Seven-Round Packers Mock Draft 1.0: Focus on the Trenches

‘Tis the season.
Well, almost.
The Super Bowl will be played this week, but for the 14th consecutive season, the Green Bay Packers will not be playing in it.
Soon enough, however, everyone in the football world will be huddled around Lambeau Field waiting for that familiar jingle that plays before Roger Goodell announces who was selected by the team that’s on the clock.
Thanks to a 22-10 wild-card loss, the Packers are picking in the bottom third of the first round, with their first pick coming at No. 23. The last time the Packers picked 23rd, they took Bryan Bulaga from Iowa. That worked out OK.
Opinions on what the team needs to get over the hump and into the Super Bowl will vary.
Brian Gutekunst does not always look at immediate needs for his team, having to balance the future with the needs of the present.
Last year’s first-round pick, Jordan Morgan, for example, was not an immediate starter. He competed with Sean Rhyan at right guard before ending the season on injured reserve.
While many will clamor for the Packers to add to their cornerback room, Gutekunst will not deviate from who he thinks could make the biggest impact in the future.
With that in mind, a cornerback was not the first-round pick in this first seven-round mock draft. Here is who was, using Pro Football Network’s mock draft simulator.
Round 1, Pick 23: Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State
Yes, a defensive lineman.
Of the themes that emerged from Brian Gutekunst’s post-mortem media availability, one that was clear was the Packers will always look to build in the trenches.
Kenny Clark was given a rare third contract from the Packers this offseason and proceeded to have the least productive season of his career. He’ll still be in Green Bay next year, but planning for his continued decline should be part of the priority for Gutekunst.
Apart from Clark, there has not been a defensive lineman that has distinguished himself as an impact player.
Gutekunst said he was fired up about Devonte Wyatt, stating the 2022 first-round pick was their most impactful rusher from the interior, but he has battled inconsistency.
Tyleik Williams was one of the anchors of Ohio State’s stingy defense.
Williams had 23 stops in the run game and 21 pressures for the Buckeyes, according to PFF.
He’s listed at 6-foot-3 and 327 pounds, which could help the Packers replace TJ Slaton should he walk in free agency while adding more upside as a pass rusher.
Early favorites at cornerback like ECU’s Shavon Revel and Texas’ Jahdae Barron were off the board, making it hard to consider a defensive back in this spot.
Also Considered: Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan; Cameron Williams, OT, Texas.
Round 2, Pick 54: Jack Sawyer, edge, Ohio State
Another Buckeye, this time a pass rusher.
Jack Sawyer was one of the captains of Ohio State’s defense and made arguably the biggest play of the national champions’ season. His strip-sack of Texas QB Quinn Ewers clinched the Buckeyes’ victory over Texas and sent them to the national championship game.
Sawyer’s final season in Columbus saw him rack up nine sacks, three forced fumbles and, according to Pro Football Focus, 64 pressures.
The Packers could use some more juice off the edge after their pass rush did not become the dominant group they envisioned during training camp.
Sawyer could compete to start immediately across from Rashan Gary to help alleviate some of those issues.
Also Considered: Donovan Jackson, OG, Ohio State; Isaiah Bond, WR, Texas.
Round 3, Pick 87: Hollin Pierce, OT, Rutgers
Another round, another line-of-scrimmage player. This time it’s Hollin Pierce from Rutgers.
The Packers have some questions to answer on their offensive line.
Right tackle Zach Tom is set to be a free agent after the 2025 season. He’ll likely receive a contract extension. After that? It’s anyone’s guess. Center Josh Myers is slated to be a free agent this offseason. Right guard Sean Rhyan and left tackle Rasheed Walker will be free agents next offseason.
Walker is the big question to answer. Do the Packers view him as a franchise left tackle? Do they want to pay him like one? Those contracts are expensive, which makes offensive line a potential position to be addressed early.
Pierce would be heavier than any offensive lineman the team has selected since Derek Sherrod, but they did show interest in Amarius Mims and Tyler Guyton a season ago.
Pierce’s athletic testing will be a key factor for Green Bay, but he allowed only one sack each of the last two years as the Scarlet Knights’ left tackle and was penalized twice in 2024.
Competition on the offensive line is never a bad thing, and as the Packers painfully learned in their playoff loss to the Eagles, you can never have too many quality big bodies.
Also Considered: Josiah Stewart, edge, Michigan; Jaylen Reed, S, Penn State
Round 4, Pick 123: Jack Bech, WR, TCU
Bech was one of the stars of the Senior Bowl, which has had a plethora of players make their way to Green Bay from Mobile in recent years.
