100 Days of Mocks: Packers Go DNA in Athletic Mock

The Green Bay Packers love versatile blockers, and that’s the route they took in a new mock draft.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – In 1966, Bob Skoronski started every game at left tackle for the Green Bay Packers. He earned Pro Bowl honors and the Packers won the Super Bowl.

You think the Packers would take that kind of success if they drafted his grandson, Peter Skoronski?

Peter Skoronski was the pick in a new mock draft put together by a team of writers from The Athletic.

“Forget about a difference maker at tight end or a safety, both needs that must also be addressed,” one of the writers explained. “If Green Bay’s offensive line doesn’t improve, nothing else matters. Yes, the franchise has done well in later rounds with offensive linemen — and the Packers last drafted an offensive lineman in the first round in 2011 — but picking this early gives the Packers a shot at landing a stud tackle for years to come.

“Injuries to David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins have made it clear just how irreplaceable elite linemen are. Regardless of who the quarterback is, the Packers can’t miss on an opportunity to invest in 2024 and beyond by taking Skoronski, who could also turn out to be a reliable guard.”

Skoronski is more than just a name. As a freshman in 2020, he was named second-team all-Big Ten. He improved to a first-team choice in 2021. In 2022, Skoronski was the winner of the Big Ten’s Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year Award and became the first player in school history to be a unanimous first-team All-American.

PFF charged Skoronski with one sack and six total pressures in 474 pass-protecting snaps in 2022. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds, he was Northwestern’s three-year starting left tackle but has all sorts of position versatility – a trait the Packers obviously covet.

“Hand usage is a make-or-break trait for a lot of prospects,” reads a snippet of PFF’s scouting report. “When you see someone as adept with their limbs as Skoronski is, it makes you feel great about how they’ll translate to the NFL.”

Bob Skoronski died in 2018 at age 84. With the Packers, he was a starter for five NFL championship teams, a team captain and, eventually, a Packers Hall of Famer.

Peter’s father, Bob Jr., played on the defensive line at Yale.

“Just how to act and how to play,” Peter told The Athletic of family lessons. “I’ve learned a ton from my father and grandfather just in terms of being that guy who just gets their job done, doesn’t say much about it and just is consistent and just playing hard and playing through the whistle, hustling to the play.”

That football background was obvious at an early age.

“He literally would coach the entire offensive line,” his high school coach told The Chicago Tribune. “Everyone looked up to him because you couldn’t find things wrong with him. … The kids really respected him. If he said something, they were all ears.”

Bonus Mock: The Packers took a familiar name with a first-round tight end at CBS Sports.

Wrote Kyle Stockpole: "Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, doesn't matter. Whoever is under center for Green Bay in 2023 would benefit from Michael Mayer's blocking prowess, reliable hands and ability to get open in the biggest of moments. He'd be an immediate upgrade over impending free agent Robert Tonyan."

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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’s the 100-day-countdown series.

“It’s obviously a pretty crazy comparison, but he just reminds me of Gronk in a lot of ways.”

Our 100 Days of Mocks continues with the #Packers taking a familiar name at No. 15.https://t.co/tjqmnq4nKP

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) February 17, 2023

69 days: Mayer to Packers in SI mock

70 days: Football Outsiders picks pass rusher

71 days: 33rd Team trades Rodgers in two-rounder

71 days (bonus): Todd McShay 2.0

72 days: Packers take receiver to start NFL.com three-rounder

73 days: Packers fill big need with big man

74 days: Rodgers traded, take two pass-catchers in first round

75 days: Two NFL.com mocks, two different tight ends

76 days: Tight end and pass rusher in two-rounder by NFL Draft Bible

77 days: Rodgers traded to Raiders for No. 7 pick

78 days: A seven-round mock includes Big Ten playmakers

79 days: Rodgers traded in two-round mock

80 days: Packers take safety in ESPN mock

81 days: Aaron Rodgers traded in three-round mock

82 days: Seven mocks, including NFL.com

83 days: Two pass-catchers in first-round mocks

84 days: Aaron Rodgers traded for extra first-round pick

85 days: PFF picks a pass rusher

86 days: Tight end in NFL Draft Bible Mock

87 days: Packers trade back, get extra second-rounder

88 days: Sorry, vacation day.

89 days: A “Eureka!” moment in two-round mock

90 days: Playmaking cornerback at PFF

91 days: Three defensive backs in seven-round mock

92 days: Kiper takes a tight end

93 days: Safety first for Bucky Brooks in NFL.com mock

94 days: College Football News mocks Mayer

95 days: Two firsts if Rodgers is traded

96 days: NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah goes back to Georgia

97 days: This pick would break a long drought

98 days: Stud tight end

99 days: Trading for outside linebacker

100 days: First-round quarterback?