GREEN BAY, Wis. – It takes two to tango. Trading back in the NFL Draft is easy to say but harder to do. Most teams would like to trade back to accumulate picks, so it can be a challenge to find a trade partner.
In this mock draft conducted with Pro Football Focus’ simulator, we took advantage of the Kansas City Chiefs’ need to find a left tackle.
The Packers traded No. 23 of the first round and No. 124 of the fourth round for the Chiefs’ picks at No. 31 of the first round, No. 63 of the second round and No. 226 of the seventh round. By the Rich Hill trade chart, the Packers “won” the trade by seven points and picked up an additional pick, so the value is fair.
First Round: Mississippi CB Trey Amos
Teams move back to, A, accumulate picks but, B, take advantage of value. Cornerback is a need, but the value might be a bit of a stretch at No 23. At No. 31, Trey Amos of Mississippi and Maxwell Hairston of Kentucky are on the board.
Hairston has elite athleticism and was a big-time playmaker in 2023. But, like many of the cornerbacks in this draft, he missed a significant chunk of the 2024 season due to injury. Amos is bigger and more durable and perhaps a better fit in Jeff Hafley’s defense. He allowed a 51.6 percent completion rate, 8.8 yards per completion and a 54.5 passer rating for the Rebels.
Second Round: Ohio State edge JT Tuimoloau
Receiver, edge or defensive tackle? That was the question with Green Bay up at its pick at No. 54. With Utah State receiver Jalen Royals, Mississippi receiver Tre Harris and Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner available, I rolled the dice and took the defensive end, Ohio State’s J.T. Tuimoloau.
Tuimoloau had 12.5 sacks and 21 tackles for losses during a superb final season. At 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds with 33 3/4-inch arms, he’s got the size the Packers covet. He is a high-floor, high-motor player who will play a lot from Day 1.
Second Round: Utah State WR Jalen Royals
The roll of the dice paid off with Jalen Royals and Shemar Stewart on the board for the pick acquired from the Chiefs. The pick was Royals, with the Packers following a successful tradition of picking receivers in the second round.
Royals caught 71 passes for 1,080 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2023 and 55 passes for 834 yards and six touchdowns in merely seven games in 2024. He forced 17 missed tackles and averaged 7.9 yards after the catch in 2024 and caught 21-of-50 passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield the last two seasons.
Seventh Round: Auburn LB Eugene Asante
Eugene Asante spent three seasons at North Carolina and three seasons at Auburn. His best season came in 2023, when he recorded five sacks and 8.5 tackles for losses among 86 total stops. At 6-foot 1/2 and 223 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.48 seconds.
The Packers re-signed Kristian Welch to be the fifth and final linebacker on the 53, but there’s no proven depth in case of an injury. Asante could provide that depth while being a key player on special teams, where he played 727 snaps on special teams in six seasons, according to PFF.
Seventh Round: Arkansas WR Andrew Armstrong
Andrew Armstrong would provide some size to the receiver corps at 6-foot-3 3/4 and 202 pounds. He ran his 40 in 4.51 seconds.
He spent two seasons with Razorbacks, with 56 receptions for 764 yards and five touchdowns in 2023 and 78 receptions for an SEC-leading 1,140 yards and one touchdown in 2024. That’s 144 receptions with only six drops. He was 18-of-29 on contested-catch opportunities.
What Worked?
Logically, it’s easier to address key needs with more swings at the bat. Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos is finally picking up steam from a media perspective. It took him until his third school, but there’s no knocking the combination of production, size and athleticism.
The second-round picks will be instant-impact performers. Ohio State’s JT Tuimoloau is ready to roll at defensive end and Jalen Royals has natural field-stretching ability.
Including the free-agent additions of guard Aaron Banks and cornerback Nate Hobbs, the Packers added a total of three offensive linemen and three cornerbacks.
What Didn’t Work?
Defensive tackle is a huge need. TJ Slaton started every game the last two seasons and was a key run-stopper. Even if Kenny Clark rebounds in his age-30 season, Clark and Devonte Wyatt aren’t enough. The Packers need more out of 2023 draft picks Colby Wooden and Carl Brooks – especially Wooden, a fourth-round pick who failed to make the roster coming out of camp last summer.
In retrospect, Maryland’s Jordan Phillips – a pick in the trade-up mock – or Kentucky’s Deone Walker might have been a better pick than offensive tackle Anthony Belton in the third round.