Seven-Round Packers Mock Draft 1.1: Kamari Lassiter, Tyler Nubin, Jaylen Wright

The Green Bay Packers have needs in the secondary, in particular, and all over the defense, in general. Bill Huber addressed those in his first mock draft of the year.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ primary needs in the 2024 NFL Draft are in the secondary. At cornerback, Keisean Nixon and Corey Ballentine will be free agents and Eric Stokes hasn’t broken up a pass since 2021. At safety, Darnell Savage, Jonathan Owens and Rudy Ford will be free agents, as well, after playing more than 1,900 snaps.

We tackled those needs in my first mock draft of the year, which was done using Pro Football Network’s simulator.

First Round: Georgia CB Kamari Lassiter

GM Brian Gutekunst likes Georgia players. He also likes versatile players. Lassiter can compete at perimeter cornerback as well as in the slot. In 2023, he allowed a 38.4 percent completion rate, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s also a good tackler and solid run defender, making him the choice over Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry, Duke tackle/guard Graham Barton and Arizona State tackle/guard Jordan Morgan.

Second Round: Minnesota S Tyler Nubin

Landing a safety with a premium pick is a must. Other than Miami’s Kamren Kinchens (and Iowa’s Cooper DeJean if you consider him a safety rather than a cornerback), I had my pick of the class at this spot. The choice was between Nubin and Washington State’s Jaden Hicks. Both are quality defenders vs. the run and pass. Nubin played mostly deep but got considerable action in the box and in the slot. A big-time playmaker, he had three interceptions in 2021, four in 2022 and five in 2023.

Second Round: Yale OT Kiran Amegadjie

The offensive tackle depth falls off a cliff in this draft. Amegadjie was the 58th-ranked player in Dane Brugler’s rankings for The Athletic, in case you’re questioning why I went to the Ivy League. “He requires development time, but the potential is awesome,” Brugler wrote. With steady Rasheed Walker coming back for Year 3, the Packers have the luxury of time. The upside made him the choice over Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe.

Third Round: Michigan LB Junior Colson

Colson was voted the MVP of the best defense in the nation. After 101 tackles and a career-high six tackles for losses in 2022, Colson tallied 95 stops in 2023. He’s not much of a playmaker (zero interceptions, five passes defensed in three seasons) but he missed only five tackles in 2023. He got the nod over NC State linebacker Payton Wilson, a superb player with a lengthy injury history.

Third Round: Tennessee RB Jaylen Wright

The Packers have a major need at running back, where the offense was stuck on simmer when Aaron Jones was out of the lineup. They need a difference-maker to keep Jones fresh and to keep the offense boiling if he’s sidelined. Wright was that difference-maker. He averaged 4.35 yards after contact, fumbled only once and caught 22-of-25 passes.

Fourth Round: Illinois G Isaiah Adams

A team captain, Adams had a horrible final season but that was playing out of position at tackle. He was much better at guard in 2022. With Green Bay, he’d battle Sean Rhyan to start and Royce Newman to be the next man up.

Fifth Round: Michigan C Drake Nugent

A third offensive lineman, Nugent would get a year behind Josh Myers before Myers heads to free agency next offseason. A two-year starting at Stanford, Nugent transferred to Michigan for 2023 and was the man in the middle for the national champions. He didn’t allow a sack all season until giving up one in the national championship game, according to PFF. He was a finalist for the Rimington Award, which goes to the nation’s top center.

Sixth Round: UCLA edge Gabriel Murphy

Murphy capped his career by recording eight sacks and 16 tackles for losses during his final season. His pass-rush win rate of 18.4 percent was one of the best in the class, according to PFF. With Kingsley Engabare suffering a torn ACL in the playoff game at Dallas, the Packers are a man down. Plus, Preston Smith isn’t getting any younger.

Sixth Round: Auburn S Jaylin Simpson

Simpson set a career high with four interceptions in 2023 when, according to PFF, he played 299 snaps of deep safety, 150 in the box and 195 in the slot. He spent the 2020, 2021 and 2022 seasons at corner. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 178 pounds, he’ll need to bulk up to be more of a factor against the run.

Seventh Round: Auburn DT Marcus Harris

A two-year starter, the 6-foot-3, 295-pounder had seven sacks in 2023. While the sack numbers are impressive, run defense is his calling card, which should allow him to push for a spot on the defensive line.

Seventh Round: Missouri RB Cody Schrader

A star player in Division II, Schrader walked on at Mizzou in 2022. In 2023, he earned some first-team All-American accolades, finished eighth in Heisman Trophy voting and won the Burlsworth Trophy as the nation’s best walk-on with 1,627 rushing yards (5.9 average) and 22 receptions. He fumbled once and had one drop. Listed at 5-foot-9 by the school, his Combine measurements will be key.

Packer Central Mock Draft 1.0: Packers Address Secondary, Running Backs