Every year, mock drafts send a receiver to the Green Bay Packers in the first round. Every year, those mock drafts are, well, worth mocking.
With NFL free agency unofficially starting on Monday, there’s reason to believe this could be the year the Packers use their first-round pick on a receiver. Why? There are two veterans available who would really move the need for Green Bay. One is a potential reunion with Davante Adams. The other is a potential trade for DK Metcalf.
I don’t think either one is happening. Subject to change, obviously, there seems to be no appetite for bringing back the 32-year-old Adams. The Raiders, coached by Metcalf’s former coach, Pete Carroll, have more money and assets to make a trade.
But the Packers can’t go into 2025 wishing and hoping that one of their young receivers takes a step forward. That’s why, using Mock Draft Database’s simulator, we selected Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka for the Packers at No. 23.
First Round: Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka
Texas’ lightning-fast Matthew Golden was on the board, as well, but Egbuka at 6-foot 7/8 is about 2 inches taller and has plenty of athleticism. Despite sharing the Ohio State receiver room with everyone from Chris Olave to phenom Jeremiah Smith, he finished as the Buckeyes’ career receiving leader.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler put it best: “If you want flashy, jump to another receiver. If you want a savvy, rugged receiver with NFL-ready instincts, Egbuka fits the bill.”
Second Round: Ohio State edge J.T. Tuimoloau
What I expected to be a strong group of second-round cornerbacks was wiped out, so the chicken-egg proposition of improving the pass defense with either a cornerback or a pass rusher was settled.
Despite being a marked man, Tuimoloau led the Big Ten with 12.5 sacks and really dominated down the stretch of the Buckeyes’ run to the national title. At 6-foot-4 1/2 and 265 pounds, he’s got the size the Packers like.
For what it’s worth, had I taken a pass rusher (Shemar Stewart or Mike Green) or offensive linemen (Kelvin Banks, Grey Zabel) in the first round and waited for a second round receiver, Jayden Higgins, Tre Harris and Jack Bech were available.
Third Round: South Carolina DT T.J. Sanders
The Packers could lose TJ Slaton in free agency so the pick, clearly, has to be T.J. Sanders. Sanders isn’t a Slaton-style heavyweight – he’s 6-foot-3 7/8 and 297 pounds – but he’s got excellent athleticism (8.52 RAS) to get into the backfield.
Sanders had 4.5 sacks and 10 tackles for losses in 2023 and four sacks and seven TFLs in 2024. PFF’s analytics show a high-impact defender run and pass.
Fourth Round: Maryland OT Anthony Belton
Belton is not a Packers-style blocker but the Packers must add depth to their offensive line and Belton was a big value. At 6-foot-6 and 336 pounds and 33 7/8-inch arms, he is a massive individual. The Packers typically don’t take those heavyweights, though. He allowed eight sacks in three seasons as Maryland’s starting left tackle.
Fifth Round: Virginia Tech CB Dorian Strong
I thought about taking Strong or UTSA cornerback Zah Frazier in the fourth round. Both of them were on the board in the fifth. Frazier has a ridiculous combination of size and athleticism but barely played until his final season at a not-quite-a-powerhouse program.
In five seasons, Strong intercepted seven passes, including three in 2023 and two in 2024. He allowed a 46.6 percent completion rate in 2024. At 6-foot-1, he’s got excellent size – the Packers are small at corner – and his 4.50 in the 40 is at least acceptable.
Sixth Round: USC C Jonah Monheim
If the Packers lose Josh Myers, there will be a hole at center. Can the Packers realistically fill that hole in the sixth round? Who knows, but Monheim started at right tackle and right guard in 2022, left tackle in 2023 and center in 2024, when he didn’t allow any sacks. You might have heard about the Packers’ fondness for versatile blockers.
Seventh Round: South Carolina CB O’Donnell Fortune
If you can’t fill an obvious need with an early pick, double up later. Fortune intercepted two passes each of his final three seasons at South Carolina. At 6-foot 3/4, he’s got excellent size but his lack of high-end athleticism will push him into Day 3. Like with Strong, Fortune is at his best in zone coverage.
Seventh Round: Tennessee WR Dont’e Thornton
Egbuka is going to be an excellent receiver but he doesn’t have Christian Watson’s game-breaking tools. That’s Thornton, who at 6-foot-4 5/8 ran his 40 in 4.30 seconds for a RAS of 9.80.
There’s not a lot of production with 65 catches in four seasons but he caught 26 passes for 661 yards and six touchdowns for the Volunteers in 2024, his 25.4-yard average leading the nation. He caught 7-of-10 passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield, according to PFF.
What Worked?
I went into this mock wanting to pick a receiver in the first round because I do believe it could happen this year, so long as Egbuka or Golden fall to Green Bay’s spot at No. 23. Just because the Packers haven’t taken a receiver in the first doesn’t mean they wouldn’t. Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk in 2020 are the perfect examples.
I was fortunate that Tuimoloau was available in the second round; of those top tiers of edge rushers, he was the last man standing. Having Sanders or Georgia center Jared Wilson available in the third was good fortune.
What Didn’t Work?
Cornerback is a huge need. Yes, the Packers got to the playoffs with Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine playing for Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, both of whom might not return. But is that duo really going to be good enough against elite quarterbacks in big games? However, in this simulation, Trey Amos, Benjamin Morrison, Darien Porter and Shavon Revel went in rapid-fire fashion before Green Bay’s spot in the second.
Really, the problem is the Packers have more holes in the lineup than premium picks to fill them. Free agency should help, but it’s not a great class at any position. So, waiting to address the offensive line and cornerback until Day 3 wasn’t ideal.