Packer Central

Seven-Round Packers Mock Draft 8.1: Reacting to Bombshell Report

According to ESPN.com's Rob Demovsky, the Green Bay Packers could move Zach Tom to center. Such a move would have a major impact on their draft.

Bill Huber

Georgia offensive lineman Amarius Mims
Georgia offensive lineman Amarius Mims / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – On ESPN Wisconsin’s Wilde and Tausch on Friday, Green Bay Packers beat writer Rob Demovsky dropped one heck of a nugget that could alter the NFL Draft.

Based on conversations, Demovsky predicted Zach Tom would be the team’s starting center in 2024

“They think Zach Tom is a Pro Bowl right tackle, an All-Pro guard and a potential Hall of Fame center,” Demovsky said.

Offensive tackle already was a big need for the Packers, who at least need a quality backup behind the 2023 starters, Tom and Rasheed Walker. If Tom is going to replace Josh Myers at center, they’d need a starting right tackle and a quality backup. And if Myers won’t even be on the team, they’d still need interior depth.

That is the premise of our eighth mock draft of the year, done using the Mock Draft Database simulator.

First Round: Georgia OT Amarius Mims

If you’ve followed along long enough, you know the story on Mims. He’s huge. He’s athletic. He’s barely played – eight starts in three seasons due to the Bulldogs’ depth chart and his injuries. But he is an elite talent. Previously, the question was whether Mims could acclimate to life at left tackle to challenge Walker. Now, he could be an instant starter at right tackle. The Packers brought him in for a visit. If they weren’t satisfied with his medicals, Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton, who also played right tackle and visited the Packers, could be an option.

Second Round: Michigan LB Junior Colson

All the off-the-ball linebackers were available. That means I had the choice of Colson, Texas A&M’s Edgerrin Cooper and NC State’s Payton Wilson. Cooper isn’t as good as Wilson and he isn’t quite as athletic as Wilson but at least he escaped a series of season-ending injuries. The conundrum: Cooper and Quay Walker are a lot alike. But Cooper (and Wilson) made a lot more plays than Colson, whether it was behind the line of scrimmage or in coverage. Nonetheless, I’ll go with Colson, a natural middle linebacker to man the middle of Jeff Hafley’s new 4-3.

Second Round: Utah S Cole Bishop

The Packers need a safety to pair with Xavier McKinney. Bishop and Washington State’s Jaden Hicks have the complementary skill-sets to play the box role so McKinney can be the centerfield playmaker. Either one would be an instant starter but I’ll go with Bishop, who is a bit faster and was a little bit better tackler. You can’t go wrong with either.

Third Round: TCU OT Brandon Coleman

Coleman is the personification of a Packers offensive line prospect. He’s athletic (4.99 in the 40), not too tall (6-foot-4 1/2) and has plenty of length (34 5/8-inch arms). He’s also versatile. In 2023, he played 465 snaps at left tackle and 255 at left guard and allowed zero sacks, according to Pro Football Focus. In 2022, when he started 15 games at left tackle, he allowed three sacks. In 2021, when he started eight games at left guard, he allowed zero sacks. The Packers need depth on the line – especially as a swing tackle in this scenario – and Coleman perhaps can provide it at multiple spots.

Third Round: Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright

Running back wasn’t a huge need but I couldn’t look past Wright, who was our second-ranked running back prospect because he’s got the home-run-hitting ability the Packers don’t have with Josh Jacobs and AJ Dillon. Wright’s got 4.38 speed in the 40, good hands and a bunch of winning reps in pass protection on his resume. With Dillon back on only a one-year deal, the Packers need to groom a back for a heavy role in 2025.

Fourth Round: Notre Dame CB Cam Hart

The Packers’ cornerback room was a hot mess last year due to injuries (and the trade of Rasul Douglas). Can Eric Stokes stay healthy and return to his rookie-year form? Can Carrington Valentine take a big step forward in Year 2? The 6-foot-3 Hart will provide some insurance. His 4.50 speed in the 40 is good enough, and he’s got three years of good coverage numbers with completion rates hovering just over 50 percent.

Fifth Round: Houston Christian DE Jalyx Hunt

With Kingsley Enagbare’s torn ACL, the Packers need some help on the edge. It’s not a dire need, though, so we’ll pick a small-school project. Hunt’s 13.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for losses his final two seasons are largely irrelevant given the competition. However, 6-foot-4, with 34 3/8-inch arms and 4.64 speed provides some moldable traits behind Preston Smith, Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness.

Sixth Round: Oregon State S Kitan Oladapo

Oladapo, who had a predraft visit with the Packers, comes in a similar package as our second-round pick, Bishop. At 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds, his 4.58 speed in the 40 is good enough for a safety. He was an all-conference player each of his final three seasons and had two seasons of 10 pass breakups. His physicality will be an asset on special teams, if nothing else.

Sixth Round: Holy Cross G C.J. Hanson

Hanson was an FCS All-American at right guard in 2023. With 5.00 speed in the 40, Hanson is an athletic project. The Packers have a strong history of developing offensive linemen. Former starting guard Jon Runyan was a sixth-round pick, too. It will be up to offensive line coach Luke Butkus and the strength staff to make this pick work.

Seventh Round: Notre Dame QB Sam Hartman

GM Brian Gutekunst has said he’d like to draft a quarterback. Hartman has an incredible amount of experience, with 45 starts at Wake Forest and 12 more at Notre Dame. Experience was part of the appeal with Sean Clifford last year. For his career, Hartman threw for 15,656 yards and 134 touchdowns. He completed 63.5 percent of his passes in 2023. With 9 3/4-inch hands, he fits what the Packers typically like.

Seventh Round: Central Florida OT Tylan Grable

Grable allowed zero sacks and just 10 pressures as UCF’s left tackle in 2023. You’ve got to love the tools of 6-foot-5 3/4 and 4.94 speed. Grable’s college career started as a tight end at Jacksonville State so there’s a lot of untapped potential. With 33 5/8-inch arms, he is worthy of a shot at offensive tackle before getting shuttled inside.

The NFL Draft is set for April 25-27
The NFL Draft is set for April 25-27 /

Packers Predraft Visits Tracker

Here are the NFL Draft prospects who have come to Green Bay to meet with the Packers.

NFL Draft Position Previews

QBs off the board? I Position preview

RBs off the board? I Position preview

OTs off the board I

Published
Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.

Home/News