Seven-Round Packers Mock Draft Shows Pros, Cons of Trading Up

Without a first-round pick, it might be a challenge for Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst to get an instant-impact player at a position of need.

So, maybe he’ll get proactive. Rather than waiting until he’s on the clock with the 52nd overall selection, maybe he’ll trade up.

“I do feel like if, if the right player were there, that we would be able to go get him,” Gutekunst said on Tuesday.

Trading up, of course, comes with the considerable trade-off of having to give up draft picks. Using the Stick to the Model Simulator, I traded up from No. 52 to No. 44 in a deal with the Jets to fill a major position of need. The cost was Green Bay’s pick at No. 120 of the fourth round, which was a small win by the Bill Belichick-based trade-value chart.

Second Round, No. 44: Texas Tech DT Lee Hunter

No different in 2009, when they drafted B.J. Raji with their first pick, the Packers need a nose tackle as the centerpiece of their new 3-4 defense.

“I do think there’s probably a little bit more appetite for a pure nose because of some of the snaps we’re going to play,” Gutekunst said on Tuesday.

When Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter fell into the 40s, it was time to get proactive, though it cost them their fourth-round pick to move up eight slots. Hunter had a “30” visit with the Packers following a final season of three sacks and 11 tackles for losses.

He is the No. 41 overall prospect, according to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah. He’d be an immediate force against the run, which is something the Packers needed even before trading Colby Wooden.

I'm not a big fan of trades in mock drafts because a mock draft is already make-believe. However, it is an interesting way to show the impact of moving up/down. Here's the trade-back (using @StickToTheModel's simulator). Will do the trade-up tomorrow. ⬇️https://t.co/Hax521WpYg
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) April 21, 2026

Third Round: No Pick

I don’t believe Gutekunst would be content with seven picks. So, I traded Green Bay’s third-round pick at No. 84 to the Raiders for No. 102 and No. 134 of the fourth round. The trade was a perfect match by the value chart.

Players who were on the board at No. 84 but selected by the end of the third round include Auburn edge Keyron Crawford, Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad, Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette, Arkansas running back Mike Washington and Florida offensive tackle Austin Barber.

Fourth Round, No. 102: Stephen F. Austin CB Charles Demmings

Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks defensive back Charles Demmings (21) intercepts a pass against Jacksonville State. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Packers need a cornerback. They signed Benjamin St-Juste in free agency, and he will compete with Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine – both of whom will be free agents after the season – for a starting job.

“We are going to add numbers there,” Gutekunst said. “Obviously, bringing in Benjamin along with Keisean and Carrington, you’ve got three guys that have seen significant snaps in their career, and I feel good about those guys going out and playing.

“… But we do need to add some numbers there. From a numbers perspective that we sit here today, we’re going to need to add the most numbers, so we’ll see how that goes.”

This simulation worked tremendously well. Stephen F. Austin’s Charles Demmings, Texas A&M’s Will Lee and Arkansas’ Julian Neal were available. Demmings and Lee had “30” visits with the Packers, and both stand a shade taller than 6-foot-1.

The pick was Demmings. Why? While Lee has more high-profile experience in the SEC, you can’t teach speed, and Demmings’ 4.41 time in the 40 was considerably faster than Lee’s 4.52. It was against lesser competition, but Demmings had eight interceptions and 31 passes defensed the last three seasons.

Also considered: Arkansas CB Julian Neal, Texas A&M CB Will Lee, Texas A&M OL Trey Zuhn, Duke OL Brian Parker, Mississippi WR De’Zhaun Stribling, Penn State RB Kaytron Allen, Stanford TE Sam Roush.

Fourth Round, No. 134: Baylor WR Josh Cameron

Interestingly all but one player under “also considered” was gone before Green Bay’s old spot at No. 120.

After parting ways with Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks and with Christian Watson and Jayden Reed set to be free agents, the Packers have a need – but not an urgent need but an important need – at receiver. That makes Baylor’s Josh Cameron a good fit in that he’d have time to learn the nuances of the game, no different than last year’s third-round pick, Savion Williams.

In a draft filled with toothpicks at the position, Cameron is 6-foot-1 1/2 and 220 pounds with 10 1/4-inch hands. He scored 19 touchdowns the last two seasons and has a history as a big-time punt returner.

Also considered: Penn State RB Kaytron Allen, Penn State OT Drew Shelton, Mississippi OT Diego Pounds.

