The offseason is officially underway at 1265 Lombardi Ave. For the fifth time in a row, the Green Bay Packers have lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs. With the end of on-field action for the Green and Gold comes mock draft season. The Packers will pick 25th in 2024. I will try to mock the Packers draft before any other moves are made, like extensions or cuts.
The rules for this are pretty simple. I used the PFFs mock draft simulator for all seven rounds. There will be no trades or movement of any kind. I’m also not taking into account what the Packers have done in the past or what I think they may do in the future.
Now that that’s clear, let’s get into it.
This mock draft is an overreaction to the playoff loss to the 49ers. The Packers allowed George Kittle to carve them up and backup receivers like Jauan Jennings to make a big impact.
The secondary has been hurt all year and could use another injection of talent, especially at safety. The Packers spent some high picks, aside from their first on the offensive side of the ball in the last draft. As Packers teams have in the past, we’re going to double down on defensive back.
Here’s the full mock:
Round 1 (25) – Tyler Nubin – S – Minnesota Golden Gophers
At this point in the draft, Cooper DeJean, Nate Wiggins, Kool-Aid McKinstry, Terrion Arnold, and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. were off the board. I was between two safeties at the back end of the first. It was either Nubin or Kam Kinchens out of Miami. As someone who has seen both guys play in person, Nubin stood out as a more complete player.
Nubin is a redshirt senior defensive back who was the anchor for the Gopher defense this past season. He has improved every year he’s played. At 6’2”, 210 lbs., he has the size to play up in the box and aid in run support, but that size does not detract from his ability to play the pass. His elite coverage grade makes him the complete package at safety and a plug-and-play starter for Miami’s defense.
Round 2 (41) – T.J. Tampa – CB – Iowa State
After just missing out on one of my favorite corners of the class in Quinyon Mitchell, I settled for another fantastic option in the early second round. Tampa has shot up draft boards with his play as a senior. The long corner stands at 6’2”, 200 lbs., with the speed on tape to match. Tampa played almost exclusively boundary corner last season and excelled at it. Opponents didn’t test him, often throwing to the other side of the field. He needs some work in run support, but his coverage skills should be a good replacement for Eric Stokes’ loss.
Round 2 (57) from NYJ – T’Vondre Sweat – DT – Texas
The Packers had difficulty stopping the run all season, especially against the Niners. Sweat is an excellent run-stopper. He could come in and push T.J. Slaton and let Kenny Clark take more reps outside the A gap. I consider Sweat the best true nose tackle prospect in the class because of his massive size (6’4”, 360 lbs.) and the athleticism he shows on film. Simply put, big guys should not be able to move like that. Sweat will help to beef up Green Bay’s defensive line even more.
Round 3 (88) – Bucky Irving – RB – Oregon
Irving is among the highest-graded running backs over the past two seasons. The short, shifty back boasts speed and power reminiscent of Aaron Jones. Irving is also a younger back, with fewer miles on him. The former Golden Gopher is electric and can help the Packers in the passing game. Irving will need to work on his pass blocking to excel in Matt LaFleur’s system, but he shows enough as a runner to make that a minimal concern.
Round 3 (91) from BUF – Sedrick Van Pran – C – Georgia
The Packers love their Georgia boys and need help on the interior offensive line. Green Bay needs someone to push Josh Myers for the starting job, and Van Pran can do that. Van Pran played center at Georgia for three years and put up elite numbers all three seasons. In theory, he’d also have the versatility to play guard. He would be a great addition to the Packers’ interior.
Round 4 (125) – Malik Mustapha – DB – Wake Forest
It’s hard to find a more versatile defensive back than Mustapha. The junior played all over the field and could help the Packers in any position, whether it’s slot or safety or in dime packages. Mustapha is probably a better fit at safety, but he’s shown the ability to cover man-to-man. He has improved every year in college and has so much more room to elevate his game. Mustapha could check many boxes for the Packers, and it seems like a great value add in the fourth round.
Round 4 (135) – Braelon Allen – RB – Wisconsin
The Packers added a monster in Allen with this compensatory pick. Allen would directly replace A.J. Dillon. Allen is one of the most powerful running backs in college and has been a dominant force since he arrived in Madison. He’s a load at 6’2”, 245 lbs. and excels in yards after contact. The Packers should get tremendous value out of this pick, and it would be a fun story for Allen to go from playing at Camp Randall to Lambeau Field.
Round 6 (203) – Darius Muasau – LB – UCLA
Muasua was an excellent coverage linebacker during his time at UCLA. With De’Vondre Campbell seemingly losing a step in coverage, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a potential suitor to fill in for him. At 6’1”, 230 lbs., Muasau is not the biggest linebacker, but he provides a lot of experience and had a superb senior season. He could be a value add in the late rounds.
Round 6 (217) – J.J. Weaver – ED – Kentucky
Weaver has good size at 6’5” and 244 lbs. and has decent sack numbers. However, his production declined over his five seasons in the SEC. He has good athleticism that he will need some time to develop. The Packers have shown that they value attributes over production in the draft, and Weaver could be another one of Green Bay’s developmental edge rushers.
Round 6 (219) – Josh Proctor – S – Ohio State
Proctor is a solid college player. The 6’2”, 205 lb. senior is an excellent run-stopping safety who could use some work in his coverage skills. He didn’t play a ton, but PFF gave him good grades when Ohio State gave him snaps. Proctor is another versatile defensive back who could be a core special teamer.
Round 7 (246) – Zion Nelson – T – Miami (FL)
A bit of a homer pick here, but Nelson was a stud when he was healthy at Miami. Nelson has good feet and is the typical size to play tackle in the NFL. Nelson is a special athlete at 6’5”, 315 lbs., and the Packers would be drafting Nelson as a project player. After starting as a true freshman at left tackle, Nelson would miss almost all of his final two seasons of college after being relatively healthy for the first three. The Hurricane was bitten by the injury bug a lot during college, and he could not be at his best toward the end of his time in Coral Gables.
Fresh off a bitter loss to San Francisco, the Packers added two instant-impact defensive backs, two great additions on the interior of the trenches, a pair of shiny new backs with versatile skill sets, and depth players who could play crucial roles in specific situations. This mock draft did not address the offensive tackle or wide receiver position early, but that’s kind of how the board fell. I didn’t feel the value was worth it at the spots I was drafting to take those other players.
This would give the Green Bay defense yet another set of highly-rated players. Along with additions to beef up the offensive line and backfield, the Packers would bring in a solid draft class if the board falls this way.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats and data via PFF, ESPN, or Football Reference.
