Final Packers Mock draft

Tomorrow is the big day, one of my favorite days of the year: the NFL Draft. I wanted to wait until Aaron Rodgers was traded to do another Packers mock, so since he was dealt so close to draft day, this will be my final one of the season. I don’t know if I have ever gotten one correct, so if you wanted one of these players, my apologies, because they’re not being picked now haha

 

1   1) Lukas Van Ness, EDGE, Iowa

This pick just screams Packer to me. Green Bay needs a pass rusher in the worst way with Rashan Gary out for a few months and Preston Smith likely to be gone after this year. Last year’s pick of Kingsley Enagbare looks good, but they will need a third EDGE this season and someone to line up across from Gary starting in 2024. Gary is an athletic freak with an RAS of 9.38. For whatever reason, he didn’t start many game with the Hawkeyes, but was still named second team All-Big Ten with 11 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. Van Ness and Gary could be a lethal duo rushing the passer during the rebuilding process.

 

2a) Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

This is another guy who screams Packer, especially since he is great for the Matt LaFleur offense. Another athletic demon, Washington wasn’t really utilized much as a receiver with Brock Bowers on the same team. Bowers has a chance to be a top 10 pick in 2024. Washington, however, is a tremendous blocker with the ability to become an outstanding receiver. Brian Gutkekunst has also shown he loves to take Georgia players, having selected Eric Stokes, Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt early in the past two years. Green Bay needs a tight end in the worst way. Josiah Deguara is the only Packers tight end remaining who will make the roster. Robert Tonyan is in Chicago and Marcedes Lewis is a free agent. Even with those two, they needed overhaul the position. Washington would be a great place to start.

 

2b) Keeanu Benton, DL, Wisconsin

Of course this is a homer pick, but he would be great for the Packers. With Jerran Reed and Dean Lowry gone from Green Bay, the Packers need bodies, especially good ones. The Packers gave up approximately 4,000 rushing yards to Philadelphia, so they need some formidable defensive linemen. A line of Wyatt, Benton and Kenny Clark would have a lot of potential. Benton is another good athlete who is young, as he does not turn 22 until July. He is a nose tackle prospect and he has gotten better as a pass rusher. It would be a great fit to have him in Green Bay.

 

3)     3) Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss

With two of the top three picks being used on the defense, it is time to stockpile the offense. While Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs were promising as rookies, they need more at the position. Green Bay likes its big wide receivers and Mingo is 6-2 and 225, so he fits the bill. He has a great RAS score and runs the 40-meters at a 4.46 time, which is great for a guy that size. He has a chance to fit right in with the three rookies from last year to help first-year starting quarterback Jordan Love.

4)     4) Ricky Stromberg, IOL, Arkansas

      The Packers always draft interior linemen and with Jason Myers inconsistent and Jon Runyan Jr. replaceable, they could use Stromberg, who has experience at both guard spots and center. The Packers like versatility, which will make him more attractive to Green Bay. A two-time All-SEC selection, he could come in and push Myers for the starting center position from day one.

 

5)     5) Zack Kuntz, TE, Old Dominion 

      I mentioned above how the Packers need fresh talent in the tight end room. This is a really good class in the position and they could very easily take multiple players at tight end. After drafting Washington in the second round, they double up with the uber-athletic Kuntz here. He has a 10.0 RAS score, good for the top spot of all tight ends from 1,104 players at the position. He will struggle as a blocker, so we’ll have to hope he becomes a matchup nightmare.

 

6)     6) Clayton Tune, QB, Houston 

      After trading Rodgers, the Packers have no one behind Love who could be a capable backup. Tune would come into a great situation, as he would have a golden opportunity to be Love’s backup, much like Matt Flynn in 2008 as Rodgers’ backup. A four-year starter, Tune has a chance to make a splash with the Packers.

      7a) Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern

      Thankfully Aaron Jones restructured or else this would have been a bigger priority, but I still expect the position to be chosen late in the draft. The Packers tend to like their athletic guys and Hull has a 9.32 RAS score. A short, compact running back ran for nearly 1,000 yards on a putrid Northwestern team. Hull was the leading rusher for the Wildcats by a wide margin and was the second-leading receiver in terms of both catches and yards, recording 55 catches for 546 yards. He might start out on the practice squad but work his way onto the 53-man roster at some point.

      7b) Jordan Howden, S, Minnesota

      The Packers need a starting safety, but I have them waiting until the end to draft one. The only problem with that is they already have a number of special teams safeties—too many actually. Howden is athletic and is a really good tackler. Hopefully a few of the safeties pan out because it is a position of need for Green Bay.

