Packers make trade with division foe in Dane Brugler’s latest mock draft

The Packers trade down with the rival Lions in the first round and get a WR in the second round of this new mock from Dane Brugler.

The 2023 NFL Draft is officially 100 days away and The Athletic’s Dane Brugler released his second mock draft of the season. 

In Brugler’s latest mock draft, he has the Green Bay Packers trading the 15th overall pick to the Detroit Lions for the 18th and 48th overall picks. The Lions drafted Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson with the 15th overall pick.

With the 18th overall pick, Brugler has the Packers taking Iowa defensive lineman, Lukas Van Ness. The man nicknamed Hercules lives up to that tag. Van Ness is chiseled and owns a devastating bull rush to go through blockers. 

From Brugler:

With his explosive power and upside, though, the Iowa product has the toolsy profile that Green Bay covets on the defensive line.

Van Ness was never a starter for the Hawkeyes, but that didn’t stop him from recording 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks over the past two seasons. According to Pro Football Focus, Van Ness led the Hawkeyes with 46 pressures this past season.

“I see a high ceiling with Van Ness,’ Jacob Keppen, a contributor for Hawkeyeswire.com said. “He has the potential to be a complete defensive end and someone that you can move around the line…He’s a ball of clay and he has the potential to be a seven to 10 sack guy a year.”

With his length (6-5), power, and age (he’ll turn 22 in July), Van Ness fits the bill of what Brian Gutekunst is looking for in the first round.

With the 45th overall pick, Brugler has the Packers selecting Utah tight end Dalton Kincaid. In my most recent mock draft, I also had the Packers selecting Kincaid with the 45th overall pick.

Kincaid is a dynamic weapon in the passing game. He’s able to create explosive plays with the ball in his hands. According to PFF, Kincaid racked up 397 yards after the catch this past season. The Utah tight end is a gifted athlete with the quickness to threaten the seam and make plays vertically.

With the extra pick the Packers got in the trade with the Lions, Brugler has the Packers taking Wake Forest wide receiver, A.T. Perry with the 48th overall pick.

At 6-5, with long arms, Perry has a go-go-gadget catch radius. With his long strides, he chews up grass to quickly get on top of cornerbacks. 

Over the past two seasons, Perry has recorded 152 receptions for 2,389 yards and 26 touchdowns. The Packers may have hit on three wide receivers in the 2022 NFL Draft, now Gutekunst needs to add another piece to that mix. 

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