All-Packers Seven-Round Mock Draft 5.0

In our fifth all-Packers mock draft, we traded Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets and selected Michael Mayer in the first round.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The 2023 NFL Draft is exactly four weeks away. Presumably by the time the Green Bay Packers are on the clock on April 27, Aaron Rodgers will have been traded to the New York Jets.

How will the Packers build around new starting quarterback Jordan Love? With Rodgers sent to the Jets for a second-round pick in this draft (and another pick in 2024) for the purposes of this exercise, we addressed the team’s critical needs in our fifth mock draft.

As usual, we played the role of Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst. This time, the simulator at Pro Football Focus took care of the rest.

Let’s go.

First Round: No. 15 – Notre Dame TE Michael Mayer

Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer (All photos by USA Today Sports Images)

Tight end has been the cliché choice in mock drafts from sea to shining sea. It makes sense: The Packers have an enormous hole in the lineup with Robert Tonyan (and perhaps Marcedes Lewis) lost in free agency. Love needs weapons, and history suggests receiver can wait.

In our mock from earlier this week, we took Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid. We could have here, too, but coach Matt LaFleur values blocking as well as receiving. Mayer might not be the most explosive tight end in the draft but he’s a ready-made, every-down, every-situation contributor.

Who was off the board: Ohio State WR Jason Smith-Njigba, TCU WR Quentin Johnston, Iowa OLB Lukas Van Ness, Clemson OLB Myles Murphy, Ohio State OT Paris Johnson, Northwestern OT Peter Skoronski.

Also considered: Georgia OT Broderick Jones, Utah TE Dalton Kincaid, Clemson DT Bryan Bresee.

Second Round: No. 42 – Kansas State edge Felix Anudike-Uzomah

The Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and a second- and third-team All-American recorded 8.5 sacks, 11 tackles for losses and two forced fumbles in 2022. At 6-foot-3 and 255 pounds, he’s not exactly the 270-ish pounds of Rashan Gary and Preston Smith but he’s a big, strong man. Gary, Smith, Anudike-Uzomah and Kingsley Enagbare could provide a formidable foursome on passing downs.

As an aside, in this mock, three quality tight ends were still on the board: Georgia’s Darnell Washington, Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave and Iowa’s Sam LaPorta. Would I have taken Mayer had I known this was how it was going to play out? That might be the same thought in Gutekunst’s head at No. 15. Should he get the tight end in the first round or wait and see who’s left in the second?

Also considered: Wisconsin DT Keeanu Benton, Northwestern DT Adetomiwa Adebawore, Tennessee WR Cedric Tillman, Georgia Tech edge Keion White, Auburn edge Derick Hall, Syracuse OT Matthew Bergeron.

Second round: No. 45 – Wisconsin DT Keeanu Benton

Without Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry, Green Bay’s defensive line is as deep as one of those plastic kids pools. With only Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt and TJ Slaton having any regular-season experience, Benton immediately improves the depth and will push for a starting job. He’s 6-foot-4 and 309 pounds with 33 7/8-inch arms. He’s coming off the best season of his career with 4.5 sacks and 10 tackles for losses.

Why Benton over Adebawore? Green Bay’s run defense is terrible, and Benton should be more helpful than the freakishly fast Adebawore.

Also considered: Adebawore, Tillman, Bergeron.

Third Round: No. 78 – Michigan State WR Jayden Reed

The Reed of 2021, with 59 receptions for 1,026 yards and 10 touchdowns plus two more touchdowns on punt returns, was incredible. The Reed of 2022, with 55 receptions for 636 yards and five touchdowns, was so-so. Reed could man the slot and take punt-return duties off Keisean Nixon’s to-do list.

Also considered: Alabama S Jordan Battle, BYU OT Blake Freeland, Maryland OT Jaelyn Duncan.

Fourth Round: No. 116 – Penn State S Ji’Ayir Brown

Could one Penn State safety replace another, with Adrian Amos still unsigned? Brown is an interesting prospect. He had 10 interceptions during his final two seasons. In 2022, he had four interceptions, 4.5 sacks and seven tackles for losses. That’s superior production. Can that hold up with his 4.65 speed?

Also considered: Old Dominion TE Zack Kuntz, Illinois RB Chase Brown, Pittsburgh RB Israel Abanikanda, Oklahoma RT Wanya Morris, Iowa CB Riley Moss.

Fifth Round: No. 149 – Pittsburgh OT Carter Warren

I’ll admit this is picking player to fit hole rather than picking best available. That would have been Louisville edge YaYa Diaby, but the Packers are pretty well set at outside linebacker. Not that Warren is a bad prospect. Far from it. He’s 6-foot-5 ½ and has 35 3/8-inch arms. He needs seasoning but, with David Bakhtiari and Yosh Nijman under contract, he won’t have to play right away.

Also considered: Diaby, Virginia WR Dontayvion Wicks, Princeton WR Andrei Iosivas, Michigan OT Ryan Hayes, Oklahoma RB Eric Gray.

Fifth Round: No. 170 – Houston QB Clayton Tune

The Packers need to add another quarterback and the veteran market has been hit hard. Tune threw for almost 12,000 yards with 104 touchdowns at Houston. He completed almost 68 percent of his passes his final two years. He’s big enough and athletic enough to fit Green Bay’s thresholds.

Also considered: Gray but I felt quarterback was a necessity.

Seventh Round: No. 232 – Stanford WR Elijah Higgins

So long, Allen Lazard. Hello, Higgins. At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, is he an overgrown receiver or an underpowered tight ends? That’s the same question scouts had about Lazard in 2018. Higgins caught 59 passes for 704 yards and two scores as a senior. At his size, his 4.54 speed in the 40 will be good enough.

Also considered: Florida WR Justin Shorter but wanted to mix it up after taking him last week.

Seventh Round: No. 235 – Northwestern RB Evan Hull

I’m getting into a rut with Hull, who has excellent hands (88 catches the last two season) and speed (4.47 in the 40), but I didn’t like the other backs on the board.

Also considered: Nobody.

Seventh Round: No. 242 – Old Dominion OT Nick Saldiveri

It wouldn’t be a Packers draft without multiple offensive linemen. Saldiveri was a three-year starting right tackle who should challenge for a spot at right tackle and the guard spots. Like most late-round blockers, he’ll need to get stronger.

Also considered: Boise State OT John Ojukwu but wanted to mix it up after taking the 51-game starter twice previously.

Seventh Round: No. 256 – Iowa S Kaevon Merriweather

It’s the tried-and-true philosophy of if you address a key need with a mid-round pick, you should double-down later. Merriweather had three interceptions as a senior and has the toughness to impact special teams.

Also considered: Michigan K Jake Moody, Maryland K Chad Ryland, Wake Forest TE Blake Whiteheart, North Dakota State TE Noah Gindorff.

A New Era as Jordan Love Replaces Aaron Rodgers

The alternate headline to this story would be "Aaron Rodgers made a lot of people very rich."https://t.co/4kfNQiMwAG

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) March 30, 2023

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