      7c) Thomas Incoom, EDGE, Central Michigan

      The EDGE group is extremely talented, so it would make sense for the Packers to double dip at the position. The former Chippewas pass rusher posted 11.5 sacks, forcing one fumble and recovering two others. With Gary, Smith, Van Ness and Enagbare, he’d fight for the last one or two roster spots and potentially get a bit of playing time early on with Gary recovering from a torn ACL.

      7d) Ryan Hayes, OT, Michigan

      Hayes would be a typical Packers pick, just like when they took Rasheed Walker in the seventh last season. I really like last year’s pick of Zach Tom as a future offensive tackle, but David Bakhtiari is likely in his final season with Green Bay and Yosh Nijman is a free agent next offseason and will likely be paid. Hayes could be a guard in the NFL and the Packers have had success with those types in the draft, including TJ Lang, JC Tretter and Josh Sitton. He gave up zero sacks this past year and just four in his 37-game career.

Packers Mock Draft v. 2.0

 

The Super Bowl is set up and we are a week from the Kansas City Chiefs against the Philadelphia Eagles in the big game. As for the Green Bay Packers, they need to figure out what will happen with Aaron Rodgers. I, personally, think he will be traded, but I will not predict trades here. It will be an interesting offseason for the Packers. Here is my Packers mock draft…

 

1. Brian Branch, S, Alabama

The Packers desperately need a safety. For whatever reason, they picked up Darnell Savage’s fifth year option, despite the fact that he has had a rough last couple years. Adrian Amos also had a rough year this past season and I don’t expect him back. As it is, maybe Rudy Ford and Savage, and that is not good enough to put it nicely. Branch can play in the slot and at safety. His missed tackle percentage is just 3.2 percent, which is huge after being forced to watch Savage attempt to tackle. Nobody in the secondary is a real good tackler, which is a huge reason why he’d be great in Wisconsin. He’s a good run defender, which is a huge plus since the Packers have had such trouble in that area. Branch is one of my draft crushes early on in the draft process.

 

2. Dalton Kinkaid, TE, Utah

This would be a dream second round selection for the Packers. Kincaid is another if my draft crushes. Green Bay needs a tight end in the worst way. Everybody outside of Josiah Deguara in the tight end room is a free agent. Even if Tonyan comes back, the Packers need an upgrade. He has not been the same the last two years. He caught 70 balls for Utah for nearly 900 yards, scoring eight times. He is a great receiving tight end, as evidenced by his numbers. Kincaid could improve his blocking, but his receiving ability more than makes up for it.

 

3. Will McDonald, EDGE, Iowa State

EDGE is a deep position in this year’s draft, which is why I have the Packers waiting until the third round to take one. Green Bay has a big need at EDGE considering Rashan Gary is coming off a torn ACL and will miss some time in 2023. Other than that, the Packers have just Preston Smith and Kingsley Enagbare. The latter had a nice rookie season, but they have nothing after him and need some depth, especially since Preston could be a cap casualty once his contract makes sense to do it since they could be looking at rebuilding soon with Jordan Love.

 

4. Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss

Green Bay could really use another wide receiver. If Aaron Rodgers is traded, the Packers will more than likely not re-sign Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. After that, it is just the three rookies—Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure—under contract for 2023. It would not surprise me to see the team acquire a receiver if Rodgers is traded to the Jets. Denzel Mims could be a target to acquire to see if a change of scenery could do him well. Mingo could be a great target for Love to form a great WR group.

 

5. Wanya Morris, OT, Oklahoma

The Packers need to take an offensive tackle at some point. Who knows how many years David Bakhtiari has left? He has been banged up the last few years. When he plays, he is outstanding. It looks like they have an heir apparent in Zach Tom. They need a RT, though, as I don’t see Yosh Nijman as the long-term solution at the position. A highly-rated recruit coming out of high school, Morris has played both right and left tackle at Oklahoma. That type of versatility is something the Packers love.

 

7a. Moro Ojomo, DL, Texas

The Packers draft a defensive lineman every year, and this one should be no different. I doubt Jerran Reed is brought back. They need depth at the position. I do like the potential of Devonte Wyatt and T.J. Slaton in addition to Kenny Clark being a star along the line. Dean Lowry is likely gone, so they will need to throw a dart to see if they can hit on someone.

