Seven-Round Packers Mock Draft 1.1: Beat Eagles Edition

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Philadelphia Eagles overpowered and overwhelmed the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s Super Bowl. The Eagles, who beat the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round in similar if less-emphatic fashion, look like a juggernaut.

My first all-Packers mock draft of the year, done with Pro Football Network’s simulator, is aimed at mitigating and/or imitating the Eagles’ strengths.

First Round: Oregon DT Derrick Harmon

The Eagles’ defensive line destroyed Kansas City’s front. The Packers’ D-line, of course, underperformed in 2024. With Kenny Clark another year older and TJ Slaton headed to free agency, the Packers need to bolster their interior defensive line.

Derrick Harmon is Daniel Jeremiah’s 22nd-ranked prospect, boasting quickness and instincts against the run and pass at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds. He had five sacks and 11 tackles for losses at Oregon in 2024 after opening his career at Michigan State. PFF credited him with a whopping 55 pressures.

“Overall,” Jeremiah concluded, “Harmon has a great feel for the game and can create a lot of havoc despite lacking an elite trait.”

Second Round: Florida State CB Azareye’h Thomas

In case you were unaware, the Packers have enormous questions at cornerback. The Packers got by without Jaire Alexander last year but that’s not the ideal way of doing business. With Alexander unlikely to return and with former first-round pick Eric Stokes headed to free agency, Azareye’h Thomas would bring needed skill and size to the secondary.

Thomas is not a big-time playmaker (two career interceptions) but allowed a 51.5 percent catch rate in 2024, according to PFF. He is Jeremiah’s 43rd-ranked prospect with “intelligence and character.”

Thomas had a strong week at the Senior Bowl, where he measured 6-foot-1 1/2.

Third Round: Georgia C Jared Wilson

Early mock drafts are tough. What are the Packers going to do with free-agent center Josh Myers?

Wilson would bring elite athleticism to the pivot, just like Cam Jurgens did for the Eagles. In his lone season as a starter, PFF charged Wilson with zero sacks and six total pressures.

“This guy runs faster than a lot of our defensive backs, believe it or not,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in March. “Our tight ends, our quarterbacks, too. His numbers are extremely athletic.”

Fourth Round: Miami DE Tyler Baron

Maybe new defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington can bring the best out of Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness. Or, maybe the Packers need to throw more talent at the position.

Baron had six sacks and 11 tackles for losses at Tennessee in 2023 and 5.5 sacks and 11 tackles for losses at Miami in 2024, when he was coached by Pro Football Hall of Famer Jason Taylor. Baron, who has the size the Packers covet (6-foot-4 1/2 and 262 pounds at the East-West Shrine Game), had an elite pass-rush win rate of 19.0 percent, according to PFF.

Fifth Round: Iowa CB Jermari Harris

The math is easy. The Packers could lose Alexander, Stokes and backups Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell. If the Packers lose three or four, they better add more than one.

Harris allowed a 43.2 percent catch rate in 2024, according to PFF, with three interceptions and just one touchdown allowed. He would be an excellent fit in Green Bay’s zone scheme. He measured 6-foot 1/8 at the East-West Shrine Game.

There will be health concerns. Harris missed the 2022 season with an ankle injury. He returned to action in 2023 and was superb in 2024 before he decided to skip the final few games to focus on his health and the draft.

“Jermari has got hardware in his leg,” Hawkeyes coach Kirk Ferentz said at the time.

If the medicals don’t check out, we’d be happy to take Kansas cornerback Mello Dotson at this spot. Dotson isn’t as stingy as Harris, with a 56.7 percent catch rate in 2024 and 61.6 percent for his career, but he’s a big-time playmaker with 12 interceptions, including four pick-sixes, in his career.

Sixth Round: Kansas OT Logan Brown

Brown spent his first four seasons at Wisconsin; the former five-star recruit transferred to Kansas after a practice-field incident, which will have to be vetted.

After redshirting in 2023, he was a second-team all-Big 12 right tackle in 2024. PFF charged him with zero sacks, zero quarterback hits and just six pressures. At the Senior Bowl, he measured 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds with 34 3/4-inch arms.

Seventh Round: Tulane DT Patrick Jenkins

The Eagles threw waves of defensive linemen at the Chiefs. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 293 pounds, Jenkins had 10 sacks and 19 tackles for losses during his final two seasons at Tulane.

Seventh Round: Illinois WR Zakhari Franklin

The choice was production over traits in taking Franklin over Virginia Tech receiver Da’Quan Felton.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Franklin finished his career ranked eighth in FBS history in career receptions (321), ninth in career receiving touchdowns (42) and 21st in career receiving yards (4,038). Yes, times are different. It took Franklin six seasons to amass those numbers. He had two 1,000-yard seasons at UTSA before catching 55 passes for 652 yards and four touchdowns for the Illini in 2024.

What We Liked

We hit Green Bay’s big need for big guys with two defensive tackles, one defensive end and two offensive linemen. A healthy Jordan Morgan and the addition of Wilson would bolster a unit that was under siege against the Eagles in the playoffs.

At corner, Thomas in the second round wasn’t just good value but he’d bring some needed size to a cornerback group filled with sub-6-footers.

Where We Failed

Let’s face it: The Packers have more holes in their lineup than draft picks to address them.

Getting a receiver in the second round is always good business for the Packers, but getting a cornerback seemed like a much bigger deal. Utah State receiver Jalen Royals was a thought in the third but there could be a hole at center that needs to be addressed.

At that point, the focus became filling other spots. The Packers don’t need a receiver. They need an impact receiver. So, other than taking one in the seventh, we didn’t bother.

So, it would be up to Jordan Love to make it work with who he’s got … or Davante Adams.