The Scouting Combine has come and gone and NFL free agency will begin in earnest on Monday. As Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst begins the process of getting his team in a better position to compete for a championship, he has needs to address on the defensive line, wide receiver and the defensive backfield. He’ll also need to add some depth on the offensive line.
He won’t be able to do all of that in free agency, and he’ll likely double up on some positions in the draft.
Using the Pro Football Network simulator for our fifth all-Packers mock draft of the year, we were able to address some short- and long-term needs with the NFL Draft just seven weeks away.
Round 1, Pick 23: Jahdae Barron, CB, Texas
Jahdae Barron represents this year’s version of Philadelphia’s Cooper DeJean. DeJean was the consensus pick for Green Bay a year ago. He was available in the first round, but the Packers passed on him in favor of Jordan Morgan.
Morgan ended the season on injured reserve, and DeJean ended it covered in Super Bowl confetti.
In this simulation, Barron was available, and he’d give the Packers options in the secondary.
Barron was the recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award after intercepting five passes as a perimeter cornerback at Texas. The previous two seasons, he was an impact player in the slot. If he were the pick, his positional versatility would allow the Packers to deploy him at both spots.
Would they be willing to overlook the fact that he has arms less than 30 inches in length? Maybe not, but never say never.
Keisean Nixon has likely moved out of the slot and should be one of the favorites to start on the outside for Green Bay next fall. Depending on what they do in free agency, the Packers could use options both on the outside and in the slot.
Round 2, Pick 54: Elic Ayomanor, WR, Stanford
Yes, it’s possible the Packers are in the market for a veteran wide receiver. They are the betting favorites to land Davante Adams.
That would help in the short term, but Adams is not going to play forever. He’ll turn 33 in December and likely would be viewed as a short-term solution.
Additionally, Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson are entering contract years with injury concerns and Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks will be in contract years in 2026. Bottom line, they need someone that is a potential long-term solution.
At 6-foot-1 3/4, Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor has the requisite size that Green Bay prefers at receiver. His skill-set was not always displayed in Stanford’s run-heavy offense, but there are some tools that are interesting.
Ayomanor is a good blocker, which is a prerequisite for playing in Green Bay. In addition, he showed off his explosiveness with a 4.44 40-yard dash and a 10-foot, 7-inch broad jump.
He may not be ready to contribute immediately but, depending on what the Packers are able to do prior to the draft, he may not have to.
Round 3, Pick 87: Jared Ivey, edge, Ole Miss
History shows if you don’t take a pass rusher early, their ceiling tends to be limited. So, the Packers settle for another high-floor type of player to eventually replace Kingsley Enagbare, who will be entering the final year of his rookie deal.
Ivey, like Enagbare coming out of college, is a technician that has a good pass rush plan. He sacked the quarterback 17.5 times in his five-year career, including a career-high seven sacks in 2024.
He’s unlikely to ever be a superstar, but a good rotational player is a good addition in the middle rounds.
Round 4, Pick 123: Jordan Hancock, CB, Ohio State
Brian Gutekunst told you his plan at cornerback.
He’s going to attack this position by throwing numbers at it.
Jaire Alexander’s days are numbered in Green Bay. Eric Stokes is set to be a free agent and unlikely to return to Green Bay. Backups Robert Rochell and Corey Ballentine will be free agents, too.
Because of that, despite the selection of Barron in the first round, Hancock makes for a good addition here after he intercepted three passes with 16 passes defensed in 29 games the past two seasons.
Hancock has plenty of experience in man and zone coverages playing for Jim Knowles at Ohio State. He’s also shown a willingness to stick his nose in in the run game. That may not have mattered in recent years under different defensive coordinators, but it is a requirement to play for Jeff Hafley.
Round 5, Pick 160: CJ West, DT, Indiana
A deep defensive line class allows the Packers to steal CJ West in the fifth round.
West weighs 316 pounds and showed off good athleticism at the Scouting Combine. That came on the heels of a strong week at the Shrine Bowl. West has strong hands and is able to shed blocks, but he’s not a run-only defender. He had five sacks in 2021 and 10 sacks for his career.
With TJ Slaton headed to free agency and Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt potentially playing their final seasons in Green Bay in 2025, they need some reinforcements up front. West could help as a rookie while being looked at as a potential replacement for one of the aforementioned players in 2026.
Round 6, Pick 200: Logan Brown, OL, Kansas
Finally, an offensive lineman, and one the Packers have showed some interest in, according to The Draft Network.
Logan Brown, who started his career at Wisconsin before having an excellent season as Kansas’ right tackle in 2024, put up a series of strong testing results at the Scouting Combine.
Starting tackles Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom are entering their final seasons under contract. As they learned the hard way in Philadelphia, you can never have too many quality offensive linemen.
Round 7, Pick 239: Jacob Gideon, C, Western Michigan
Josh Myers is set to be a free agent, with what ESPN was reporting as a potentially robust market.
If that is the case, Myers will likely price himself out of Green Bay, which means they will need to replenish some depth.
Gideon played center at Western Michigan, tallying more than 3,000 snaps in five years. He was a finalist for the Rimington Award, which goes to the nation’s top center, in 2024. With a potential immediate opening along the offensive line, the Packers might value Gideon’s experience.
Round 7, Pick 251: Seth Henigan, QB, Memphis
Brian Gutekunst sticks to his guns of wanting to pick a developmental quarterback on a yearly basis. Last year, he swung and missed on Michael Pratt, who was cut after training camp. With Malik Willis back as the backup, Sean Clifford could use some competition for the third quarterback job.
Henigan, who threw for more than 14,000 yards with 104 touchdowns in four seasons, has some tools the Packers could develop, even if it means he spends a year on the practice squad.
What Worked?
Jahdae Barron is a plug-and-play starter in the secondary, whether he’s on the outside or in the slot. That is an immediate upgrade in the defensive backfield.
Receiver Elic Ayomanor and defensive end Jared Ivey are potential contributors as rookies. Defensive tackle CJ West could follow the path of TJ Slaton as a Day 3 pick that becomes an early contributor in his career, as well.
Ultimately, if the Packers’ biggest needs are cornerback, receiver and defensive line, the first three picks addressed those positions.
What Didn’t Work?
We were able to add two offensive linemen, but none until later in the draft. It’s hard to envision either being ready to take a starting position in 2026 in the event that Sean Rhyan, Rasheed Walker or Zach Tom are allowed to leave via free agency.
This is a small quibble, but there is not a lot of special teams experience that was added on the third day of the draft. Rich Bisaccia has a lot of his core players returning in 2025, but no young players to potentially push some of the established veterans.