 

7b. Tavion Thomas, RB, Utah

This will become an even bigger need if the team moves on from Aaron Jones. The star running back cannot be brought back at the same number, so his contract will either be restricted or he will be extended, the latter being a risk for a running back nearing 30. If Aaron Rodgers is traded, the chances of Jones being let go rise, but they may want him to help Jordan Love since he is a weapon out of the backfield.

 

7c. Joe Tippman, IOL, Wisconsin

His stock may have gone up considerably at the Senior Bowl, but as it is right now, I will have him go here. The interior of the offensive line has not done as well as the Packers would have hoped, especially Josh Myers. He has been maddeningly inconsistent. He can play all around the inside. It’d be a steal in the seventh.

Top 10 Unexpected Successful Seasons

Not long ago, SKOR North put out a list of the top unexpected seasons in Minnesota sports history (or at least since when Judd Zulgad started watching sports). I thought that was an interesting list, so I decided to make a list of my own, involving my favorite teams (Wisconsin football, Wisconsin men’s basketball, Packers, Twins, Timberwolves and Wild) since I was born in June of 1989. It was brutal to get this down to 10. There were a number of honorable mentions that deserved to be on the list, but I couldn’t find a spot for them. Ordering them was brutal too. So here we go:

 

Honorable Mentions:

Wisconsin men’s basketball 1993-94

Wisconsin men’s basketball 2007-08

Wisconsin men’s basketball 2013-14

Wisconsin football 2009

Wisconsin football 2016

Wisconsin football 2019

Green Bay Packers 1989

Green Bay Packers 2007

Minnesota Twins 2015

 

Top 10

10. Green Bay Packers 2019

Green Bay was coming off a 6-9-1 season, one in which Mike McCarthy was fired after an embarrassing loss at home against the lowly Arizona Cardinals. Aaron Rodgers’ play had declined the previous few years. He was still good, but not Superman like he had been. The Packers responded by drafting Rashan Gary and Darnell Savage in the first round and Elgton Jenkins in round two. Add that to the free agent signings of Adrian Amos, Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Billy Turner.

Even with the signings, there weren’t high expectations for Green Bay in 2019. However, fans were excited after the week one win at defending NFC North champion Chicago 10-3. They backed that up with another victory over an NFC North contender, Minnesota, staving off a Vikings comeback. The Packers began the season 3-0 and finished with a totally unexpected 13 wins and a No. 2 seed in the playoffs, earning a bye.

Green Bay’s biggest win came in Minneapolis to win the division 23-10 in week 16 and the team won nine games by one scorer, including a 28-23 win over Seattle. Aaron Rodgers did not play great this season, but he was solid and led the Packers to a berth in the NFC Championship game. I don’t think any Packers fan saw this coming. We were hopeful that the team could make the playoffs again, but I don’t think anyone saw a 13-3 season.

9. Wisconsin men’s basketball 2019-20

Wisconsin had more stuff it had to deal with than any team should. It started on Memorial Day weekend when assistant coach Howard Moore was in a car accident that claimed the life of his wife and daughter. Transfer Micah Potter also had to sit out the first semester of the season after the NCAA kept rejected his and Wisconsin’s appeals to let him play before later December. The strength coach Erik Helland resigned due to him using the n-word when telling a story from his days with the Chicago Bulls. Finally, Kobe King, a talented young guard, left the program shortly before a trip to Iowa City in January. That doesn’t even cover the fact that the Badgers had to replace all-world forward Ethan Happ.

The season didn’t start promising, starting out 5-5 and had to fight to beat Milwaukee in Potter’s first game, but were able to defeat three ranked teams in the start of January, including two on the road. But still, the Badgers found themselves at 12-9 and 5-5 in Big Ten play after Wisconsin blew a lead in Iowa City. Their next game was against No. 14 Michigan State without King, who had transferred, and no Brad Davison, who was suspended for the contest.

After a loss at Minnesota, Wisconsin won its final eight games of the season, including the finale at Indiana with a Big Ten title on the line. Trailing by seven in the second half, Brad Davison and Micah Potter came up huge to pull off a comeback win. Davison’s two free throws cemented the championship in a 60-56 win. Unfortunately, COVID cancelled the NCAA Tournament because it would have been fun to see how this team would have done in March. With all that went on, it is amazing the team won it all. People were calling Greg Gard to be fired, but he galvanized the team and led them on a roll. Wisconsin wore “4 More” patches throughout the season due to the four members of the Moore family involved in the car crash. The Badgers won the championship clinching game at Indiana by four. Four Moore. 

