The latest NFL Wire network mock draft provided an interesting set of circumstances for us at Packers Wire: A player at a premium position dropping to No. 15, and a chance to trade up to get a playmaker on offense.
In the first-round mock draft run by team editors, the Packers used the 15th overall pick on Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon and then traded back into the first round to select Tennessee wide receiver Jalin Hyatt at No. 31.
Let’s run through the scenarios.
First off, we used our “mock trade” scenario with Jets Wire to guide the way on an Aaron Rodgers trade, meaning no additional first-round pick. Instead, the Packers got a second-rounder (No. 43), Elijah Moore (this exercise was done before the trade) and a conditional pick in 2024 that could turn into a first-rounder. It’d be easy to simply turn Moore into a second second-round pick in this new, post-Moore trade scenario.
Ok, onto the players.
While Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba was still on the board at No. 15, the value of Witherspoon – who many believe to be a top-10 player in the draft class – was too much to pass up. He’s the No. 6 player on Daniel Jeremiah’s big board. The Packers look strong at cornerback, but NFL teams can never have enough high-quality players who affect the passing game. The idea here is that Rasul Douglas can move to safety, a natural transition for his ability and playstyle, and Witherspoon can team up with Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes to give the Packers three young and tremendously talented corners. I saw this as a Rashan Gary-like situation, where a very good player at a valuable position dropped into range, and the current depth at the position was mostly disregarded.
Taking a cornerback at No. 15 put some pressure on us to get a pass-catcher. The original plan was to trade up for Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, but we couldn’t find the right trade and he went No. 26 to the Cowboys.
With Hyatt still on the board at No. 31, we finally moved up. The trade sent pick No. 43 (from the Jets) and No. 78 (the Packers can’t find a capable player in the third round anyway) to the Chiefs in exchange for the final pick in the first round (31) and No. 134 in the fourth round. Essentially, we moved up 12 spots and back into the first round in exchange for falling back 56 spots on Day 2. It wasn’t a cheap price, but we felt fine with the deal because of having another second-round pick at 45.
The prize was Hyatt, a speedster receiver who compares favorably with Will Fuller or DeSean Jackson. He’s electric, and we already know the Packers like him. A lot. Combine Hyatt with Christian Watson and the Packers will have two of the fastest and most dangerous deep threats in football, giving Jordan Love ample opportunities to attack downfield and Romeo Doubs more space to operate in the intermediate areas, all while ensuring the Packers can run the football against plenty of two-high safety looks each week. Hyatt can also do some gadget stuff, and he’ll be a playmaker on manufactured touches.
So, to recap: the Packers get a cornerback who could be a top-10 player in the class, solidifying the secondary long-term, and arguably the draft’s top deep threat at wide receiver. Plus, there would still be an opportunity to find a tight end or an edge rusher or a safety with one (or maybe two) second-round picks.
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