A major part of the excitement swirling around the Green Bay Packers hosting the draft is seeing so many top prospects in town to hear their name called early. This year, 17 prospects will be in Green Bay for the festivities. So, which one of these guys is most likely to stay in Wisconsin when Round 1 is complete?
Per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, here are the confirmed players that will be in attendance.
It’s a star-studded list that includes Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter and quarterback Cam Ward, the assumed No. 1-overall pick, among others.
For purposes of this exercise, let’s bury the lede and go by process of elimination.
Three quarterbacks will be in attendance, and the Tennessee Titans will almost surely take Ward first.
Green Bay isn’t in the market for a quarterback even if Alabama’s Jalen Milroe or Mississippi’s Jaxson Dart starts to slip. Let’s eliminate those three right off the bat.
Down to 14.
Next, let’s look at who most believe are the top two prospects in this class in Hunter and Penn State’s Abdul Carter.
Would the Packers like to have either of those two in the green and gold? Absolutely. However, Green Bay is selecting at No. 23, and a jump to No. 2 or No. 3 would not only be unprecedented but also cost a fortune. It isn’t a realistic scenario. Sadly, wipe Hunter and Carter off the board of possibilities.
Down to 12.
On to the next tier of prospects that almost all mocks have going in the top 10. This list includes offensive tackle Will Campbell, defensive tackle Mason Graham, and running back Ashton Jeanty.
Offensive tackle, primarily on the left side, could be a sneaky need later in the draft for Green Bay. However, Campbell should be long gone by No. 23, and a trade-up doesn’t seem likely for this.
Graham is projected to go No. 5 to the Jacksonville Jaguars in almost every mock, and the Packers have other areas of concern to look at first besides defensive tackle. Of course, if Graham magically fell to No. 23 or even outside of the top 10, then maybe Green Bay moves up. That is a fantasyland dream, though.
As for running back, it’d be equally surprising to see the Packers take an RB in Round 1 as it would be to see Jeanty fall to No. 23. Not gonna happen.
Down to nine.
Let’s pivot to a couple of players who could be available later in the first round but don’t necessarily fit the description of an urgent need for Green Bay.
While it’s true that many front offices choose the best player available, and that is a legitimate strategy, there are always exceptions to the rule.
The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t drafting a quarterback in Round 1, no matter who falls to No. 31. The same can be said for the Philadelphia Eagles and the running back position.
Jihaad Campbell is unanimously regarded as the best inside linebacker in this class. Some mocks like Pro Football Focus have Campbell going as high as 14 to the Indianapolis Colts, while others like ESPN’s Mel Kiper see Campbell falling to Philadelphia at No. 32.
Campbell could be on the board when the Packers pick, and many fans and analysts see his game translating seamlessly to the next level. The Packers have Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper in place at inside linebacker and re-signed Isaiah McDuffie. Campbell may be a stud, but seeing the Packers go that direction with their first pick would still be somewhat surprising.
The same can be said for safety Malaki Starks. He’s a really good player, but the Packers already have Xavier McKinney at safety and second-year players Javon Bullard and Evan Williams.
Seven possibilities left — we’re nearing the finish line.
To knock out some more, let’s consider three names Green Bay would likely have to trade up to get.
The Packers have traded up in the first round under Brian Gutekunst’s leadership, most notably moving from pick No. 30 to No. 26 in 2020 to select Jordan Love. So it’s possible, but we also know Gutekunst likes stacking picks up instead of dishing them out. Trading up would require giving up more draft capital.
Wide receivers Tetairoa McMillan and Matthew Golden are both candidates to be off the board by pick 23. Most mocks have the Dallas Cowboys selecting one of the two at No. 12 to form a scary duo with CeeDee Lamb. One of the two may be available at No. 23, but the more likely case is that one is gone and both could be scooped up.
Cornerback Will Johnson is sitting somewhere in that sweet spot between picks 10 and 16, and with the Miami Dolphins recently announcing that they are going to trade cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Johnson could be a prime candidate for them at No. 13. In any case, Johnson falling to No. 23 would be stunning.
Let’s say Green Bay stays put at No. 23 for the purposes of this exercise. Because of that, we can eliminate these three.
And then there were four.
The four names left are: Alabama guard Tyler Booker, Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons, Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart, and Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams.
Booker is fascinating because, with Sean Rhyan only having one year left on his deal, there could be a hole at right guard following the 2025 season. Of course, Jordan Morgan could eventually claim that role if left tackle doesn’t work out, but that remains a mystery for now.
Booker could be off the board before the Packers pick. However, it’s just as likely he’s available, and analysts have him and Grey Zabel pegged as the top two guards in this draft. Seeing Green Bay veering off in this direction wouldn’t be stunning. Still, given the other names available and the positions they play, let’s take Booker out of consideration.
Simmons was tracking to be an easy top-10 pick before a torn patellar tendon ended his final season at Ohio State. If he’s fully back to his old self, he has all the makings of a premier left tackle in the NFL.
From Green Bay’s vantage point, Simmons could be a gem available at No. 23. However, the Packers have Zach Tom cemented in at right tackle and just drafted Morgan, another presumed tackle, in the first round last year. It seems more likely the Packers take a tackle later on.
That leaves us with Stewart and Williams.
Stewart is a freak of nature whose big drawback is the lack of statistical production. Stewart accumulated a grand total of 4.5 sacks in three seasons with the Aggies. Green Bay hasn’t shied away from taking players who don’t jump out statistically before, specifically at edge rusher, having taken Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness in the first round.
Opposing Stewart here is Williams, another athletic marvel who bursts out of his stance and racked up 14.5 sacks in three years in the SEC. Williams needs to fill out his frame a little, but all the things you want to see on tape are there.
In addition, the Packers have selected three Georgia Bulldogs in the first round since 2021, all defensive players. Whether by coincidence or not, the Packers have taken Georgia players early.
It could be a coin-toss decision at this point, but Georgia’s Mykel Williams is the most likely of the 17 prospects coming to Green Bay for the draft to stay put.
