The NFL Draft is inevitably unpredictable, but the Green Bay Packers should have a clear plan of attack coming in. They need a nose tackle. They need a cornerback. They need to plan ahead at wide receiver.
Boom, boom, boom. NFL.com's Chad Reuter checks off every one of those needs across the Packers' first three picks in his one and only mock draft.
Here's how he sees it:
- Round 2 (No. 52 overall): Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad
- Round 3 (No. 84): Florida State defensive tackle Darrell Jackson Jr.
- Round 4 (No. 120): Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst
Quibble with the specific picks as you will, but satisfactorily filling three positions of need off the bat is an outcome Packers fans should take in a heartbeat. Good deal.
Malik Muhammad early in Round 2 is a 'reach' the Packers might need to make
Some might say that drafting Muhammad 52nd overall would be a reach, and they wouldn't be wrong. The former Longhorn falls 78th on Pro Football Network's consensus big board. Pro Football Focus ranks him 105th.
PFF, at least, is lower on Muhammad than where he'll actually go in the draft. The Packers might be reaching a bit to take him, and, fair enough, he wouldn't be their first choice, but the selection is about fit and availability.
Chris Johnson isn't making it to No. 52. Not a chance. Even Brandon Cisse is unlikely to fall that far, though it's possible.
Could Will Lee III be there? Absolutely. What about Daylen Everette? Yep. But Muhammad is generally recognized as a better player; Lee is ranked 95th, Everette 101st. Waiting until the third round for Lee or Everette would be totally fine, it's just not what Reuter has the Packers doing.
As for Muhammad, he is the press-man cover corner they could desperately use. According to PFF, his 57.8 passer rating allowed last season, facing SEC offenses, put him right around the top 10 percent in the nation.
Darrell Jackson could be the run-stuffing DT the Packers crave
Defensive tackle, and nose tackle, specifically, might be the most important position to address in the draft. Devonte Wyatt and Javon Hargrave are strong pass-rushers, but they aren't run-stuffers. The Packers need a big, strong body to clog the line of scrimmage. That's what they would be getting in Jackson Jr.
At 6-foot-5 and 315 pounds, he is a hulking human. While rushing the passer isn't his strength, his large hands and 7-foot-2 wingspan (yes, 7-foot-2) suggest a batted-pass machine if he can learn to use his physical traits accordingly.
It's Jackson's stout defense against the run, however, that should intrigue the Packers. His run defense grade of 81.4 ranked in the top 7.3 percent among interior defenders. Jackson used his size and length to engulf ball carriers within his powerful field of gravity. In 2025, he registered 24 stops, which is in the top five percent among DTs.
That's just the kind of force the Packers have missed in the middle of the defensive front. He won't be an every-down player, at least not as a rookie, but getting Jackson late in the third round would be a solid-value swing for PFN's 81st-ranked prospect.
Finding Ted Hurst in the fourth round would be a dream scenario
The Packers' receiver room is not as stable as it might seem. Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks are gone. Jayden Reed will be a free agent next offseason. Christian Watson needs an extension.
Matthew Golden is expected to make a sophomore leap, but his classmate in the 2025 draft, Savion Williams, contributed very little as a rookie. Green Bay could use some insurance for both the present and the future.
Hurst has been on Green Bay's radar for a while. The team had him in for a visit, and at nearly 6-foot-4 and 206 pounds, he has the size to dominate the boundary against smaller defensive backs. A 4.42 40-time indicates that Hurst has good speed to boot.
To compare him with another big, fast receiver on Green Bay's visit list, call him "Chris Brazzell lite."
Building on a strong 2024 season, Hurst accumulated 1,004 receiving yards on 71 catches and six touchdowns as a senior. His 124 targets, per PFF, were the sixth-most in the nation.
While hailing from a program like Georgia State has kept his profile lower, the Panthers' leading receiver has seen his stock rise ever higher ahead of the draft. At this point, snagging Hurst at No. 120 would be a steal for the Packers.
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