Recently, the Green Bay Packers have taken super-athletic, developmental picks in the first round of the draft. Selecting Lukas Van Ness out of Iowa two years ago is a prime example. So are Jordan Love, Rashan Gary, Eric Stokes, Quay Walker, and, most recently, Jordan Morgan.
The Packers want high-ceiling, low-floor first-rounders.
This strategy usually works out for them — usually being the key word. Love and Gary are examples of players who needed time to develop. Meanwhile, Stokes made an instant impact, even if injuries have derailed his career. The verdict is still out on Morgan and Van Ness, but they’re not trending in the right direction.
At the end of the season, Packers general manager Brian Guteknust made comments about the state of the team that indicated he might not target that kind of player in the first round this year.
“We need to continue to ramp up our sense of urgency,” Gutekunst said during a season-ending news conference. “The life of a player in the National Football League is not very long. We’ve got a bunch of good guys in that locker room, we’ve got a bunch of talented guys in that locker room, and I think it’s time we started competing for championships.”
But this is the same guy who drafted Jordan Love while Aaron Rodgers was in his prime. Something tells me that old habits die hard with the Packers GM. So, this mock draft will examine what the Packers would do if they followed their usual script.
Green Bay has seven picks this year, one in each round. Since the Packers are known to make trades, I will only accept one trade.
With that said, here we go.
Round 1 (23) – Nic Scourton – ED – Texas A&M
The Packers need to find a way to affect the quarterback better in 2025, and Scourton could provide significant help. Scourton is a prototypical Packers pick, with a huge 6’4”, 285 lb. frame — and he’s still not yet turned 21.
Scourton produced only four sacks last season. However, neither Gary nor Van Ness generated crazy numbers coming out of college. His potential is too great for the Packers to pass up if they’ve got eyes on big athletic profiles.
Round 2 (55) – Jack Bech – WR – TCU
This pick was a toss-up between two of my favorite receivers in this class. Miami’s Xavier Restrepo was there for the taking, and I love him dearly. However, Bech is 6’2”, 215 lbs. and fits the size range the Packers usually target.
Bech is a productive player and fits the mold that the Packers target in the second round with a productive college player with athletic upside. Jayden Reed and Javon Bullard are further examples of that.
Round 3 (87) – Derrick Harmon – DL – Oregon
Harmon was fantastic for the Ducks defense and could help the Packers in stopping both the run and the pass. Last season, the Packers got next to nothing from Kenny Clark.
With Karl Brooks and Devonte Wyatt emerging, it would be great for the Packers to add another interior presence to this group. Harmom’s upside in the third round and his production in all phases make him an ideal pick. He’s also 6’5”, 310 lbs,. and a true junior.
Round 5 (152) – Nohl Williams – CB – Cal
I traded back a bit because I did not like the value and picked up an extra sixth this year and next. With this pick, the Packers get Nohl Williams, a ball-hawking boundary corner from Cal. He had seven interceptions last season and has the size (6’1”, 200 lbs.) to keep up on the boundary.
Round 5 (160) – O’Donnell Fortune – CB – South Carolina
Another big corner who was fantastic in 2024, Fortune had a PFF grade of 85.8 with a coverage grade over 90. He struggles in run defense. Still, the Packers need guys who can keep up in man coverage, and Fortune was reliable for an SEC defense last season. Worth a shot on an experienced boundary guy.
The Packers also have an opportunity to double up at a position they need to fill, which they have done in the past.
Round 6 (189) – Hunter Wohler – S – Wisconsin
The Packers keep a player close to home and give defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley a fun chess piece and a solid football player in Wohler.
Wohler was fantastic two seasons ago. Like almost everyone else on Wisconsin, he had a down year last season. He lined up all over the field and could be an excellent box safety or hybrid linebacker for the Packers.
Round 6 (199) – Clay Webb – G/C – Jacksonville State
Webb is a fantastic run blocker who works well in a zone scheme like the one Matt LaFleur runs, and the Packers could use the interior depth.
He could play center at the next level, and the Packers could think about using him there. PFF has given Webb an 80-plus grade in his past three seasons, during which he only allowed three sacks combined.
Round 7 (234) – Drew Kendall – C – Boston College
The Packers take a shot on a true center from BC in Kendall. He’s 6’4”, 300 lbs., and has solid grades across the board. He only allowed a single sack this past season, and Green Bay can reunite him with Hafley, his old college coach.
That’s what a typical Packers draft might look like. They target a high-value developmental position of need in the first while going for athletic players with solid production later on while doubling up at some positions of need.
