Packers free agency edition mock draft roundup and takeaways

Not surprisingly, it has been a quiet free-agency period for the Green Bay Packers. With limited spending power, the Packers have made just seven signings, five of which were Packers in 2022, and spent a little over $11 million in terms of the annual value of the contracts.

So when it comes to seeing big improvements on this roster, that is going to have to come from young players already on the team making a Year 2 or Year 3 jump or from the draft.

As of now, the Packers hold picks 15, 45, and 78 in the top 100 and have 10 picks in total–although that could very well change once the trade for Aaron Rodgers takes place. Some of Green Bay’s biggest positions of need to address remain tight end, receiver, edge rusher, interior defensive lineman, and safety. I also wouldn’t be surprised if they added an offensive tackle or cornerback early on, either.

The draft is now just a little over a month away, and the mock draft season is in full swing. Here is a look at who several draft analysts have the Packers taking in some recent mocks, along with some commentary on the selections from me.

Charles McDondald –  Yahoo! Sports

Pick 15: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

Takeaway: A pick that makes total sense for the Packers. They need more playmaking at receiver, and Smith-Njigba can provide that. While he missed much of 2022 with an injury, he had an impressive 2021 season with 80 receptions at 15.7 yards per catch and six touchdowns per PFF. He played primarily from the slot and ranked eighth in average YAC and third in yards per route run. From a heigh-weight standpoint at 6’0″ – 196 pounds, he’s close to the typical thresholds that the Packers like their receivers to be at.

Chad Reuter – NFL.com

Pick 13 (Trade with NYJ): Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State

Pick 15: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

Pick 45: Rashee Rice, WR, SMU

Pick 78: Jordan Battle, S, Alabama

Pick 116: Tanner McKee, QB, Stanford

Takeaway: My goodness! Sign me up for this draft right now. The Packers come away with a lot of high-end talent at positions of need.

Johnson could start right away at right tackle, providing the Packers more flexibility along the offensive line with Zach Tom and Yosh Nijman while also being the potential left tackle of the future. Michael Mayer is considered by many the top tight end in the draft class, effective as both a blocker and pass catcher. Rice, meanwhile, just screams Green Bay Packer with his bigger frame and athleticism, not to mention that he would add some needed YAC ability. Then there is Battle, who could potentially start right away at safety for the Packers.

With Rodgers going to the Jets, the Packers are left with only Jordan Love and Danny Etling on the roster, so adding to the quarterback room is a must. Green Bay needs to find a backup for Love, and if they can’t do so in free agency, they’ll have to do it in the draft. It’s worth mentioning that in Rodgers’ first season as a starter in 2008, Ted Thompson drafted both Brian Brohm and Matt Flynn.

Tom Fornelli – CBS Sports

Pick 15: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

Takeaway: Just as the Packers did with Rodgers when he took over as a starter 16 years ago, surrounding Love with playmakers should be high on the priority list for Gutekunst. Johnston has that big frame the Packers covet, standing 6’3″ and weighing 208 pounds. He lined up mostly on the boundary at TCU and was a downfield target, with an average depth of target for his career at nearly 16 yards. In 2022, he ranked 23rd among all receivers in yards per route run and averaged 7.6 yards after the catch, an impressive number. Johnston is someone that the Packers have already reportedly met with.

Zach Kruse (Packers Wire) – Touchdown Wire

Pick 15: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

Pick 31 (Trade with Kansas City): Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee

Takeaway: I know cornerback isn’t as big of a need as some others are, but as I wrote about in more depth recently, it’s an early-round pick that I think is very much in play. When it comes to addressing the safety position, moving Rasul Douglas, there may be Green Bay’s best option, which would hurt the cornerback depth. Cornerback is also a premier position, and there is a lot of high-end talent in this draft class that could tempt Gutekunst. Witherspoon is an experienced player and had a career year in 2022, allowing a completion rate of just 35% on 62 targets while holding opponents to under 10 yards per catch. He also had three interceptions and 14 pass breakups while lining up primarily on the boundary.

Hyatt, meanwhile, doesn’t meet the Packers’ typical receiver thresholds, weighing 178 pounds, but Justis Mosqueda of Acme Packing Co. would report from the combine that, just like with Chris Olave a year ago, the Packers hold Hyatt in high regard. Hyatt is a big play threat averaging almost 19 yards per catch in 2022, and coupled with Christian Watson, it would give the Packers an elite downfield duo, which in addition to providing Love with playmaking around him, would help open up the run game as well.

Charles Davis – NFL.com

Pick 15: Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

Takeaway: Playmaking at the tight end position was something that a number of the 2022 NFL playoff teams had, but Green Bay was missing it. Kincaid, however, would help solve that problem. In what is a deep tight-end draft class, Kincaid is considered by many to be the best pass-catcher of the bunch. In 2022, Kincaid caught 66 of 87 passes at 12.9 yards per catch with eight touchdowns. Blocking will always be a part of the tight end position in Matt LaFleur’s offense, but Kincaid is at his best in the passing game.

Brentley Weissman – The Draft Network

Pick 15: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

Pick 45: Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State

Takeaway: In this draft, the Packers add some needed pass-catching options for Love. As already discussed, Smith-Njigba would be a good fit for the Packers. With Musgrave, his 2022 season was cut short due to injury, but it looked like he was set for a breakout year, averaging over 15 yards per catch on 11 receptions through two games. Musgrave also has over 500 snaps in Oregon State’s zone-blocking scheme, which is what the Packers utilize under LaFleur.

Cam Mellor – Pro Football Network

Pick 15: Jordan Addison, WR, USC

Pick 45: Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State

Pick 78: Tyler Steen, OL, Alabama

Takeaways: Just from a measurable and athleticism standpoint, I’m not even sure Addison is on the Packers’ board. He stands 5’11” and weighs 171 pounds, well below the usual 6’0″ – 200-pound standard the Packers have, and he didn’t test all that well at the combine, posting a RAS of 6.00–again, well below the typical 8.0 floor the Packers have. Addison averaged an impressive 15.0 yards per catch with eight touchdowns this past season, lining up most out wide.

As I just mentioned, Musgrave would be a good fit and feels like a very Packers-type of selection. Steen would help continue to build out the offensive tackle depth, which really becomes a need in 2024, but it’s worth noting that his arms aren’t quite 33-inches long, which through the Gutekunst and Thompson eras, has been the cutoff at the tackle position. If viewed as an interior player, my guess is that the Packers don’t spend a third-round pick on that position. Steen does have ample left tackle experience in college at Vanderbilt and Alabama and allowed two sacks and 16 pressures in 2022.