Packers Help Vertical Passing Game in PFF’s Seven-Round Mock Draft

GREEN BAY, Wis. – While receiver is the chic projection for the Green Bay Packers’ first draft pick, defensive line is the betting favorite to be the position the team addresses.

Pro Football Focus went with the smart money in sending Texas A&M edge Shemar Stewart to the Packers with the 23rd pick of their seven-round mock draft.

“The Packers grab another young, athletic edge to develop in a similar path to Rashan Gary,” said PFF analyst Jon Macri, who played the role of Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.

“They won't have to thrust Stewart into an immediate starting role, as he can rotate with 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare. His 88.2 PFF run-defense grade in 2024 ranked fifth among all edge defenders in college football.”

Stewart, of course, is a polarizing prospect because of his rare athletic traits but mediocre college production. While a stout run defender, rushing the passer is a key part of the job description. In three seasons, he had a total of 4.5 sacks – 1.5 sacks in each season.

“If a player didn't have the kind of production that you think he should at the college level, there’s a lot of discussion about why, why that was and if you think that’s something that as he moves forward and he progresses as a football player, if that’s going to change or not,” Gutekunst said during his predraft news conference on Monday.

“So, that’s really it at the end of the day. It’s just a matter of looking at his game and as he moves into the National Football League, will those traits allow him to become a more productive player than maybe he was in college? So, I think that’s kind of how you look at it.”

What about receiver? The second-round pick was Mississippi’s Tre Harris. If Stewart was lacking in production, Harris was overflowing. Limited to just eight games by a groin injury, he caught 60 passes for 1,030 yards (17.2 average) and seven touchdowns. He averaged 128.8 yards per game. That was almost 10 yards better than any other player.

It’s not just the raw numbers that are appealing. At 6-foot-2 3/8 with 4.54 speed, he might not seem like the type of downfield threat to offset the loss of Christian Watson. However, he caught 9-of-16 passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield.

“Harris was highly productive in Ole Miss’ vertical passing game over the past two seasons, making him an ideal fit in Green Bay,” Macri explained. “With the Packers ranking second in deep attempt rate (16%) last season, Harris could bring immediate value as a field-stretching threat.”

Green Bay’s quest for versatile offensive linemen was addressed in the third round with Purdue’s Marcus Mbow, the Milwaukee native who gives off Zach Tom vibes.

“He could be a starter at all five line positions, although he must improve his pad level to play center,” reads a bit of his scouting report at PFF.

Mbow gave up zero sacks as Purdue’s right guard in 2022 and a total of four as the right tackle the past two seasons. With 32 1/2-inch arms, he might be destined to focus on the interior positions – center included.

In Day 3, Clemson linebacker Barrett Carter, Iowa safety Sebastian Castro and Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel were the picks in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. The draft wrapped up with East Carolina receiver Efton Chism and Florida cornerback Jason Marshall in the seventh round.

Carter, who could too short, was the choice at linebacker over Ohio State’s Cody Simon, who had seven sacks and 12.5 tackles for losses among 112 stops in 2024 was MVP of the national championship game.

The Packers have no need for a safety after signing Xavier McKinney and drafting three last year. Speed receiver Dont’e Thornton of Tennessee and athletic Kansas offensive tackle Logan Brown were on the board.

The Packers could use a developmental quarterback but history says there’s no way it will be Dillon, who is only 5-foot-11 1/8. Syracuse’s Kyle McCord, who stands 6-foot-3 and led the nation in passing yards, would have been an option.

Chism was a first-team FCS All-American in 2024 with 120 receptions for 1,311 yards and 13 touchdowns. He dropped only three passes. The quintessential slot receiver, he measured 5-foot-10 1/2 and ran his 40 in 4.71 seconds.

Marshall, an experienced SEC corner, had a predraft visit.

Defensive end is the favorite to be the position for Green Bay’s first-round draft pick at FanDuel Sportsbook, followed closely by cornerback. Receiver is a distant third.

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