BREAKING NEWS : 33 Days Until NFL Draft Trading Up for ‘All-Pro Potential……………..
Less than five weeks remain until the 2024 NFL Draft begins, and in two new mock drafts, the Packers are slated to go higher and lower, respectively.
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Over the last few weeks, no player has been mocked to the Green Bay Packers more often than Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean. The reality is his size, athleticism, ball production and physicality could take him off the board before Green Bay is on the clock at No. 25.
The Athletic’s Diante Lee took care of that dilemma in his new mock draft. In his simulation, the Packers moved up 10 slots and gained an additional fourth-round pick at the expense of a second-round pick in 2025 to land DeJean.
Is DeJean a cornerback, which he played exceptionally well at Iowa? A slot? A safety? Lee compared him to Jalen Ramsey and Derwin James.
The second-round picks were used to bolster the offensive line with UConn guard Christian Haynes and Notre Dame right tackle Blake Fisher. Packers GM Brian Gutekunst, by the way, was at Notre Dame’s pro day on Thursday.
NFL.com (4 Rounds): Washington OT Troy Fautanu
In a four-round mock draft by Chad Reuter, the Packers moved back a few spots and landed Fautanu while gaining an additional fourth-round pick.
The Packers could be looking for a left tackle to be the permanent successor to left tackle David Bakhtiari. That could be Fautanu, who Reuter said has the length, bend and strength to be for Jordan Love what Bakhtiari was for Aaron Rodgers.
The second-round picks addressed the defense with Washington State safety Jaden Hicks, who as a bigger defender would complement free-agent addition Xavier McKinney, and Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall, who will take a predraft visit.
In the third round, the choices were North Carolina linebacker Cedric Gray and ultra-athletic Wisconsin center Tanor Bortolini. Both of those picks would fill needs, with Green Bay having a big hole at linebacker and limited depth on the offensive line. Gray had 99 tackles as a sophomore, 145 as a junior and 121 as a senior with a total of 29 tackles for losses, five forced fumbles and five interceptions during those three seasons.
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NFL Draft Scout (Trade Up): Penn State OT Olu Fashanu
Taking a page from our Jacob Westendorf, Jeremy Bissett moved up to No. 14to take the Penn State left tackle. Unlike a few of the other offensive tackles in this class, no projection is needed with Fashanu. He replaced Rasheed Walker in the starting lineup and allowed zero sacks as the Nittany Lions’ left tackle in 2022 and 2023.
Fashanu is a top-10 talent who will be pushed down the board by the top quarterbacks.
Sports Illustrated (4 Rounds): Iowa CB Cooper DeJean
Luke Easterling stuck at No. 25 to select DeJean. While adding the top safety in free agency, Xavier McKinney, will provide a big boost in the secondary, the Packers need more help after intercepting only seven passes last season.
With DeJean, the Packers would get a high-impact defender with “big-play ability” as a returner. He was the choice over, among others, Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins, Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry and offensive linemen Amarius Mims, Tyler Guyton and Graham Barton.
