The Green Bay Packers' blockbuster trade for Micah Parsons means they don't own a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, but scuttlebutt is circulating as to who they might select to headline their incoming rookie class.
Cornerback and defensive tackle are widely perceived to be Green Bay's biggest needs. Signing Javon Hargrave in free agency addresses the latter issue to some degree, so the Packers could very well look to the secondary with their second-round pick at No. 52 overall.
If the latest insider information is a sign of what's to come later this month, the addition the Cheeseheads make to their defensive backfield could be a stunner.
Mock draft sends Miami DB Keionte Scott to Packers with 52nd pick in second round
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic put together a mock draft based solely on the buzz he's hearing around the NFL from agents, scouts, and coaches. Not what he'd do as a GM. Not what he personally thinks will or should happen based on his own intuition or evaluations. All his picks are based on insider information.
And this could be really good news for Green Bay. Because Miami Hurricanes human heat-seeking missile Keionte Scott seems to fit like a glove in the Packers' defense under new coordinator Jonathan Gannon. Here's Feldman's write-up on Scott:
"The Canes were dramatically better on defense last season and Scott, a transfer from Auburn, was a major reason as their playmaking nickel. He had 64 tackles with 13 TFLs. ACC coaches raved about how much of an impact Scott made, and when he was hurt in November, they noticed it. He came back for the Playoff and played as well as any DB in the country in the postseason, highlighted by his game-changing pick six against Ohio State. The 5-11, 193-pound California native clocked a 4.33 40 at Miami's pro day and he plays that fast. His age is a concern for some folks, as he'll turn 25 this summer."
Javon Bullard is the incumbent nickel in Green Bay's defense and has acquitted himself well as a starter. That said, Gannon often ran three-safety sets with his defense in Arizona, and the Packers have the perfect personnel to continue that trend.
Between Bullard, Xavier McKinney, and Evan Williams, Gannon will be in his glory drawing up disguised coverages. Adding a playmaker like Scott to such a formidable trio would make Green Bay that much more dynamic on the back end.
My one concern about Scott is his tendency to not finish plays. For all the positives he brought to the gridiron at Miami, he had a 20.3 percent missed tackle rate last season by PFF's count. Suboptimal!
So why might Green Bay take that bet? Well, PFF had the Packers as the best tackling defense in football last year. Scott's play style is high-risk, high-reward, but they have the complementary pieces to make up for any ground that Scott gives up.
Plus, as long as Parsons is ready to roll and drive Green Bay's pass rush, if you combine his ability to generate quick pressure with Scott's uncanny read-and-react instincts, you've got a recipe for major splash plays. That's not even taking into account the exceptional coverage skills and aggregate high football IQ that Bullard, McKinney, and Williams boast.
It figures to be a pretty deep class of boundary cornerbacks. That can be a post-Round 2 priority in the Packers' draft.
Finding a reliable nickel in the modern NFL is increasingly critical. The more flexibility Gannon can have on his call sheet, and the fresher the Packers can stay in the secondary, the better off they'll be as a unit.
Scott wouldn't effectively replace Bullard as a starter. Rather, he'd free Bullard up to align at safety more often — all the while giving Green Bay a straight-up ridiculous dime package.