Going into the draft, the consensus needs for the Green Bay Packers in the first round were wide receiver, cornerback, edge, and interior defensive line.
Will Johnson, Mike Green, Donovan Ezeiruaku, and Matthew Golden were the top four guys on my board. Gutey stayed near consensus and took a wide receiver in the first round for the first time since 2002, selecting Matthew Golden out of Texas.
Golden ranked 20th on the consensus big board and was the third-best player remaining. While this may be a polarizing pick for Packers fans because the production profile is an outlier for a first-round receiver, it’s a relief to leave Day 1 with a player who seems like he makes them better immediately. And he’s quite a fun prospect.
Green and Golden!
With wide receiver addressed, let’s look at some of my favorite players still available going into Day 2 who could fill their other needs at DL, EDGE, and CB. I could also see them adding some OL depth on Day 2.
A few projected first-round names still available that deserve a mention, but who I expect to be taken early today are:
- Mike Green – EDGE, Marshall
- Donovan Ezeiruaku – EDGE, Boston College
- Will Johnson – CB, Michigan
All three would fill huge needs, and I would trade up to secure any of them.
Trey Amos, Shavon Revel Jr., J.T. Tuimoloau, and Landon Jackson are a few other favorites of mine who I want to mention before I discuss some guys further.
Cornerback
Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
Morrison was a top-half of the first-round prospect before he had season-ending hip surgery, which is one of the main reasons he’s still available, although he seems healthy now. At Notre Dame, he instantly made an impact as a freshman and soon became a star.
He’s an extremely smart player who reads routes and hands very well. He tracks the ball and fights through the receiver’s hands at a high level. Athletically, he isn’t a marvel and is a bit slow stopping and starting, but he has good size and is a fluid mover otherwise.
He also struggles a bit as a run defender because he is a bit light, but he is in the right spot most of the time.
Nohl Williams, Cal
Williams is 6’0”, 199 lbs., and his physicality stands out. He has good size and great play strength. This past season, he led the nation in interceptions with seven and was a second-team All-American. He’s consistently produced at a high level throughout his career, with 25 pass breakups, 14 interceptions, three forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries, and three TDs.
On top of that, he sticks his head in the run game, though he can be an inconsistent tackler. You may wonder why he’s projected to go in Round 3 or later with this production profile. That’s because he’s an average athlete at a traits-based position. That can lead to opponents occasionally beating him, making him unable to recover, and he draws a lot of penalties because of his physical nature.
Edge
Jordan Burch, Oregon
Burch was the 17th-overall recruit coming out of high school and committed to South Carolina. However, after totaling only 7.5 sacks over his first four seasons (three at SC, one at Oregon), it took until this past season, his second at Oregon, to put it all together with 8.5 sacks. He’s a big, strong power rusher who can play inside and out at a slimmed-down 279 lbs.
The biggest knock on him throughout his career was that he’d show flashes of his athleticism, but it was never consistent. That led to poor production until this past season, when he showed much more craft and refinement as a pass rusher. He’ll turn 24 during the season, and, with only one year of production, he ended up as a Day 2 prospect. Still, the combination of size and athleticism makes him an exciting high-upside chess piece.
Ashton Gillotte, Louisville
A pass-rush artist. He’s a refined pass rusher with an explosive and strong lower half that converts speed to power well. He’s only 6’2.5” but is filled out well at 264 lbs. On top of his craft, he tested great to elite in every category, compiling a 9.74 RAS score.
His size occasionally becomes an issue because he also has very short arms, making it difficult for him to get off blocks and create separation as a power rusher. Despite his elite 20.9% pass-rush win rate, he’s been an inconsistent finisher, with 11 sacks in 2023 and then just 4.5 sacks in 2024.
Defensive Tackle
Jordan Phillips, Maryland
On the NFL Stock Exchange Podcast, Mike Renner said that Brian Gutekunst was “hawking” Jordan Phillips at the Shrine Bowl. Phillips is a huge interior defensive lineman. He is a pro-ready run defender and one of the youngest players in the draft at 20 years old.
He didn’t record a sack in college, but he had an 11% pass rush win rate over 268 pass-rush snaps this past season. Given this, I wouldn’t entertain him until the third. However, he could immediately take over the T.J. Slaton run-downs role while developing as a pass rusher.
Alfred Collins, Texas
The Packers met with Collins, and Justis Mosqueda also mentioned him as a name he’s heard to watch out for with Green Bay. He’s a high-floor run defender who can play anywhere across the front despite being 6’5” and 332 lbs.
Collins is already 23 and hasn’t shown the ability to rush the passer to this point in his career, with just three sacks over the last two seasons, which limits his upside. Still, he could be a Day 1 contributor for Hafley’s defense.
Offensive Line
Wyatt Milum – OT, West Virginia
Jonah Savaiinaea – OT, Arizona
Jared Wilson – C, Georgia
If Green Bay looks to add a Sean Rhyan or Rasheed Walker replacement on Day 2, Milum and Savaiinaea are the two names I’d keep an eye on. They are prototypical Packers offensive linemen who hit their athletic and size thresholds. Green Bay typically takes tackles and converts them to guard rather than just taking a pure guard.
However, they take pure centers (Josh Myers and Corey Linsley) to play center, and if they look to replace Jenkins instead, Wilson is a name to monitor. He’s an elite athlete and just 21 years old.
