What ESPN’s Scouts-Based Top 10 Mock Draft Means for Packers

Plus, here is who the Green Bay Packers landed in the latest and greatest NFL mock drafts with exactly one week until the first round kicks off outside Lambeau Field.

Michigan defensive back Will Johnson celebrates a touchdown after intercepting USC quarterback Miller Moss. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will have a long wait before making the 23rd pick of the NFL Draft one week from tonight. Obviously, what happens in front of them will have a dramatic impact on their selection.

ESPN.com’s Matt Miller consulted scouts to pick the Top 10. In this mock draft, two of the picks would impact the Packers.

At No. 9, the New Orleans Saints wound up with Texas A&M edge Shemar Stewart.

The Packers hosted Stewart on a so-called top-30 visit, and the incredibly athletic but incredibly unproductive defensive end has been among the most-frequently-mocked prospects. With his size, athleticism and potential, he seems like the quintessential Packers pick at a position they have focused on with their visits.

“Stewart has the highest upside of any defender in the class,” a scout told Miller. “Even with the (Derek) Carr injury situation, we believe reaching for a quarterback would be a mistake given where they rank on our board.”

At No. 10, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson landed with the Chicago Bears.

Johnson entered the predraft process as the consensus No. 1 cornerback. However, it’s been a case of out of sight, out of mind. He didn’t test at the Scouting Combine, instead opting to wait until Michigan’s pro day. An injured hamstring kept him from testing at pro day. He held an individual pro day on Monday but didn’t run a 40 – the one test scouts were hoping to see to answer any questions about his speed.

With unanswered questions, could Johnson fall into range for the Packers, who signed Nate Hobbs in free agency but don’t have a true No. 1 cornerback?

Perhaps not, because the speed issue wasn’t a concern for the scout. The tape and production were enough.

“I believe in using a top-10 pick on premium positions,” the scout said. “Quarterback, left tackle, pass rusher or cornerback. Johnson's tape the last two years is of an elite cornerback.”

NFL.com: Replacing Jaire Alexander

While it’s possible Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has come to the realization that Jaire Alexander is his best cornerback and he’s paid him a lot of money, it’s always been far more likely than not that Alexander has spent his last game on the Packers’ sideline in street clothes.

In response, NFL.com’s Marc Ross selected Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston with the Packers’ first-round pick in his new mock draft.

“Jaire Alexander is at the forefront of trade discussions in Green Bay – and he's missed double-digit games in three of the past four seasons,” Ross wrote. “Bottom line: It's time for the Packers to invest in his replacement. Hairston has the skill set to step in as a starting cornerback.”

Hairston is the No. 35 overall prospect, according to NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah as well as The Athletic’s Dane Brugler. He is No. 32, according to NFL.com’s Eric Edholm.

“Light-footed, lean-framed, instinctive and highly athletic corner in the mold of Adoree’ Jackson,” Edholm wrote. “I believe Hairston has a chance to be a late first-rounder for a CB-needy team that isn't hung up on his lack of bulk.”

The “lack of bulk” is a big deal. At the Scouting Combine, where his 40-yard time of 4.28 seconds was the fastest in the field, he measured 5-foot-11 1/4 and 183 pounds. That weight ranks in the 31st percentile among cornerbacks and will challenge him as a tackler and in point-of-catch battles.

He is a tremendous playmaker, though. He intercepted five passes in 2023. A shoulder injury limited him to seven games in 2024 and he finished with one interception.  

“From the [vertical jump] to the broad jump to the 40, the field work, too, that's going to be the cherry on top,” he told CBS before his Combine workout. “You need to get popcorn (and) probably a milkshake and some candy.”

The Texas duo of cornerback Jahdae Barron and receiver Matthew Golden went shortly thereafter. Four receivers went in the first round, including one to the rival Lions at No. 28.

Pro Football Network: Two Rounds

In Cameron Sheath’s latest, the cornerback waited until the second round – and he’s another big-time athlete.

The first-round pick was used on Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka, who was one of six receivers to visit Lambeau Field.

“Egbuka is a team-first receiver with exceptional route-running ability,” he wrote. “His willingness to block in the run game makes him a great fit for Matt LaFleur’s offense. As does the fact that he stayed at Ohio State throughout college, despite possessing the talent to be an alpha elsewhere.

“The Packers have shown considerable interest in high-end receivers during the pre-draft process, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them go to that well on Day 1.”

The Packers hosted three first-round receiver prospects. Egbuka doesn’t have Tetairoa McMillan’s height or Matthew Golden’s speed, but he is polished, reliable and sure-handed.

CBS Sports: Three Rounds

Speaking of Tetairoa McMillan, he was Mike Renner’s first-round pick in a three-round mock draft.

“McMillan is so perfect for what the Packers need that I'd even consider a trade up for them if he slides into the late teens,” Renner wrote. “His sure-handedness is desperately missing in the Packers' receiving corps.”

He was the pick over, among others, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson, Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston, Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen and fellow receiver Emeka Egbuka.

The second and third rounds focused on the trenches, with William & Mary offensive tackle Charles Grant and Indiana defensive tackle C.J. West.

NFL.com: Who Packers ‘Should’ Pick

Going back to NFL.com, Adam Rank’s mock is what teams should do. While there’s reason to believe the Packers will finally use a first-round pick on a receiver, he went with Georgia edge Mykel Wiliams, “the kind of high-upside defender you have loved in the past.”

Sharp Football: Receiver

In his latest, Ryan McCrystal selected Texas receiver Matthew Golden.