The Green Bay Packers might not be done wheeling and dealing with the New York Jets after last year's blockbuster Aaron Rodgers trade. The Packers are armed with 11 overall selections in the 2024 NFL Draft, but where they are really loaded is with picks in the first three rounds.
Green Bay holds the 25th, 41st, 58th, 88th, and 91st overall picks in the first two days of the draft, giving them ultimate flexibility if they decide they want to target a specific guy and move up for him.
And that's exactly what they're going to do in this 2024 NFL mock draft scenario, and they're going to use the Aaron Rodgers pick to make it happen. The Packers own the Jets' second-round pick after Rodgers played just a handful of snaps last season and then missed most of the year due to injury. Otherwise, if he had played the full year, they would have an additional first-rounder.
What if the Jets want that 41st-overall pick back? Perhaps a deal could be worked out once again between the Packers and Jets where New York gets back that Aaron Rodgers pick. Let's explore that idea for the Packers in this four-round mock draft.
Round 1 (10): Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
This trade works out to be about six points in favor of the Jets on the trade value scale, but that scale is merely a guide and this is a fair deal for both sides. If the Green Bay Packers are targeting their #1 cornerback in the draft, and they want to move up to the 10th overall pick to get him, they are going to have to pay a premium price.
And that's exactly what they did in this scenario, but the Packers are still working with two picks on day two as well as a pair of picks in round four after the trade.
Terrion Arnold could solve one of the Packers' biggest issues on the roster right now at the cornerback position, and this is a guy who checks pretty much every box for them. He posted a 9.25 RAS and was an All-American two years in a row for Alabama. After picking off five passes last year along with 17 passes broken up, Arnold proved he's the total package at the cornerback position.
The Packers get a long-term starter to pair with Jaire Alexander with Eric Stokes struggling to stay on the field the last couple of years.
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Round 2 (58): Junior Colson, LB, Michigan
The Packers are going to have a fascinating approach in this year's draft when it comes to the off-ball linebacker position. We all know it's going to be a priority, to some degree, with new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley coming in and implementing a 4-3 base look defensively.
After the Packers' decision to move on from De'Vondre Campbell, the writing is on the wall regarding this position group. Green Bay's got to do something, but who is actually going to be available in this pick range?
You see some NFL Draft experts out there saying that any of Payton Wilson, Edgerrin Cooper, and Junior Colson could be the best off-ball linebacker in the draft. Are any of them true first-round talents? There are questions about each of them, not to mention the fact that the off-ball linebacker position is just generally not considered great bang for your buck in round one.
Though we have seen proof in recent years that GM Brian Gutekunst doesn't care about that (hello, Quay Walker).
Colson is the type of physical athlete that the Packers really need at the position. It would be risky to wait to this selection to get a possible starting off-ball linebacker, but the Packers can monitor the board and wait for a run to happen on Day 2 before they potentially move up the board to strike.
Colson makes plays all over the field. He had nearly 300 tackles in three seasons at Michigan.
Round 3 (88): Cole Bishop, S, Utah
It might be a tough pill to swallow to wait until the later portion of the third round to grab a safety in this class, but that might be where the true value of this class lies, in all reality.
There are no true first-round safeties in this class, unless your projection of Cooper DeJean is at the safety position. The second round doesn't present great value. Guys like Kam Kinchens of Miami and Tyler Nubin of Minnesota don't fit the Packers' threshold of athleticism.
And waiting until the third round could ultimately be a blessing in disguise for the Packers. They've already got Xavier McKinney in free agency. There are still plenty of quality safeties in free agency for the team to fall back on if they don't get the player(s) they are targeting in the draft to contribute early on.
But Cole Bishop is someone who could go in the third round and have everyone wondering why he didn't go higher when all is said and done.
There's a lot to like about Bishop, not to mention he posted a whopping 9.88 on the RAS scale. He could be the perfect complement to Xavier McKinney on the back end for this new-look Green Bay secondary, and after the drafting of Terrion Arnold, this would really put the cherry on top of revamping that unit.
Round 4 (126): Beaux Limmer, C/G, Arkansas
After losing Jon Runyan Jr. in NFL free agency (New York Giants), the Packers could be in the market for another potential developmental starter at the guard position. They have Sean Rhyan waiting in the wings right now, obviously, but this team has done such a good job of finding "dudes" for the offensive line on Day 3, they'd be foolish not to go back to that well again at some point.
Beaux Limmer has a lot of starting experience against SEC competition, which is a huge advantage, and he's also someone the Packers will love for his athletic traits. He's a 9.82 on the RAS scale and a truly elite specimen at his position group.
Round 4 (134): Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, S, Texas Tech
Pick from projected Jets trade
The Green Bay Packers have become experts at snagging multiple players at the same position group in a given draft and having both of those players end up playing crucial roles.
Make no mistake about it, you can utilize more than just two safeties in today's NFL, and a player like Dadrion Taylor-Demerson of Texas Tech has ultimate positional flexibility with his man cover skills and the ability to click and close on the ball.
He's slightly undersized at the safety position, but he can fly around the field and does a good job of reading the quarterback's eyes. He might have a future in the slot if he's not a full-time starting safety, which he can be.