Fifth Round, No. 153: Mississippi OT Diego Pounds

Diego Pounds made it to the fifth round, so this was a no-brainer. He made 32 career starts at left tackle, including all 15 games as fifth-year senior, when he did not allow any sacks.

The Packers don’t have a clear backup plan at left tackle should something happen to new starter Jordan Morgan. Pounds would provide a 325-pound insurance policy.

Also considered: Nobody.

Fifth Round, No. 160: Indiana RB Kaelon Black

The Packers let Emanuel Wilson go in free agency, meaning there’s a vacancy as the No. 2 back behind Josh Jacobs, who isn’t getting any younger.

Kaelon Black, who had a “30” visit with the Packers, helped the Hoosiers win the national championship. He ran for 1,039 yards in 2025 and caught 27 passes while at James Madison in 2023. A physical 221 pounds, he fits what Green Bay likes in the backfield.

Also considered: Kentucky C/G Jager Burton, Oklahoma G/C Febechi Nwaiwu, Ohio State TE Will Kacmarek, Central Michigan edge Michael Heldman, Iowa edge Max Llewellyn, Arkansas QB Taylen Green.

Sixth Round, No. 201: Oklahoma OL Febechi Nwaiwu

The Packers love versatile offensive linemen. Febechi Nwaiwu played all but left tackle during five seasons at North Texas and Oklahoma. Most of his action came at right guard, though he did play 144 snaps at center in 2025, when he allowed zero sacks and only two pressures in 505 pass-protecting snaps.

Also considered: Georgia Tech DT Jordan van den Berg, North Carolina CB Thaddeus Dixon, Washington OL Jordan Willis.

Seventh Round, No. 234: Penn State TE Khalil Dinkins

Penn State Nittany Lions tight end Khalil Dinkins (16) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against Florida International. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Admittedly, we dumped best-player-available mode in the seventh round in favor of filling needs. The Packers need a tight end who can block. Penn State’s Khalil Dinkins can block. The problem is Dinkins, who played receiver in high school, caught only 37 passes for 399 yards and seven touchdowns in his career.

“It’s definitely not fun,” Dinkins said at the Combine of learning how to block. “But it’s just something that you have to learn how to do … especially (if) you want to be a tight end in the league and be there for longevity.”

His father, Darnell, was an NFL tight end for eight seasons.

Seventh Round, No 251: Central Florida edge Nyjalik Kelly

Central Michigan’s Michael Heldman was still available. A, I don’t think that will be the case and, B, we picked him in the trade-down model. So, just to throw out a different name, the pick here is Central Florida’s Nyjalik Kelly, who, like Heldman, had a “30” visit with the Packers.

At 6-foot-5 3/8 and 256 pounds, Kelly has 35 1/8-inch arms to help combat blockers. He’s got coverage experience, too.

“I'm most proud that I can play a lot of positions,” he said at pro day. “I'm versatile. You guys seen me drop back in coverage, guard people down the field, come off the edge, cause disruption to the quarterback, get tackles for loss, stop the run.”

What I Liked

Trading up allowed the Packers to take care of a huge need with Lee Hunter, and trading back allowed them to address important needs with quality prospects. The depth at cornerback in this draft is strong, meaning the Packers should be able to take advantage.

Getting Diego Pounds and Febechi Nwaiwu with those Day 3 picks would allow the Packers to add badly needed depth on the offensive line, though perhaps this simulation was overly optimistic in having them fall into range.

What I Didn’t Like

Trading away the third-round pick to scramble to get back to eight total picks comes at a cost.

Players who were on the board at Green Bay’s spot at No. 84 but selected by the end of the third round include Auburn edge Keyron Crawford, Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad, Georgia cornerback Daylen Everette, Arkansas running back Mike Washington and Florida offensive tackle Austin Barber.

Who would you rather have at cornerback, Everette or Charles Demmings? At running back, Washington or Kaelon Black? At offensive tackle, Barber or Pounds? As a pass rusher, Crawford or Kelly?

Great players win games. This mock would give the Packers one top-100 pick.

In this simulation, the Packers didn’t take a quarterback and drafted only one cornerback and defensive tackle. With a limited number of picks, though, it’s simply impossible to take care of everything.

Having lost dual-threat backup Malik Willis in free agency, the Packers hosted two quarterbacks on "30" visits. Here's the story on Virginia Tech's Kyron Drones, an athletic, strong-armed prospect whose O-line did him no favors in 2025. ⬇️https://t.co/y5Hjg0t8vC
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) April 22, 2026

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