Here’s everything you need to know about the Packers’ options at #23

If you haven’t followed the tick-tock of the draft cycle this offseason, first off, I want to congratulate you. Some of us have spent hundreds of hours watching prospects and following the ebbs and flows of the draft process, all of which will amount to a couple of hundred names being read into a microphone over three days.


So if you’re a Green Bay Packers  fan who just wants to pop in for draft discourse on the week of the draft, we bring you a gift: blurbs on all 18 names who are relevant for the Packers’ first-round pick. Want to develop an opinion on who Green Bay should take with the 23rd overall pick? This is a great start.


Because of how many players the Packers are returning from the teams  that took them to the postseason over the last couple of seasons, their options in the first round are fairly limited to a handful of positions: wide receiver, offensive line, defensive line and cornerback. Our list of 18 names to know stretches from potential long shots to be available for Green Bay at #23 to players who would probably be considered “reaches” on draft day. We’ll also mention if a player has taken a pre-draft visit with the Packers this offseason , which is generally a sign that he has a good chance of actually wearing green and gold.


Enjoy.


Wide Receivers

Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona (#11 on the consensus draft board )
The 6’4”, 219-pound two-time all-conference receiver only ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash this offseason, which has seen him steadily drop down draft boards from being considered a potential top-five selection to a player who may fall into the lap of the Packers. It’s worth noting that Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst was the only NFL GM who made the trip out for McMillan’s private workout, and the Packers brought in McMillan for a pre-draft visit late in the process, too.


Matthew Golden, Texas (#20)
Golden is a late breakout who didn’t have a 100-yard game for Texas until the postseason began. Previously, Golden was a transfer from the University of Houston. Like McMillan (and Emeka Egbuka, who we’ll get to later), Golden also took a visit to Green Bay this offseason. After running a 4.29-second 40-yard dash at the comebine, though, it seems like the Dallas Cowboys  are going to make it hard for Golden to leave the state. Golden is a popular pick for the Cowboys in mock drafts right now and has already referred to owner Jerry Jones as “Coach Jerry,” after he took a visit to Dallas’ facility.


Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State (#33)
With Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeremiah Smith playing outside receiver for the Buckeyes over the past couple of seasons, Emeka Egbuka made the majority of his receptions out of the slot at the college level. The three-time All-Big Ten receiver ran a semi-surprising 4.45-second 40-yard dash this offseason, which has helped his draft stock. On film, he looks like a player who can play inside or outside at the next level, but he’s more of a crafty zone-beater than someone who can torch man coverage, which might color how teams see him in the slot versus wide receiver debate.


Luther Burden, Missouri (#36)
Like Egbuka, Luther Burden was a slot receiver for his last two years at Missouri. He initially started as an outside receiver, a role where he wasn’t very productive, before kicking inside. While the Tigers didn’t have great quarterback play during his college career, it is worth mentioning that a lot of Burden’s receptions as an outside receiver came on designed plays like RPOs or screens, rather than true dropback pass attempts, where he played mostly in the slot. He’s good with the ball in his hand and could be a difference-making punt returner, if NFL teams allow him to play there, but the big question is whether or not his talent justifies a first-round pick.


Offensive Linemen

Josh Simmons, Ohio State (#24)
The only first-round offensive lineman I’m going to write about here is Josh Simmons of Ohio State , as I don’t believe that either Will Campbell of LSU  or Armand Membou of Missouri are going to be available outside of the top 10 selections of the draft, and most considered Texas’ Kelvin Banks to be a guard, a position where the Packers’ 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan is already trying to see playing time. If Green Bay is going to swing on an offensive lineman this early, it almost certainly has to be a left tackle of the future, something Simmons was considered before tearing his patellar tendon against the Oregon Ducks  during the 2024 regular season. Despite missing all of that time, Simmons was still named an All-Big Ten player last year. The Packers brought him in on a pre-draft visit, showing that their interest in Simmons is real, as is their openness to get ahead of the $20 million per year contract that Rasheed Walker would probably net on the open market next free agency.


Defensive Ends

Mykel Williams, Georgia (#14)
Abdul Carter and Jalon Walker should be long gone by the time the Packers are on the clock with the 23rd overall pick, so I won’t waste time talking about them. According to ESPN’s Peter Schrager , Mykell Williams of Georgia, Walker’s college teammate, is a player who is expected to go much higher on draft day than analysts are projecting him right now. Williams dealt with an ankle injury that occurred in Week 1 of the 2024 season, which he stated limited him to about 60 percent throughout last year’s campaign. Between his 2024 and 2023 film, it’s clear that Williams is a highly athletic run defender who has counter moves as a pass-rusher but no real way to make tackles overset on his initial move, at least as of yet. If Williams can develop a go-to pass-rush move in the C-gap, he will be a star in this league. If he doesn’t develop that move, he’s going to have very solid floor as a quality run defender. The Packers brought him in on a pre-draft visit.


Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M (#16)
The former five-star recruit improved as a run defender every season at Texas A&M , but Shemar Stewart never had the pass-rushing breakout you would have expected from a player who is considered to be a top-20 selection at defensive end. Athletically, he’s everything you can ask for. His evaluation is going to come down to the Rorschach Test of his A&M film, which also featured a disappointing season from Purdue transfer Nick Scourton — who came into the year with top-10 hype but only recorded five sacks in 2024. Like Williams, the Packers brought in Stewart on a pre-draft visit, the first reported link to the team this offseason. Green Bay quality control coach Wendel Davis was the linebackers and edge coach for the American team at the Senior Bowl , which featured Stewart on the squad.


Mike Green, Marshall (#18)
If you’re talking about a player suiting up in a designated pass-rushing role, Mike Green is the second-best edge defender in this class behind Abdul Carter. Green, who led the FBS in sacks last season, also played the run better than you would expect for an undersized (6’3”, 251 pounds) end from a Group of 5 school, too. One cloud that continues to hang over Green’s name is two sexual assault allegations, one from high school and one from his time at Virginia before transferring to Marshall, which he addressed at the combine. He stated that while he was suspended by Virginia, which he claims wasn’t a factor in his transfer, no charges were ever brought up to him, and he was never questioned. You do not need to align yourself with the morals of the NFL, but from conversations that I’ve had with people in the league, agents and people working in the draft industry, there’s a belief that he will not drop much — if at all — in the draft despite the allegations.


James Pearce Jr., Tennessee (#31)
One player who is slipping down draft boards a bit due to off-field concerns, though they aren’t nearly as serious as what is being alleged with Green’s situation, is Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. He’s a true designated pass-rusher who was played in an ideal role with the Volunteers, who allowed him to play opposite of the tight end frequently — giving him plenty of one-on-one reps against tackles on an island. Production came his way, in part due to his 4.47-second 40-yard dash speed, but the tag “doesn’t play well with others” continues to stick. The problem seems to be less about what Pearce does on his own time versus how he handles himself in the locker room and in meetings. The once-projected top-five selection is now a question mark to be drafted in the first round at all. At 6’5” and 245 pounds, a very slim build for an NFL edge defender, there are also questions about how you get him on the field outside of obvious pass situations, too. He visited the Packers.


Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College (#32)
During his first three years at Boston College, Ezeiruaku played for head coach Jeff Hafley, now the defensive coordinator of the Green Bay Packers. That alone drives a lot of Packers’ fans’ interest in Ezeiruaku, as the hope for them is that Hafley’s connection to the pass-rusher can lead to early production on his rookie contract. While Ezeiruaku posted great agility drills at the combine, he’s more of a flexible and bendy pass rusher than he is a sudden pass rusher. That slow burn doesn’t usually work for players who are under 250 pounds at the next level, but his craftiness and Euro Step playing style will remind some of a sawed-off Chandler Jones. His career will be one of the more interesting ones to track in this draft class, because I’m not sure we’ve ever seen a player with Ezeiruaku’s positives and negatives, making it hard to forecast where he’ll go in the draft.


Defensive Tackles

Derrick Harmon, Oregon (#23)

Kenneth Grant, Michigan (#26)

Walter Nolen, Ole Miss (#29)

We won’t talk about Mason Graham of Michigan here, because he probably won’t be here. I want to talk about all these defensive tackles together, though, because a lot of the draft debate seems to center around these players. Derrick Harmon, Kenneth Grant and Walter Nolen are expected to come off the board around the Packers’ pick, which is one reason why many Green Bay fans believe the team will end up with a defensive lineman on Thursday night.

Nolen is a three-technique under tackle, which would probably push Kenny Clark to the nose tackle position for the 2024 season. Nolen has some off-field baggage, as he’s enrolled at six different schools since the start of his high school career. ESPN also reported that there are rumors of Nolen walking off of the field mid-practice at Ole Miss  earlier this month. Despite that, others — like ESPN’s own Jeff Legwold  — consider Nolen to be a top-five player in this class. Nolen visited the Packers during the pre-draft process.

