Packers (Almost) Forget Receiver in New Seven-Round Mock Draft

GREEN BAY, Wis. – It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Green Bay Packers didn’t draft a receiver in the first round of the NFL Draft. After all, Arizona Wildcats receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who is the betting favorite to be the first receiver selected at FanDuel Sportsbook, was about a year away from being born when the Packers grabbed Javon Walker in 2002.

But to not take a receiver in the second round? Or the second day?

But that was the case in a new seven-round mock draft at Pro Football Network.

In the first round, the Packers selected Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. With the free-agent departure of TJ Slaton and following a sluggish season by Kenny Clark, Harmon could help the Packers “continue (the) ascension” started last year, Jacob Infante said.

“This is a loaded defensive tackle class, but Derrick Harmon has the tools to be among the best. He’s big, long, and athletic, with the power and hand usage to generate pressure up the middle,” he explained.

Harmon is one of the top pass-rushing defensive tackles in the draft. He would help the pass defense. So would the second-round pick, Mississippi cornerback Trey Amos. At 6-foot 3/4 and with 4.43 speed, Amos intercepted three passes for the Rebels in 2024 after picking off just one pass in three seasons at Louisiana and zero in one season at Alabama.

“It took two transfers for him to get there, but Trey Amos finally finds himself strongly on NFL radars as an early-round prospect,” Infante wrote. “He’s an explosive athlete at cornerback with fluid hips and ideal deep speed, and he’s sticky enough in man coverage to consistently stay in the wide receiver’s hip pocket.”

The Packers provided further help to the pass defense in the third round with a “lightning in the bottle” pass rusher.

The receiver came in the fifth round with Maryland’s Tai Felton. Felton’s got some serious wheels. At 6-foot-1 1/8, he ran his 40 in 4.37 seconds. He had a superb final season with 96 receptions for 1,124 yards and nine touchdowns to earn third-team All-American.

Felton dropped too many passes (eight; 7.7 percent) but forced 26 missed tackles in 2024 and recorded eight tackles on special teams in 2023.

Would a Day 3 receiver move the needle enough for the Packers? In this simulation, they could have taken Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka in the first round, Mississippi’s Tre Harris and Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor and TCU’s Jack Bech in the second round. By the time the Packers were up in the third round, Colorado State’s Tory Horton was the best available.

The other Day 3 picks were used on an offensive tackle, interior lineman, linebacker and running back.

FanDuel Mock Draft: Cornerback

A mock draft at FanDuel had the Packers selecting Michigan cornerback Will Johnson. Johnson will hold an individual pro day on Monday after missing the school’s pro day with a hamstring injury.

Explained Austin Swaim: “The 6-foot-2 corner has ideal size, speed and length for the position and, realistically, let his play do the talking during Michigan's 2023 national title run, removing half of the field at a time. He had two picks in just five games during 2024 before the hamstring issue, too.”

NFL.com: Also a Cornerback

NFL.com deputy editor Gennaro Filice also took a cornerback, Ole Miss’ Trey Amos. With or without Jaire Alexander, the Packers need a corner. Either they’ll need to replace him completely or prepare for injuries after he missed double-digits games three of the last four seasons.

“With good size and coverage versatility, Amos is the type of CB the Pack typically target. And his 4.43 40 in Indy alleviated any potential speed concerns,” Filice wrote.

With Will Johnson and Jahdae Barron off the board, Amos was the third corner selected.

The Draft Network: Another Cornerback

Another mock, another corner. In Keith Sanchez’s latest for The Draft Network, the Packers selected Kentucky speedster Maxwell Hairston.

“Maxwell Hairston was one of the premier performers at the NFL Combine, posting the fastest 40-yard time of any prospect. But the key with Hairston is that his speed matches up with the film,” Sanchez explained.

The 33rd Team: And Another Cornerback

Ian Valentino continued the theme with East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel, who had a sensational 2023 season and was off to a dominant start to 2024 before suffering a torn ACL.

“However, his upside as a 6-foot-2 playmaking corner was worth a top-10 pick before the injury, so he's worth the gamble,” he explained.

In this simulation, Texas’ Jahdae Barron fell to the end of the first round.

CBS Sports: Edge

Georgia’s Mykel Williams was the edge-rushing pick over James Pearce, Donovan Ezeiruaku and Shemar Stewart, who all went in the next handful of picks.

“They could go a number of directions here, but the Packers might not pass up such a gifted pass-rushing project if he's still available, especially after parting ways with Preston Smith during the 2024 campaign,” Cody Benjamin wrote.

Players You Might Cross Off the Draft Board

Offensive line | Tight ends | Receivers | Running backs | Quarterbacks