100 Days of Mocks: Two ‘Ideal’ Picks With Two Weeks Until Draft

With 14 days until the 2023 NFL Draft, tight end remains a huge focal point in these 10 fresh NFL mock drafts.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – NFL.com’s Chad Reuter made teams’ “dreams come true” by finding an “ideal” scenario for their first two draft picks. For the Green Bay Packers, that was Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid in the first round and Alabama safety Brian Branch in the second round.

Tight end is an enormous need for the Packers, with Josiah Deguara – who’s really a fullback – and Tyler Davis the only players under contract who’ve played in a game.

The Packers lost Robert Tonyan, who finished third on the team in receptions in 2022 and has some of the best hands in the NFL, in free agency. Kincaid could be an upgrade athletically and also boasts a set of sure hands.

“If his back is fully healthy, they'll love his ability to stretch defenses vertically, avoid tacklers in space and contort his body to grab throws away from his frame,” Reuter wrote.

Charles Davis of NFL.com went with Kincaid, as well.

Citing the need to “build around” Jordan Love, Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame also selected Kincaid.

Kincaid was the pick in a new PFF mock, as well. Wrote Sam Monson: “Kincaid has game-changing receiving skills at tight end. Green Bay has a receiver room of young wideouts, but Kincaid could add a huge weapon at a spot that still allows Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs to develop on the field. Kincaid dropped just two of his 93 targets last season.”

Speaking of Kincaid, here’s Wednesday’s big news.

The Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer picked a different tight end. Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer is a “complete, classic in-line player” as the best all-around, ready-made tight end in the class.

Bleacher Report’s NFL team also went with Mayer. Wrote Derrik Klassen as part of a much longer summation: “Michael Mayer makes too much sense for the Packers. On a simple level, they need a tight end who can both block and contribute in the passing game. Mayer checks both boxes with ease. He's a strong and energetic blocker as well as a smooth pass-catcher who can operate in-line, from the slot and even out wide.”

Picking 15th, the Packers could be the first team to grab a tight end. At FanDuel Sportsbook, Kincaid is the betting favorite to be the first tight end selected at -200. Mayer has the second-shortest odds at +175. Georgia’s Darnell Washington is next at +700, followed by Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave and Iowa’s Sam LaPorta at +5000 and South Dakota State’s Tucker Kraft at +10000.

At CBS Sports, Chris Trapasso went with a cornerback – which is arguably Green Bay’s best position group with Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas and Eric Stokes providing three perimeter starters. So, the choice of Maryland’s “long and springy” Deonte Banks doesn’t make a lot of sense.

If you’re going to go first-round defensive back, picking a safety makes sense. That’s what The Athletic’s Diante Lee did by selecting Alabama’s Brian Branch. Branch is listed as a safety but spent most of his time in the slot for the Crimson Tide. He was excellent in that role and would battle Keisean Nixon for snaps in the slot while not learning on the fly at safety.

By PFF’s data, Branch is perhaps the best tackler in the draft, regardless of position. Plus, Lee writes, “He has elite feel for route concepts, good production at the catch point and is willing to show up in run support or take on blocks.”

Yardbarker’s Seth Tractman went with Clemson’s Myles Murphy as the next big-guy outside linebacker. Murphy had 18.5 sacks and 36 tackles for losses during his final three seasons.

At Clemson’s pro day, Murphy measured 6-foot-5 and 268 pounds. Talk about strength and speed: He ran his 40 in 4.51 seconds (according to the school) and put up 25 reps on the 225-pound bench press.

The Ringer’s Danny Kelly stuck with Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones. Jones, who did not allow a sack at left tackle for the national champions, was also the pick in Wednesday’s SI publishers mock.

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.

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

21 days: Some seven-round mocks

Packer Central’s sixth seven-round mock draft

22 days: Tackle before tight ends

23 days: On the offensive

24 days: A 10-mock Monday