Bech enjoyed a breakout season in 2024, totaling more than 1,000 receiving yards with nine touchdowns and a 16.7-yard average.
The Packers need help at receiver, and it’s always a popular pick early in mock drafts, but this year feels like a year they could replenish some of the potential departures following the 2025 season.
Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson are set to become free agents after the 2025 season. Watson will miss at least some of the season with a torn ACL he suffered in the regular-season finale against Chicago. Doubs suffered two concussions, including a scary one in the team’s playoff loss in Philadelphia.
Gutekunst typically likes to do things a year early instead of a year too late. Bech would help soften the potential blow of losing one of the team’s veteran receivers.
Also Considered: Devin Neal, RB, Kansas; Kobe King, LB, Penn State.
Round 5, Pick 160: Ricky White, WR, UNLV
A double dip, and this time at receiver.
Ricky White showed off some impressive route-running skills at the East-West Shrine Bowl. The aforementioned attrition that could be coming at receiver helps motivate this pick. Plus, White has a chance to be an impactful player in the NFL.
White caught 88 passes for 1,483 yards and eight touchdowns in 2023 and 79 passes for 1,041 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024.
The Packers have typically valued collegiate production when selecting receivers, and White certainly fits the bill.
Also Considered: Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee; Ty Robinson, DT, Nebraska.
Round 6, Pick 200: Seth McLaughlin, C, Ohio State
One Ohio State center to potentially help replace another?
With Josh Myers set to be an unrestricted free agent, McLaughlin has plenty of pedigree playing in the SEC for Alabama before transferring to Ohio State for his final season in college.
He was solid as both a pass blocker and run blocker before his season ended due to injury. He allowed one sack in 1,265 pass-protecting snaps in his career, according to PFF, and was flagged just once in 2024.
Also Considered: Dalton Cooper, OT, Oklahoma State; Demetrius Knight Jr., LB, South Carolina.
Round 7, Pick 239: Jamon Dumas-Johnson, LB, Kentucky
Perhaps the Packers could use some help at linebacker with Eric Wilson and Isaiah McDuffie slated to be free agents, though Wilson could be someone that is a priority to re-sign since he is a favorite of special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia.
Dumas-Johnson played 55 snaps on special teams but did make an impact on Kentucky’s defense with 26 stops, according to PFF. In four seasons (three at Georgia, one at Kentucky), he had 192 tackles, 13 sacks and 25 tackles for losses.
Also Considered: Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan.
Round 7, Pick 251: Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan
The Packers did not complete a single third-down pass to a running back that resulted in a first round a season ago.
Perhaps Marshawn Lloyd will help fill some of those issues, but he played in only one game as a rookie due to injuries.
Donovan Edwards never fully lived up to his five-star billing at Michigan, but had some big moments in big games and is capable of scoring a touchdown at a moment’s notice.
His experience as a pass catcher could help the Packers, as well, as Edwards did display an ability to catch the ball out of the backfield and also lineup out wide as a receiver. He caught 86 passes in his career, including a 77-yard touchdown as a freshman.
Also Considered: Glendon Miller, S, Maryland.
What Worked?
Adding two receivers to the fold should keep the weaponry for Jordan Love fully stocked as the team enters a bit of a transition period at that position.
Adding two impact defenders to the front seven also should give Jeff Hafley all the tools he needs to take his defense to the next level. Tyleik Williams should be able to contribute as a rookie. Ditto for Sawyer.
Grabbing a potential playmaking running back out of the backfield with the final pick of the draft could be a potential boon as Green Bay looks to tweak its offense after a disastrous ending to the season.
Adding two more offensive linemen to fill out the depth in the room was positive, as well.
What Didn’t Work?
The flashing red light at the end of this draft is the fact there were no defensive backs added.
If the draft were to have played out this way, Gutekunst would have had to do some yeoman’s work in free agency at cornerback.
With Jaire Alexander’s future uncertain and Eric Stokes headed to free agency, the only cornerbacks under contract that have played any snaps of significance are Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine.
Both players have had some nice moments, but they are not players that force you to ignore a potential upgrade.
Pierce in the third round is also a departure from the way the Packers have typically done things on the offensive line. Maybe that’s a good thing, but typically they’ve done well with their way of drafting linemen that are lighter and more athletic for positional versatility.
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“If it’s the right player, if you feel like he can be a dynamic player who can change your football team, I think you’ve got to consider that, because there’s not many of those guys out there.”
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) February 4, 2025
- #Packers GM Brian Gutekunst on trades. https://t.co/vMpILW4rzj
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