Packer Central

SI’s Team Publishers Unveil NFL Mock Draft; Packers Take OT

In our team publishers mock draft, the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings took quarterbacks while the Green Bay Packers took the sixth offensive tackle, Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton.

Bill Huber

The Packers will be on the clock on Thursday.
The Packers will be on the clock on Thursday. / File photo
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – Through 19 picks of our FanNation mock draft for Sports Illustrated, I was feeling pretty good while living in the land of make-believe as Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.

The coveted defensive back Cooper DeJean from Iowa was available. Cornerback? Safety? Let new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley figure out where to use the athletic, physical playmaker.

The best defensive tackle in the draft, Texas’ Byron Murphy, was available. The Packers don’t really need a defensive tackle but, with Kenny Clark and TJ Slaton entering their final season under contract, that would be a smart, forward-thinking pick.

The most intriguing offensive tackle in the draft, huge but athletic Amarius Mims of Georgia, was available. Few offensive linemen in this class are more talented. None have less experience.

The most versatile offensive lineman in the draft, Duke’s Graham Barton, was available, as well. A three-year starting left tackle and All-American at Duke, he’s got Zach Tom-style versatility.

And then, boom, boom, boom and boom.

The Pittsburgh Steelers took DeJean at No 20.

The Miami Dolphins selected Murphy at No. 21.

The Philadelphia Eagles grabbed Mims at No. 22.

The offensive line-starved Dallas Cowboys picked Barton at No. 24.

With that, the Packers were on the clock at No. 25.

By now, you know the Packers’ needs.

Even if you think Rasheed Walker is the worthy successor to David Bakhtiari’s throne at left tackle, Sean Rhyan is going to be a quality starting right guard and Josh Myers is ready for a breakout year at center, the Packers have a huge need on the offensive line, where the just-signed Andre Dillard and Royce Newman are the backups.

There is no obvious starting safety opposite Xavier McKinney.

Who knows if there’s a starting cornerback opposite Jaire Alexander.

There is no third linebacker to join Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie.

No team has ever had enough pass rushers.

Oklahoma offensive tackle Tyler Guyton, Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson, Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins were the available players who I considered.

Guyton is big and athletic. He played right tackle for the Sooners because they had a left-handed quarterback. There’s no doubt he can play both sides. In discussing Guyton’s potential, Senior Bowl executive director Jim Nagy mentioned Tyron Smith.

Powers-Johnson is the best center in the class. He is a superb pass protector – he allowed one pressure in almost 500 pass-protecting snaps in 2023 – and stout run blocker.

McKinstry didn’t have great ball production – one interception in 2022 and zero in 2023 – but he provided sticky coverage in a big-time league during two All-American seasons.

Wiggins is an elite athlete with the potential for greatness because he’s got the speed to erase any receiver in the NFL.

I picked Guyton. Here’s why.

- The need at offensive tackle is greater than it is at guard or center. If something were to happen to one of the starting interior players, Tom could move inside. If something were to happen with one of the starting tackles, the offense could be sunk.

- With those four picks in Day 2, the ability is there to find a starting-caliber cornerback. Or, maybe Carrington Valentine is the real deal or Eric Stokes will find his rookie-year form.

- There are no linebackers or safeties worthy of being taken in the first round. Those needs can be filled with all those Day 2 picks.

- Penn State’s Chop Robinson was available and wound up going 26th. To me, the need at offensive tackle is infinitely larger than finding another pass-rushing end, and I’m not sure Robinson is quite as big as Gutekunst would prefer, anyway. I did think about Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland for a hot second, who is a bigger player and better run defender, but this was a no-trades mock.

Entering the 2024 season, the Jordan Love-led offense could be an unstoppable juggernaut. The Packers are loaded at receiver and tight end, and they remain strong in the backfield. The only thing that can sink the ship is an injury on the offensive line. Drafting Guyton, either to be an instant starter or to provide that depth, would take care of the only weakness on that side of the ball.

If the offense is going to be great, the Packers will contend for a Super Bowl this year and for many years.

Seven-Round Mock Draft 10.0

Jacob Westendorf’s latest seven-round mock starts with a defensive lineman.

Packers Predraft Visits Tracker

Here are the NFL Draft prospects who have come to Green Bay to meet with the Packers.

NFL Draft Position Previews

QBs off the board? | Position preview

RBs off the board? | Position preview

OTs off the board? | Position preview

G/C off the board? | Position preview

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.