The Green Bay Packers hold the third-to-last pick in the first round and have seven picks between the fourth and seventh rounds, making GM Brian Gutekunst a likely candidate to move around the draft board in two weeks.
The new mock draft simulator at Pro Football Focus allows for trades, so we hopped on and gave it a whirl. Three trades were executed (not for realism, more for the sake of using the trade function). One to trade down from No. 30, and two aggressive trades back up the board.
Here’s how the four-round mock draft turned out:
2.33 (from CIN): WR Brandon Aiyuk, Arizona State
The Packers moved back three spots and still landed Aiyuk, one of the top receiver targets. The trade sent picks No. 30, 94 and 192 to the Bengals in exchange for picks No. 33 and 65. Gutekunst would do cartwheels if he could pull off that deal.
2.62: OT Ezra Cleveland, Boise State
Cleveland could be a realistic target at No. 30 overall. In his mock, he fell to No. 62, where the Packers stayed put and grabbed the developmental offensive tackle at the end of the second round. Better value. Some combination of receiver and offensive tackle in the first two rounds makes a ton of sense for the Packers.
3.65 (from CIN): RB Cam Akers, Florida State
A running back at this point might be a stretch, but Akers is really, really good, and I didn’t like any of the defensive line or cornerback prospects still on the board. Teaming Akers with Aaron Jones over the long haul could give the Packers a dynamic pair of runners to help Aaron Rodgers in his final years.
3.98 (from NE): CB K’Von Wallace, Clemson
Wallace looks like a great fit in Mike Pettine’s defense. He can play in the slot and has some versatility at safety. The Packers sent picks No. 136 and No. 209 plus a sixth-round pick in 2021 to the Patriots to move up and get Wallace at No. 98.
4.129 (from BAL): LB Logan Wilson, Wyoming
Another trade up lands the Packers one of the best midround linebacker prospects. Moving up to No. 129 required picks 175 and 236, an easy decision. The guess here is that the Ravens would have little interest in this deal. Wilson is a tackling machine with some three-down potential at the next level.
PFF’s simulator appears to be a little too liberal in approving trades. All three trades approved above look… unlikely. The system probably needs some tweaking, but the addition of trades certainly makes the exercise more fun.
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