100 Days of Mocks: A Rodgers Trade And a Short Story

Here are 10 NFL mock drafts for your Sunday amusement, including several that start with Notre Dame Michael Mayer landing with the Packers.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In a new three-round mock draft by Pro Football Network, the Green Bay Packers traded Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets for a pair of second-round picks, then proceeded to knock off five of their biggest needs.

Batting leadoff: Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer in the first round. Mayer caught 180 passes in three seasons, including 138 with 16 touchdowns during his final two campaigns. He’s the most ready-made, three-down tight end in the draft.

“Michael Mayer to the Green Bay Packers – a tale as old as any in mock drafts this cycle,” James Fragoza wrote. “But if it ain’t broke, why fix it? Mayer fills a glaring need for Green Bay, and while tight end is rarely a position worth first-round capital, Mayer provides presumed QB1 Jordan Love with a safety blanket while also mauling defenders in the ground game.”

The rest of the mock draft got small, which could be a big problem.

First, at No. 42 overall and with the first of the picks acquired for Rodgers, it’s North Carolina receiver Josh Downs. During his final two seasons, he caught 195 passes and averaged 11.1 yards on punt returns. That’s big-time. However, at 5-foot-9 and 171 pounds, he’s almost certainly not on Green Bay’s draft board. Amari Rodgers broke the 5-foot-10 threshold but was about 210 pounds.

Second, at No. 43 and with the second of the picks acquired for Rodgers, it’s Pitt’s undersized but cat-quick defensive tackle, Calijah Kancey. His Scouting Combine workout brought immediate reminders of another small Pitt defensive tackle: Aaron Donald. At 6-foot-1 and 281 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.87 seconds. During his final two seasons, he had 14.5 sacks and 27.5 sacks. Would the Packers, who really need to bolster their run defense, invest in such a small defensive tackle?

At 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, there was nothing wrong with the pick at Green Bay’s own spot, No. 45: Kansas State pass rusher Felix Anudike-Uzomah. During his final two seasons, he had 19.5 sacks and 25.5 tackles for losses.

The third-round pick was spent on explosive and productive Illinois safety Sydney Brown. He had a monster final season with six interceptions, then backed it up with a 4.47 in the 40 and a 40.5-inch vertical jump. The problem? He measured 5-foot-9 3/4. The Packers don’t take short receivers and they don’t take short defensive backs. His 211-pound frame, however, could leave some wiggle room in the decision-making.

Nine Bonus Mocks

- At The Chicago Tribune, longtime Bears beat writer Brad Biggs went with Mayer.

- So did The New York Post.

- At The Ringer, Danny Kelly went with Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones. Kelly compared him to a three-time Pro Bowler.

- Alabama.com broke the two-decade drought at receiver with USC’s Jordan Addison.

- The gambling site Bet US grabbed Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

“While he did not run the 40-yard dash, Smith-Njigba posted the fastest time of all prospects in the 20-yard shuttle and three-cone drill, which are key for slot wideouts,” Riley Thomas wrote. “Many NFL picks have the Ohio State product as the first receiver off of the board (-125). The Green Bay Packers are entering the Jordan Love Era, and Smith-Njigba alongside Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs would be a formidable receiving corps.”

- Sticking with the gambling perspective, Sportsbook Review’s Michael McClymont cast another bet for Mayer. “It appears the Packers are finally Jordan Love's team. But the cupboard is bare when it comes to pass-catching weapons. The receiving group is led by 2022 draft picks Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Samori Toure.”

- One more betting angle, with Covers.com taking Mayer, as well. “Despite Utah’s Dalton Kincaid rising up some draft boards, Michael Mayer has been the best tight end in college football for the past two seasons. He's got great hands and works the seams well, but he also has the size to be an in-line blocker. He could be a great security blanket if Jordan Love actually does take over the Green Bay Packers offense.”

- The Atlanta Falcons’ team site took a different tight end, Georgia’s Darnell Washington. Wrote Scott Bair of Falcons.com: “Packers need to build up their team around Jordan Love. Providing a big, athletic target is the right move here.”

- Josh Edwards of CBS Sports has produced 1,567 mock drafts. In his latest, the pick was Alabama safety Brian Branch.

100 Days of Mocks and More NFL Draft

Starting Jan. 17, when there were 100 days until the start of the NFL Draft, we started our mock-worthy goal of 100 mock drafts in 100 days. Here are the last 10 days of the series.

The case for Will McDonald IV as first-round pick

33 days: Breaking down NFL.com four-round mock

Breaking down PFF’s three-round mock

34 days: Kincaid rests his case

Packer Central’s third seven-round mock draft

35 days: You can bet on Michael Mayer

36 days: Defensive tackle with “special” skill-set

37 days: Seven-round mock shows challenge I Kiper 3.0 I Jeremiah 3.0

38 days: Rodgers traded, Smith-Njigba picked

Packer Central’s second seven-round mock

39 days: Bryan Bresee leads seven-round mock

40 days: A big, bad Bulldog

41 days: Trading back, helping defense

42 days: Van Ness leads off PFF three-rounder