With exactly three months until the start of the 2025 NFL Draft, here are the latest and great NFL mock drafts, with a wide range of opinions on the Packers.
The NFL Draft isn’t all about filling immediate needs, but the Packers do have a hole – a big hole – to fill after free agency.
With TJ Slaton, who started all 17 games the past two seasons, signing with the Cincinnati Bengals, the Packers have a 340-pound void on their defensive line. Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano filled it with Michigan’s Kenneth Grant in his new mock draft.
“The Packers are in a good place with their well-balanced roster,” Manzano wrote. “Yes, Jordan Love needs a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver, but this draft class for wideouts is about specialists and lacks the all-around playmaker worthy of a top-10 pick. Green Bay goes with the best player available here. Grant gives the Packers plenty of depth on the inside with Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt.”
Grant is a size-speed freak; The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman picked him for his annual Freaks List. At 6-foot-3 5/8 and 331 pounds, Grant’s got plenty of size. While he didn’t go through testing at the Scouting Combine, this play shows his speed.
From the start, Grant will help replace Slaton’s superb run defense – a big deal for one of the best units in the NFL. His athletic upside gives him a chance to provide a lot more juice as a pass rusher.
“We always pride ourselves as d-linemen to stop the run first and that gives us the ability to rush the passer,” he said at the Combine. “It goes hand in hand.”
At receiver, Texas’ Matthew Golden and Arizona’s Tet McMillan were off the board, but Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka was available. Defensive linemen Shemar Stewart of Texas A&M, Derrick Harmon of Oregon and Walter Nolen of Ole Miss went after Grant in the first round.
The Vikings took a safety and the Lions took an offensive lineman.
CBS Sports: Kenneth Grant
In Chris Trapasso’s latest at CBS, the Packers also took burly Michigan defensive tackle Kenneth Grant. He was the choice over another Michigan player, cornerback Will Johnson.
“The Packers stop Grant’s slide to give the defense another big body beyond veteran Kenny Clark,” he wrote.
The Lions took a guard and the Vikings traded back to land a cornerback.
NFL.com: Cornerback
Arguably the best cornerback in the draft not named Travis Hunter, Michigan’s Will Johnson, fell to the Packers at No. 23 in former NFL running back Maurice Jones-Drew’s mock.
“With Jaire Alexander’s time in Green Bay potentially winding down, the Packers select a big-bodied cornerback with the skill-set to play outside and in the slot,” he wrote. “Johnson’s ball skills could help him contribute immediately.”
One of the top edge rushers went to the Lions at No. 28.
NBC Sports: A Different Cornerback
In Kyle Dvorchak’s third mock, the Packers took the fastest player at the Scouting Combine, Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston.
Noting Jaire Alexander’s uncertain future with the team and growing injury history, the Packers need “a long-term plan” at cornerback.
“Hairston is an elite playmaker with six interceptions and three pick-sixes to his name in less than two full seasons as a starter,” he wrote.
Pro Football Network: 3 Rounds
A three-round mock draft by Jacob Infante started with Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron.
“Jahdae Barron isn’t the most physical corner in this class, but he’s fluid, explosive, and smart. His slot-outside-safety versatility makes him a valuable piece for any secondary.
Barron won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back in 2024, when he went from the slot to cornerback. However, his lack of length could make him a slot-only defender, and the Packers are set there after signing Nate Hobbs to challenge 2024 second-round pick Javon Bullard.
Infante added another piece to the pass defense with Ohio State edge J.T. Tuimoloau, who led the Big Ten in sacks last season.
“JT Tuimoloau is a gifted athlete with tremendous power, good short-area quickness, and a high motor that would make him a considerable threat opposite Rashan Gary,” Infante wrote.
A “freak” receiver was the choice in the third round.
Pro Football Focus: Fan Favorites
John Kosko put together a mock using the fans’ favorite picks from PFF’s mock draft simulator. For the Packers, Tennessee pass rusher James Pearce and Missouri receiver Luther Burden were the most-mocked players. With both players off the board, though, Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka was the fallback.
33rd Team: Pass-Rushing Defensive Tackle
In James Foster’s latest, 10 defensive linemen went in the first round. One of those was Ole Miss defensive tackle Walter Nolen, who went to the Packers at No. 23.
“With Kenny Clark regressing and Devonte Wyatt unable to lock down a full-time role, defensive tackle is an underrated need for the Packers. Walter Nolen is a disruptive three-technique,” he wrote. “Nolen is an ascending talent and will be a productive NFL player if he continues to develop his technique.”
CBS Sports: Ditto
In a separate mock at CBS, Josh Edwards also picked Ole Miss’ Walter Nolen. Defensive tackle is a need, with TJ Slaton leaving in free agency and Kenny Clark set to turn 30 in October.
“Odds are good that Green Bay will use its first-round pick on the defensive side of the ball, and the defensive line is a good place to start in the wake of TJ Slaton’s departure,” Edwards wrote.
The Vikings took a safety and the Lions took one of Jeff Hafley’s former players.