100 Days of Mocks: DNA for Packers in Seven-Round Mock

With 10 days until the NFL Draft, two new seven-round mocks had the Green Bay Packers leading off with Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski and Alabama safety Brian Branch.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Bob Skoronski helped the Green Bay Packers win five NFL championships for the legendary coach Vince Lombardi.

Under the spotlight given the pending trade of Aaron Rodgers, Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst would happily take one-fifth of that success by drafting Peter Skoronski.

The grandson of the Glory Years great was the first-round pick in a new seven-round mock draft by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.

“Whether Skoronski plays tackle or guard, he would help upgrade the Packers’ offensive line from Day One,” Brugler wrote.

Skoronski is more than just a name. In 2022, he became the program’s first unanimous first-team All-American. He allowed five sacks in his three years as a starter.

“He's sort of been my football mentor ever since I was born,” he said at the Scouting Combine. “I just always have looked up to him and wanted to follow in his footsteps. This is a dream continuing in his legacy. In terms of stories, nothing in particular stands out. Him being part of such great teams and winning two Super Bowls and five championships, that's sort of a Skoronski family legend in a sense. That's always been someone I've looked up to.”

There was more DNA in the second round with Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave. His father, Doug, was a former quarterback at Oregon and an uncle, Bill Musgrave, was a former NFL quarterback and offensive coordinator and is a senior offensive assistant for the Cleveland Browns.

At 6-foot-6 and with 4.61 speed, he’s got elite physical tools. He caught 11 passes for 169 yards and one touchdown vs. Boise State and Fresno State before a season-ending knee injury. He was back for the Senior Bowl and will be good to go for the season.

Brugler took a safety in the third round before addressing the big need at receiver in the fourth round with Virginia’s Dontayvion Wicks. Wicks had a brilliant 2021 and a terrible 2022, a personification of the fatal flaw of the receiver class.

With the return of Darnell Savage, the return of Rudy Ford and Dallin Leavitt and the addition of Tarvarius Moore, the Packers have a bunch of safeties under contract. None of them move the needle, though.

CBS Sports’ Ryan Wilson addressed that in a new seven-round mock draft. Leading off: Alabama safety Brian Branch, the best prospect in a weak class.

Branch, Wilson said, is “special.” He spent most of his time at Alabama manning the slot but has the ability to play centerfield, as well, just like former Crimson Tide star Minkah Fitzpatrick.

“If Nick Saban trusted him at Alabama, that's all you need to know about his NFL prospects,” Wilson wrote.

The badly needed tight end came in the second round with Musgrave. That pick would come with some controversy given who was still on the board. The badly needed outside linebacker came in the third round with Louisville’s YaYa Diaby.

What about receiver? That was the fourth-round pick, Cincinnati’s far-too-small Tre Tucker. At 5-foot-8 5/8, he almost certainly won’t be a consideration. The Packers added another receiver in the seventh round with Kansas State’s Malik Knowles, who returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2021 and rushed for three touchdowns in 2022.

CBS Sports’ Jared Dubin went with the all-around skill of Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer.

“Mayer's size and ability to work both in-line as a blocker and stretch the field up the seam help the Packers transition to the Jordan Love era,” Dubin wrote.

Offensive tackles Skoronski and Broderick Jones were on the board, as was Clemson edge Myles Murphy.

USA Today’s Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz selected Iowa pass rusher Lukas Van Ness.

Van Ness also was the pick by The Draft Network’s Justin Melo.

“Van Ness is still scratching the surface of his potential but possesses every trait necessary to develop into a three-down difference-maker,” Melo wrote.

100 Days of Mocks

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.

We're down to 11 days until the NFL Draft.

In the latest 100 Days of Mocks story, it's a seven-rounder and another mock in which the #Packers traded out of No. 15 ... and lost out on JSN.https://t.co/ecwmxXXJMh

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) April 16, 2023

11 days: Seven-round mock and a trade

12 days: Rodgers traded to Jets for first-rounder

13 days: Packers trade back, pick tight end

Packer Central’s seventh all-Packers mock draft

14 days: “Ideal” picks among 10 fresh mocks

15 days: The worst mock ever?

The Sports Illustrated publishers mock draft

16 days: Mel Kiper’s fourth mock draft

17 days: Van Ness leads seven-round mock

18 days: Easter

19 days: “Consensus Mock Draft”

20 days: Two seconds for Rodgers in NFL.com four-rounder