Packers mock draft: 4 Picks in top 50 following Aaron Rodgers’ trade

We still have very little idea of what a trade package for Aaron Rodgers between the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets is going to look like at this point. Adam Schefter would recently report that the Packers want a first-round pick and more in return, while the Jets are unwilling at this time to part with the 13th overall selection.

However, there may be a potential workaround in play after New York acquired an additional second-round pick from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for receiver Elijah Moore and a third-round pick.

As Rob Demovsky pointed out, using the draft pick trade value chart, the combined value of picks 42 and 43 – which the Jets both own – is equivalent in terms of points to the 17th overall selection. So perhaps a trade package from New York centered around these two picks could provide some middle ground.

For Green Bay, that would give them four picks in the top 50 of the draft, allowing them to address several key needs with high-end talent and inexpensive rookie deals. Not a bad way to start the Jordan Love era by any means.

So with this as the foundation of the trade, I put together my own two-round mock draft utilizing PFF’s mock draft machine. Below are the players I selected, along with a closer look at what they can provide and their fit on this Packers’ team.

Pick 15: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

Measurements: 6’2″ | 193 pounds | RAS: 9.70

Stats to know: Porter has played 1,665 career snaps in college, with a majority coming lined up on the boundary. He’s been a very sound tackler throughout his career, and over the last three seasons, Porter has been targeted 116 times, allowing a completion rate of 59% with 10.3 yards per catch. He would also record an interception and 14 pass breakups, according to PFF ($$).

Fit with Packers: Cornerback certainly isn’t the Packers’ biggest need, but with four picks in the top 50, I felt that I had some flexibility to focus on who the best player available was rather than solely on what is the biggest positional need. Adding Porter to the mix allows for the Packers to move Rasul Douglas to safety, something Brian Gutekunst discussed at the combine, and hopefully provides some stability to that position. That leaves Porter, Eric Stokes – who is still working his way back from injury – and Jaire Alexander to be rotated between the two boundary and slot cornerback positions, depending on the matchup.

Pick 42: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee

Measurements: 6’0″ | 178 pounds | RAS: 9.27

Stats to know: This past 2022 season was a breakout year for Hyatt. He would haul in 67 of his 89 targets at a whopping 18.9 yards per catch with 15 touchdowns. Hyatt was also one of the best at picking up YAC at the receiver positions, and he was targeted on average 14.1 yards downfield, the 15th-highest rate in college football last season. Most of his career snaps have come in the slot.

Fit with Packers: From a weight standpoint, Hyatt doesn’t meet the Packers’ usual threshold of 200 pounds, but Justis Mosqueda of Acme Packing Co. would report from the combine that a year ago, Green Bay was interested in Chris Olave, who weighed 187 pounds, and that the team holds Hyatt in similar regard. Hyatt would provide some more playmaking for this offense – which is still needed even with Christian Watson – and do so from the slot, where the Packers are without a go-to option currently.

Pick 43: Adetomiwa Adebawore, Edge, Northwestern

Measurements: 6’1″ | 282 pounds | RAS: 9.87

Stats to know: Adebawore has 1,854 career snaps with the Wildcats, most of which have come in the traditional edge rusher role, but he’s also played over 600 from the interior. During the 2021 and 2022 seasons, he recorded a total of 61 pressures and 11 sacks. In 2022 specifically, Adebawore’s 22 run stops ranked 28th out of 200 eligible edge rushers.

Fit with Packers: To put it simply, the Packers need more consistent pressure from the edge rusher position from those on the roster not named Rashan Gary. When Gary went down with his injury last season, Green Bay had issues generating regular pressure on the quarterback. Adebawore would immediately upgrade this edge rusher rotation, and his ability to play inside would also help the interior defensive line group, a position where, in terms of depth, the Packers are lacking.

Pick 45: Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State

Measurements: 6’5″ | 253 pounds | RAS: 9.75

Stats to know: It looked like 2022 was going to be a breakout season for Musgrave, who caught 11 of 15 passes at an impressive 15.4 yards per catch with a touchdown through two games before suffering a season-ending injury. In 2021, he hauled in 19 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown. He also has over 500 career snaps as a run-blocker in Oregon State’s zone-blocking offense, which is what Matt LaFleur utilizes.

Fit with Packers: It’s worth noting that most rookie tight ends do not contribute significantly as rookies–it’s a difficult jump at tight end from college to the NFL. But with that said, Musgrave has the potential to bring playmaking in the passing game to this offense and the tight end position–something that was very much missing in 2022. Many of this past year’s NFL playoff teams had this element in their offense. Musgrave is also a willing blocker, which is very important when it comes to playing tight end for LaFleur.