Seven-Round Packers Mock Draft 7.1: ‘Hybrid’ Mock

In our seventh mock draft of the year, the Green Bay Packers took cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry in the first round, then hammered away at big needs.

Alabama defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry was the first-round pick for the Green Bay Packers in my seventh seven-round NFL mock draft of the year.

First, the methodology. I used the Pro Football Focus simulator. But didn’t rely on it. Rather, this was sort of a hybrid mock using PFF’s board but also turning back to Chad Reuter’s five-round mock draft for NFL.com for a bit of guidance on player availability.

Let’s use Wisconsin center Tanor Bortolini to illustrate. Well aware that PFF’s board has him ranked 212th, I could have “cheated” and pick him deep into Day 3. I don’t think he’s a sixth-round pick and neither does Reuter, who sent him to the Chargers at No. 69. So, I thought No. 91 was a more realistic landing spot.

With that out of the way, let’s dive in.

First Round: Alabama CB Kool-Aid KcKinstry

At receiver, the Bears have D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. The Vikings have Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. The 49ers have Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. Moral to the story: You better have good corners to compete for a Super Bowl. The Packers have Jaire Alexander and … Carrington Valentine? Injury-prone Eric Stokes?

So, let’s go with McKinstry, a stopper in the powerful SEC who quieted concerns about his speed with a strong 40 at pro day. He was the choice over Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton. He is No. 23 at PFF and was taken 43rd by Reuter.

Second Round: BYU OT Kingsley Suamataia

Offensive tackle is an enormous problem for the Packers. However, they got within a whisper of the NFC Championship Game with Rasheed Walker replacing David Bakhtiari at left tackle and super-steady Zach Tom at right tackle. There is no depth whatsoever, though.

So, after bypassing a tackle in the first round, let’s take Suamataia, who started at right tackle in 2022 and left tackle in 2023 and has superb physical traits in terms of height, length and athleticism (9.41 Relative Athletic Score). He is No. 45 at PFF but taken 80th by Reuter.

Second Round: Utah S Cole Bishop

Safety is an enormous problem for the Packers, too. They spent big money on Xavier McKinney. The depth chart is rounded out by Anthony Johnson, Zayne Anderson and Benny Sapp. PFF has Bishop as a fourth-rounder. Reuter took him in the third. Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy, however, said Bishop is “not getting out of Round 2.”

With an excellent combination of size, athleticism, physicality and coverage ability, he’s got the perfect skill-set to be McKinney’s running-mate.

Third Round: Clemson LB Jeremiah Trotter

Linebacker is an enormous problem … well, you can complete the rest of the sentence by now. Eric Wilson is the third starter and Kristian Welch is the next man up. They’ll join starter Isaiah McDuffie as free agents in 11 months.

At 6-foot and 228 pounds, Trotter is undersized. He didn’t run a 40 but his 4.40 clocking in the 20-yard shuttle was underwhelming. But he is a high-quality player. It's almost as if he has NFL pedigree.

During his final two years at Clemson, he recorded 177 tackles, 12 sacks, 28 tackles for losses, four interceptions and three forced fumbles. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared him to Chiefs star Nick Bolton. This is the right spot to pick him, PFF and Reuter agreed.

Third Round: Wisconsin C Tanor Bortolini

The Packers have one backup behind Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers and Sean Rhyan. That’s Royce Newman. So, yes, interior offensive line is a big problem, too. Bortolini played center, both guard spots and even right tackle for the Badgers. Then, he aced the Scouting Combine. That sounds like a Packers-style blocker. He could bolster the interior depth this year and replace the free-agent-to-be Myers in 2025.

Fourth Round: Northern Iowa DT Khristian Boyd

The Packers don’t really need a defensive tackle. Everyone is back from last year. However, the run defense has been atrocious since the Lombardi Era – OK, not really, but you get the point. The 328-pounder, who was a third-team FCS All-American in 2023, should help … in time. With TJ Slaton set to be a free agent next offseason, he could fill that role in 2025. This was pick No. 126; PFF ranked him 145th and Reuter picked him 96th.

Fifth Round: Michigan DE Braiden McGregor

McGregor and his tag-team partner at Michigan, Jaylen Harrell, were on the board. Harrell might have some instant impact as a pass rusher but, at 6-foot-5 1/8, McGregor would be an interesting developmental prospect with a year of seasoning and NFL strength training. He had 4.5 sacks and nine tackles for losses as a senior, with one sack against Iowa in the Big Ten title game and two in the playoff semifinals against Alabama. This is about the right spot, according to PFF and Reuter.

Sixth Round: Missouri LB Ty’Ron Hopper

Hopper was taken right about where he should at PFF but two rounds too late in Reuter’s mock. But, he had a predraft visit with the Packers, so we’ll break our own rules to fit him in. At 6-foot-1 3/4 and 231 pounds, he ran his 40 in a so-so 4.68 but aced the jumps for a RAS of 7.42. His best season was 2022, when he had 77 tackles, 13.5 tackles for losses and four passes defensed. The key to his future will be playing with better vision.

Sixth Round: Memphis RB Blake Watson

Watson was picked 117th by Reuter but is 266th at PFF, so maybe taking him at 219 isn’t so bad. Regardless, Watson is the type of back I’d be looking for if I were general manager Brian Gutekunst. Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon are power backs. At 5-foot-9 1/2 and 200 pounds, Watson ran his 40 in 4.40 seconds. Plus, in two seasons, he rushed for 2,070 yards and caught 90 passes. Pass protection is not his forte.

Seventh Round: Oregon State S Kitan Oladapo

At 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, Oladapo has size comparable to our second-round pick, Cole Bishop. He had three interceptions and 22 passes defensed during his final three seasons. He’s got a wealth of experience in the box, slot and deep. A PFF All-American in 2023, Oladapo is PFF’s 259th-ranked prospect and was not picked in Reuter’s mock. Oladapo was on Green Bay’s visits list.

Seventh Round: South Alabama QB Carter Bradley

Bradley didn’t play much in four seasons at Toledo. At South Alabama, he threw for 5,995 yards 47 touchdowns vs. 19 interceptions. What’s to like? His accuracy (66.0 percent his final two seasons) and size (6-foot-3 and 9 3/8-inch hands). What’s not to like? According to PFF, he completed just 45.3 percent of his passes when pressured and fumbled nine times. He is PFF’s 245th-ranked prospect and was not picked on Reuter’s mock.

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