The Green Bay Packers own five picks in the opening three rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft, putting them in a position of strength.
Green Bay reached the divisional round with the league's youngest roster and now has the draft capital to level up this offseason. General manager Brian Gutekunst said the Packers' excellent draft position gives them options.
"It gives us flexibility. Whether it's staying and picking, trading, moving around, maybe trading those picks for veteran players," said Gutekunst.
The Packers can dive into a deep class and add talent at various positions of need. Green Bay enters the draft with five top-100 picks, but trading down could increase that number. Let's explore that in this mock draft.
Round 2 (39): Graham Barton, OL, Duke
Packers trade with Giants
If the Packers miss out on their top targets in the first round, trading down becomes a viable option. The New York Giants enter the draft with two second-round choices. Jumping back into the first round would give them the bonus of the fifth-year option, while the Packers gladly trade down and acquire an extra third-round choice.
Gutekunst kicks things off with Duke's Graham Barton, who has everything the Packers look for along the offensive line. Barton played left tackle in college but projects as a guard or center in the NFL. He has Pro Bowl potential at the interior positions, and the Packers will love his versatility.
In the short term, Barton would be an ideal candidate to start at right guard, but he could eventually push Josh Myers for the starting center job.
The Packers land a foundational piece along the offensive line. Wherever he plays, Barton can become a dominant starter for several years in Green Bay.
Round 2 (50): Tyler Nubin, S, Minnesota
Packers trade with Eagles
The Packers trade down again and land one of the top prospects at a position of need. Tyler Nubin can play the single-high role in Jeff Hafley's defense, and he's a playmaker. Green Bay's defense lacks turnovers, having only intercepted seven passes in 2023. Drafting Nubin goes a long way to changing that—he made nine picks in his final two seasons in Minnesota.
"As an interception machine (13 career INTs) with a knack for baiting quarterbacks into mistakes, the Minnesota product could thrive as the ornament atop the Christmas tree in a single-high safety defense," writes Bucky Brooks of NFL.com.
Round 2 (57): T'Vondre Sweat, DL, Houston
Green Bay strengthened its offensive line. Now it's time to improve up front on defense. Houston's T'Vondre Sweat would make life easier for the entire defensive line. He is 6-foot-4, 362 pounds, and dominates against the run.
Sweat draws double teams, which would create space for Kenny Clark and the Packers' edge rushers to get more favorable one-on-one situations. Sweat is improving as an interior pass rusher, but his immediate impact would come by helping a Green Bay run defense that finished 28th in the league this past season.
Sweat would be the final piece to an ascending defensive line in Green Bay.
Round 3 (70): Mike Sainristil, CB, Michigan
Mike Sainristil's size may take him off the Packers' draft board, but it's about time this team joined the rest of us in 2024 regarding slot corners—the days of experimenting with kick returners and undrafted free agents at nickelback need to end.
Sainristil is the best slot corner in the class and would immediately upgrade arguably the Packers' biggest weakness on defense. He spent his first three seasons at Michigan as a wide receiver and uses that pass-catching ability to his advantage on defense. Sainristil intercepted six passes last season, returning two for touchdowns.
Round 3 (88): Max Melton, CB, Rutgers
The Packers double down at cornerback with Rutger's Max Melton, brother of Green Bay receiver Bo Melton.
Melton played primarily on the outside in college, but many draft analysts believe he can shift inside at the NFL level. He took snaps at both positions during the Senior Bowl practices. In his final two seasons at Rutgers, Melton finished with 16 pass defenses and five interceptions.
According to Arye Pulli of The Sports Place, Melton met with the Packers at the Senior Bowl.
"It seems like a good fit for me and I hope that they feel the same," Melton told Pulli.
Round 3 (91): Bucky Irving, RB, Oregon
Aaron Jones is likely returning for another season, but the Packers need to find another explosive running back to complement him. They also must think about a long-term replacement. Oregon's Bucky Irving is one of the most exciting running backs in this year's class and is coming off consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.
"I really like Oregon RB Bucky Irving. He's quick, decisive, elusive and tough. Reminds me of Devin Singletary coming out of college," writes NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah.
Irving has some similarities to Jones. He is explosive, has incredible vision, and can turn a small gain into a touchdown. Like Jones, Irving can also catch passes. He made 56 receptions for 413 yards and two touchdowns last season.
Round 3 (97): Jaden Hicks, S, Washington State
Depending on what they do in free agency, the Packers may need to double down at safety. Washington State's Jaden Hicks is 6-foot-3, 212 pounds, and played a variety of roles in college. He spent most of his time in the box but could play wherever the Packers needed him, including slot corner.
Hicks would add physicality to Jeff Hafley's defense. Last season, he made 2.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, four pass defenses, and two interceptions, including a pick-six.
Round 4 (112): Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin
Packers trade with Jets
Another trade.
Considering David Bakhtiari's recent injury history, age, and contract, the Packers likely won't get a premium pick for the All-Pro left tackle. However, the New York Jets need offensive line upgrades, and this trade would reunite Bakhtiari with Aaron Rodgers. The Packers swap a fifth-rounder for a fourth and save around $21 million cap space.
Whereas Bucky Irving could be the eventual Aaron Jones replacement, Wisconsin's Braelon Allen would play the AJ Dillon role. Allen is a big, powerful running back who can run over defenders and dominate in short-yardage situations.
The addition of Irving and Allen would give the Packers good depth behind Jones, and they could become the starting duo in 2025.
Round 4 (126): Sataoa Laumea, T, Utah
Green Bay adds another versatile offensive lineman on Day 3: Utah's Sataoa Laumea.
Laumea played most of his snaps at right tackle over the past two seasons, but he has previous experience at right guard. Laumea's best fit in the NFL might be guard, and his ability to play both roles makes him a valuable pick for Green Bay.
The Packers could move on from David Bakhtiari, Jon Runyan, and Royce Newman this offseason, increasing the urgency to add depth in the draft. Barton and Laumea would offer much-needed flexibility to cover at multiple positions.