100 Days of Mocks: The Rodgers Spin

The New York Jets need an offensive tackle. So, what if they balk at giving up a first-round pick to acquire Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers?

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The New York Jets want Aaron Rodgers. That’s obvious. The Green Bay Packers are at least open to making it happen. That’s obvious, too.

Coming up with suitable draft compensation could be the challenge.

The Jets need a left tackle. Badly. At NFL Mock Draft Database, the three most-mocked players are Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson, Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones and Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski.

Sure enough, in a new mock draft by The 33rd Team’s scouts, the Jets took Johnson at No. 13. In a new mock draft by Pro Football Focus, the Jets selected Jones. In a new mock draft by The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, the Jets went with Jones.

If Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is demanding a first-round pick and the Jets are demanding to keep it so they can give their new quarterback critical blind-side protection, what’s the middle ground?

There are two potential solutions. One, the Packers could take the Jets’ first-round pick in 2024. That actually wouldn’t be a bad outcome, though the Jets presumably won’t be picking 13th in 2024 with Rodgers running the show. The 2024 draft should be better and the Packers wouldn’t have the additional first-rounder impacting this year’s tight salary cap.

Another solution would be getting enough picks that add up to a first-rounder. For instance, based on this trade value chart, the Jets’ 2023 second-round pick, their 2023 third-round pick and a late second-round pick in 2024 add up to the equivalent of a pick in the middle of the first round.

As for the aforementioned mocks, The 33rd Team sent Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid to the Packers.

“Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid has mismatch qualities at tight end and is a quarterback-friendly option for whoever is under center for the Packers in 2023,” the authors wrote.

In the PFF mock, Green Bay grabbed Iowa pass rusher Lukas Van Ness in the first round and Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer tumbled all the way to their slot in the second round.

In Brugler’s mock, he went with Alabama safety Brian Branch.

“Though many will be hung up on his lackluster 4.58 40 time, Branch was outstanding during the combine positional drills and ‘stellar’ in meetings, according to one NFL team source,” Brugler wrote. “He met with the Packers in Indianapolis, and his versatility would be a great fit in Green Bay’s scheme.”

At Barstool Sports, USC receiver Jordan Addison was the pick.

“Addison won the 2021 Biletnikoff Award as the nation's best receiver at Pitt before transferring to USC,” wrote Matt Fitzgerald. “Guess who won the Biletnikoff hardware the year before him? DeVonta Smith. He's overcome size concerns to thrive in the NFL. My guess is Addison will, too. He's a nice complement to Christian Watson and a welcome change-up to Green Bay's penchant for size guys at wide receiver.”

More Green Bay Packers Offseason News

Assuming #Packers QB Aaron Rodgers decides he wants to play in 2023 and it's with the Jets ...

- What should Gutekunst ask for?
- What should his counterpart, Joe Douglas, offer?

I took those questions to a high-ranking exec today.https://t.co/24YRsI2L5G

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) March 8, 2023

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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.

51 days: Todd McShay 3.0

52 days: Post-Scouting Combine roundup

All-Packers seven-round mock draft 1.0

53 days: Tight end, receiver in new mocks

54 days: Powerful edge

55 days: Kincaid and figure-skating safety

56 days: The dreaded third-round tight end

57 days: Three mocks, same tight end

58 days: Going the extra Myles

59 days: Safety, tight end, receiver in three-rounder

60 days: Two three-round mocks

61 days: Playing the slots

62 days: Three mocks, three receivers

63 days: A massive haul for Rodgers

64 days: Three team-issued mock drafts

Packers take tight end in Daniel Jeremiah’s second mock

65 days: Pass-rushing defensive lineman in two-rounder

66 days: A slot/safety?

67 days: Three-rounder starts with receiver

68 days: Grandson of Glory Years legend

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?