Packers' seven-round 2025 mock draft predicts how they could address lingering needs post first wave of free agency
The two big moves of the Green Bay Packers' free agency were guard Aaron Banks and cornerback Nate Hobbs. Adding those two pieces to four-year deals mitigate their needs for interior offensive linemen and defensive backs, but there is still plenty of work to do for general manager Brian Gutekunst and his scouting staff.Edge, interior […]
The two big moves of the Green Bay Packers' free agency were guard Aaron Banks and cornerback Nate Hobbs. Adding those two pieces to four-year deals mitigate their needs for interior offensive linemen and defensive backs, but there is still plenty of work to do for general manager Brian Gutekunst and his scouting staff.
Edge, interior of the defensive line, and wide receiver are still positions that need to be addressed, for instance.
So, let's make a new edition of our seven-round mock draft to consider the post-free agency scenario.
Round 1, Pick 23: DT Derrick Harmon, Oregon
We have already talked a lot about Derrick Harmon, a perfect fit for Jeff Hafley's defense and with the athletic profile that would entire Brian Gutekunst. He's frequently been mocked to the Packers because it's the ideal pairing.
The Packers lost TJ Slaton in free agency to the Cincinnati Bengals and did not sign anyone to the room, putting more pressure on guys like Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, and Karl Brooks to perform. Harmon could be a little redundant with Wyatt and Brooks, but he is a better run defender, an area that has precluded Wyatt from getting more snaps.
Round 2, Pick 52: EDGE Bradyn Swinson, LSU
If there is a surprise in the Packers' early free agency is that they didn't add an impactful edge rusher. That puts pressure on Lukas Van Ness, but also cements the need to get one more piece in the draft.
Swinson is smaller than the Packers would ideally like at 250 lbs, but his bendiness and production are impressive.
In 2024, his fifth college season (and second at LSU), Swinson had 8.5 sacks, eight hits, and 43 hurries, totalling 60 pressures. According to PFF, he had a 91.4 pass rush grade on true pass set plays and a 22.1% pass rush win rate, both elite among the classmates.
Round 3, Pick 87: WR Jalen Royals, Utah State
Royals is a bit undersized for Packers' standards, but he played much more as an outside receiver than in the slot in college (last year, the split was 226 vs 64 snaps). And he has everything the Packers are looking for: Low drop rate, fine contested catch rate, an excellent 3.0 in yards per route run. Oh, and he's been great against man coverage, something Green Bay's current receivers have miserably failed against.
It's not the best draft class for receivers, and free agency was dire too, but Royals can be another useful piece to Matt LaFleur's chess board.
Round 4, Pick 123: T Chase Lundt, Connecticut
It's not easy to find a better run blocker than Lundt in this (or any) draft class. He is incredibly mobile for a player of his size, and would be an ideal right tackle for the Packers.
He might be too tall at 6'7 for their preferences, which makes it hard to move him around the offensive line, but the Packers have done so with Day 3 and UDFA players like Travis Glover and Kadeem Telfort, and they've moved to guard as well.
Moreover, the need for interior offensive linemen tends to be less evident now with the signing of Aaron Banks and the return of Jordan Morgan from injury.
Round 5, Pick 160: TE Jackson Hawes, Georgia Tech
Tight end is not exactly a need for the Packers, but it might be. Tucker Kraft is the unquestioned starter, but Luke Musgrave regressed in Year 2 and Ben Sims isn't much more than a depth piece. And this draft class is so good at the tight end position that it's hard not to get out of it with one dart thrown. Hawes is not exactly a great receiving option, but he's good enough there, and his abilities as a blocker fit well with what LaFleur wants to do schematically.
Round 6, Pick 199: QB Tyler Shough, Louisville
Shough has all the tools you want in a quarterback, even though he gets affected by pressure more than usual. The Packers don't necessarily need a backup to Jordan Love right now, but Malik Willis is entering the final year of his deal. Therefore, it makes sense to add another passer to the room and let him develop for a year to get the QB2 job a year from now.
The Packers tried to do that with Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt, but those picks haven't worked out.
Round 7, Pick 239: WR Theo Wease Jr., Missouri
If Jalen Royals is a little bit shorter, Wease is the prototypical Packers receiver. He's 6'3, 200 lbs, and has good efficiency with 2.65 yards per route run. He's average against man coverage and is not great in contested catches, but his true drop numbers are positive.
Round 7, Pick 251: CB Mac McWilliams, UCF
It's easy to fall in love with McWilliams, especially for a late-round prospect. Even though he's small, he plays with aggressiveness and ball instincts. You can see why Jeff Hafley would like to have him on the defense. The Packers signed Nate Hobbs, but with Eric Stokes leaving in free agency and Jaire Alexander probably moving on too, adding more depth is justified.
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