sack and 12 total pressures at his new position, according to PFF.

What We Liked

The Packers head into the offseason with needs on the offensive line, defensive line, cornerback and receiver. To state the obvious, having four shots in the first three rounds rather than three is helpful. So, while I tend to shy away from trades in mock drafts – it’s adding another element of make-believe to a make-believe process – I think there would be some logic for Gutekunst to move back if he can strike a deal.

While PFF hated the draft, ranking it in the bottom 8 percent of Packers mocks, NFL Network’s Jeremiah is much higher on Thomas, Harris and Pegues than is PFF. Getting multiple linemen, cornerbacks and receivers seems like a necessity.

What We Didn’t Like

Honestly, not much. Maybe a second cornerback a little earlier? Maybe more of a true defensive end rather than what could be a pass-rush specialist? Maybe a quarterback so he’s ready to replace Malik Willis if he leaves after the upcoming season?

Here’s who we lost out on with the first-round trade: Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart went at No. 23 to the Eagles. After that: running back Omarion Hampton to the Vikings, offensive tackle Grey Zabel to the Texans, quarterback Shadeur Sanders to the Rams, tackle Armand Membou to the Ravens, defensive tackle Darius Alexander to the Lions, edge Nic Scourton to the Commanders, cornerback Trey Amos to the Bills and edge Donovan Ezeiruaku to the Chiefs.

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The Scouting Combine starts next week, which means two months of RAS. Some #Packers history to keep in mind with a week of 40-yard times coming. ⬇️https://t.co/fvqWHQ1PEh
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) February 22, 2025