Harmon can probably play either role at the next level but would also fit better as a three-technique rather than as an under tackle. The Michigan State  transfer ran a 4.95-second 40-yard dash at 6’4” and 313 pounds at the combine, after posting the most productive interior pressure season in college football per Pro Football Focus’ charting. While Harmon wasn’t brought into Green Bay for a visit, it is worth noting that Gutekunst, vice president of player personnel Jon Eric Sullivan and director of player personnel Jon Wojciechowski, the top three decision makers for the Packers when it comes to draft work, all made the trip out to Eugene for Oregon’s pro day. It’s not often that they’re seen together for a single pro day.

The top nose tackle of this crop is Kenneth Grant, who at 6’4” and 331 pounds was named an All-American last year and was a two-time All-Big Ten player in his college career. The 21-year-old’s selection would probably keep the Packers’ plan of playing Clark at run down three-technique in place, meaning former first-round pick Devonte Wyatt would be unlikely to see the field outside of passing situations — assuming the starters would be healthy. Despite being large, even for nose tackle standards, Grant ran a 5.07-second 40-yard dash this spring.


Cornerbacks

Will Johnson, Michigan (#12)
Travis Hunter isn’t going to be available, as he’ll likely be picked within the first three selections of the draft, so let’s talk about Michigan cornerback Will Johnson. Johnson was hyped up as a potential top-five pick coming into the season, but missed the second half of the year with a turf toe injury. While he’s healed from the turf toe injury, he dealt with hamstring issues this spring that kept him from running a 40-yard dash at the combine, his pro day or his private workout later in the draft process. Without a 40-yard dash time at a “stopwatch position,” many are expecting him to slide a bit on draft day.


Jahdae Barron, Texas (#15)
Health, in the context of injuries to Johnson, ECU’s Shavon Revel Jr. and Notre Dame ’s Benjamin Morrison, continues to push Jahdae Barron of Texas up draft boards. At the end of the regular season, Barron wasn’t picked in most first-round mock drafts. Now, he goes in the first half of first rounds frequently. Despite that, there’s still questions about whether or not he’ll stick at the outside cornerback position at the next level. Barron has played both inside and outside during his five-year college career. Running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash helped his case to stick on the outside, but the Jim Thorpe Award winner is still under 5’11” at the end of the day.


Maxwell Hairston, Kentucky (#35)
The fastest player at the combine this year was Maxwell Hairston, who ran a 4.28-second mark in Indianapolis. Despite missing a chunk of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury, Hairston still posted six interceptions and 10 pass breakups over the last two years — over just 20 games — and scored three touchdowns on defense. Three years ago, a former Kentucky student accused Hairston of a 2021 rape  on social media three years ago. The posts resurfaced after Hairston’s performance at the combine. At the time, Hairston was a minor, which makes the documentation difficult to come by, even for NFL teams. Based on conversations that I’ve had with people in the league, agents and people working in the draft industry, there’s a belief that he will not drop much draft despite the allegations. Hairston was invited to the draft in Green Bay and will be one of 16 prospects who will walk the draft stage.

Shavon Revel Jr., East Carolina (#38)
Before his non-contact ACL tear, Shavon Revel Jr. was talked about as a top-20 lock in the 2025 draft. Unfortunately, a serious injury derailed his rising draft stock. Revel has rare athleticism, as he frequently has to slow down to stay in phase with outside receivers running shallow and deep crossers. This is all to say: The guy can run. While the doctor who did his surgery has officially cleared him now, he’s dealing with a couple of hurdles on the path of him becoming a first-round pick: his 24 years of age, his lack of pre-draft testing and his level of competition at the college level. Before transferring to East Carolina, Revel spent two years at Louisburg College, a private two-year school, before walking on with the Pirates. Before he played college football, Revel was in a serious car accident that fractured his skull and broke his nose. He also broke his collarbone as a junior in high school. Amos visited the Packers, which isn’t a surprise considering his medicals.

Trey Amos, Ole Miss (#39)
Amos has spent the last three years at three colleges. At the prep level, Amos was the quarterback who threw the ball to 2024 sixth overall pick Malik Nabers. In college, Amos finally played full-time cornerback for the first time in his football career at the University of Louisiana. After playing three years there, he transferred up to Alabama, where he spent 2023 as the backup outside cornerback behind Terrion Arnold and Kool-Aid McKinstry, two players who were picked in the top two rounds of the 2024 draft. Last year, he used his last year of eligibility to transfer again to Ole Miss, where he was a full-time starter and put together a First-Team All-SEC campaign. Despite only being a full-time starter for two years in his five-year college career, he’s recorded 31 pass breakups and four interceptions. Ball skills are the clear positive to his game, while deep speed was a bit of a question until he ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash.



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