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Packers pull off biggest draft heist imaginable in notable expert's prediction

It's like Ocean's 11, but way less interesting.
Cameron Ellis
Cameron Ellis

Lombardi Ave

2025 NFL Scouting Combine / Brooke Sutton/GettyImages

I'll get the bad news out of the way first: The Athletic doesn't think the Green Bay Packers are going to take a wide receiver in the first round.

The dream may officially be dead. When THE BEAST tells you who's going to go where, you have to believe it.

RELATED: Packers cement Jaire Alexander's fate in latest free-agent prediction

But fortunately for Packers fans, THE BEAST comes bearing good news: Green Bay's about to land one of the biggest steals of the entire first round. Mark it down now. It may not end up being their next #1 wide receiver, but Dane Brugler has Green Bay ending up with a Top-15 prospect all the way down at 23: Michigan cornerback Will Johnson.

Packers could very likely get a Top-15 player with the 23rd overall pick in 2025 NFL Draft

In Brugler's latest mock draft, Michigan cornerback Will Johnson falls to the Packers at No. 23.

"I wouldn't be surprised to see Johnson go as high as No. 11 to the 49ers, but he might still be on the board in the 20s. He declined to run the 40-yard dash at his pro day and the medicals will be a factor for several teams, but the tape shows a really good football player."

That's not all Brugler had to say about the Packers' impending good fortunes, either. In a recent episode of ESPN's This is Football, he went into a more detailed scouting report of Johnson, saying that "a lot of people viewed him as a Top 5 pick," and "a team like the Packers could end up getting a really good player there later in the first round."

A team like the Packers! Why stop there? I think we can all confidently say that it *will* be the Packers, and Johnson *will* solve every problem the Packers face next year. He'll rise to the occasion, whether it's Toyotathon or not.

Johnson is one of the best cornerbacks in the class and could go much earlier, but he would be an ideal Alexander replacement.

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Cameron Ellis

Cameron Ellis

Cam Ellis is an NFL staff writer for FanSided, specializing in covering all 32 teams across the league, including the Las Vegas Raiders. He has a decade of experience in sports media, having spent time at 680 The Score in Chicago, ABC Denver, and NBC Sports Washington. Since 2014 his work has been featured on NBC Sports Chicago, The Ralphie Report, and various sites across Minute Media and FanSided. In his career he has covered the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, free agency, and is a regular part of gameday coverage.