Seven-Round Packers Mock Draft 10.1: Trading Up For Second First-Rounder

With the 2024 NFL Draft starting on Thursday, our final mock drafts of the year will be done with specific goals in mind. Here’s a mock featuring a trade to acquire a second pick in the first round.

Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry / Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – If Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst sees his roster having two major needs entering the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, he’s got the ammunition to address them both on Thursday night.

With two picks in the second round – including No. 41 of the second round – and two more in the third, Gutekunst can trade up and still have key Day 2 assets to further bolster the roster.

The Packers don’t have to trade back into the first round, per se. They moved to No. 34 of the second round for Christian Watson a couple years ago. But, for the sake of this exercise, if they packaged No. 41 of the second round and No. 91 of the third round, that’s a total of 190 points in this trade-value chart, which would get them to No. 31 of the first.

First Round: Oklahoma OT Tyler Guyton

Though the timing to make a trade in PFF’s simulator is a bit wonky, this actually worked out perfectly to illustrate the possibility. With Green Bay on the clock at No. 25, Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean, Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins were available. So, I take the offensive tackle here and get the cornerback in a moment.

First Round: Alabama CB Kool-Aid McKinstry

Of course, in real life, this is when the trade would be made. DeJean and Wiggins are off the board, but McKinstry is available, so I happily grab the two-time All-American with the sticky coverage skills to pair with Jaire Alexander.

Second Round: Washington State S Jaden Hicks

This couldn’t have gone much better. The Packers have needs at linebacker, and Edgerrin Cooper and Junior Colson are available, and a big hole at safety, and Jaden Hicks and Cole Bishop are available. Safety is a massive need and Hicks would provide the size and underneath coverage skill to pair with Xavier McKinney.

Third Round: North Carolina LB Cedric Gray

This is where you feel the sting of not having that extra third-round pick. Linebacker, defensive end and interior offensive line are needs. Gray had 145 tackles and 12 TFLs in 14 games in 2022 and 121 tackles and 11 TFLs in 12 games in 2023. He is productive, reliable and aggressive to the ball. He’s not super-athletic but he did bat down 18 passes the last three years.

Fourth Round: Arkansas C Beaux Limmer

Limmer, who threw up 39 reps on the 225-pound bench press at the Scouting Combine, started 28 games at right guard in 2020, 2021 and 2022 and 11 games at center in 2023. That’s Year 1 flexibility and a potential Year 2 starter. He’s got the skills to fit in Green Bay’s run game.

Fifth Round: Wisconsin RB Isaac Guerendo

By skill-set, Guerendo is a Day 2 pick. By injury history, he is a late-round pick. So, those meet in the middle. Perhaps Gutekunst doesn’t share this opinion, but what the Packers’ running back room needs is a home-run threat. At 221 pounds with 4.33 speed, Guerendo is a threat every time he gets the ball.

Sixth Round: UConn DE Eric Watts

With Kingsley Enagbare out with his torn ACL, the Packers could use a fourth edge alongside Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Lukas Van Ness. At 6-foot-5 5/8 and 274 pounds, Watts fits the mold. He had seven sacks and 10 TFLs in 2022 but was down to two sacks and 6.5 TFLs in 2023.

Sixth Round: Northern Iowa DT Khristian Boyd

TJ Slaton will be a free agent after the upcoming season. At 329 pounds, Boyd needs a year of seasoning but he’s got the size to play that run-stuffing role.

Seventh Round: Mississippi S Daijahn Anthony

Anthony went from Division II to FCS to one season at Ole Miss, where he set career highs with three interceptions and 11 passes defensed. He is a physical defender with a lot of experience in the slot.

Seventh Round: Indiana LB Aaron Casey

As a sixth-year senior, Casey had 6.5 sacks, 20 tackles for losses, 109 tackles and three forced fumbles. He’s also got an extensive history on special teams. 

Yale offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

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