8. Minnesota Twins 2001

The Minnesota Twins entered the 2001 season with a young roster that most expected to be a few years away from truly making a run at the division. Not only that, but they were looked at as a contraction candidate along with the Montreal Expos. But the Twins busted out of the gate to a 14-3 start and were 55-32 at the All-Star break. They also drafted the future face of the franchise in Joe Mauer, having the top pick in the draft.

While Minnesota faltered in the second half, going just 30-45 to finish 85-77, it signaled big things ahead. It was first winning season since 1992 and would start a string of nine seasons out of the next 10 finishing above .500. The very next season, the Twins, made up of largely the same players, reached the American League Championship series. In the next decade, Minnesota reached the playoffs six times and lost in game 163 (which should have been in Minneapolis) another season.

And most importantly, the unexpected success of the 2001 Minnesota Twins stayed just that……the MINNESOTA Twins.

7. Wisconsin men’s basketball 2001-02

On many other people’s list, this may be even higher. Wisconsin was coming off a solid season in which it was the No. 6 seed in the tournament, but was bounced by upstart Georgia State 50-49 when Mark Vershaw missed two free throws in the closing seconds. Early in the season, the veteran-laden team led by Vershaw and Mike Kelley lost its coach to retirement. Much like Bo Ryan during the 2015-16 season, head coach Dick Bennett retired abruptly during non-conference play. Brad Soderberg took over for the remainder of the season. I still always wonder if they had beaten Georgia State and had upset Maryland, does Soderberg get the full-time gig?

Soderberg obviously did not get the full-time job. That went to a coach who was turning around UW-Milwaukee and had had enormous success at UW-Platteville by the name of Bo Ryan. Bo had his work cut out for him. Not only was Wisconsin losing a ton of seniors, but he only had eight scholarship players. The team had a lot of talent, led by junior Kirk Penney and freshmen Devin Harris and Mike Wilkinson. The team limped to a 3-6 start, including losses to Hawaii and Weber State. But the team won its final six games to finish 18-11 in the regular season and 11-5 in the Big Ten, finishing in a tie for first place in the Big Ten (with Illinois, Indiana and Michigan State), the first regular season championship for the Badgers since 1947 (!!!!). Wisconsin knocked off St. John’s in the first round of the tournament 80-70 as a No. 8 seed and only trailed top-seeded and eventual national champion Maryland 38-30 at halftime before running out of gas in an 87-57 defeat.

But Bo Ryan was here to stay. He never finished lower than fourth in the Big Ten and earned two Final Four trips in his final two full seasons. In his second season at the helm, the Badgers won the Big Ten again, this time it was outright, defeating Illinois in a thriller in Madison in the regular season finale. Ryan led the team to four conference titles in all.

6. Wisconsin men’s basketball 2021-22

The Badgers were losing a terrific senior class that led them to the Big Ten title in 2020. They retained Brad Davison and received a transfer big man Chris Vogt from Cincinnati. However, they were picked preseason to finish 10^th in the Big Ten. As Matt Lepay put it so beautifully after the victory at home against Purdue, “And then they played the games.”

Many people thought sophomore Johnny Davis would become a force for the Badgers. Even the biggest Badger homers didn’t think he’d become Big Ten Player of the Year and First Team All-American, but that is just what he did. Johnny showed up in the biggest games. The country was first put on notice when they played a very good Houston team in the Maui Invitational. Davis poured in 30 points on 18 shots in a 65-63 upset of the No. 12 Cougars. In early January, Davis dropped in a career-high 37 points in a monster 74-69 win at Mackey Arena, which has been a house of horrors for Wisconsin, against No. 3 Purdue. With a chance of at least a share of the Big Ten on the line, Bucky met those same Boilermakers in the second to last game of the regular season. It wasn’t Davis, but a freshman Chucky Hepburn who nailed the biggest shot of the season, a triple from the left wing to knock off No. 8 Purdue and clinch a share of the Big Ten.

Not bad for a team picked to finish 10^th in the conference preseason.

5. Twins 2017

The Minnesota Twins entered the 2017 season with no expectations. Following a surprising 2015 campaign, the 2016 season was abysmal. They went 59-103, good for the worst record in Major League Baseball. Minnesota won its first four games of the season, signaling it was a different team. The Twins became the first team in MLB history to reach the playoffs the year following a 100-loss season.

Minnesota had to hold off the Los Angeles Angels for the final wild card spot, helped by back-to-back games with a walk-off home run in the month of August. Eddie Rosario crushed a two-run bomb down the right field line to beat San Diego and Byron Buxton followed with one to left-center to defeat Toronto. A late five-game winning streak helped put away the Angels. Unfortunately, Minnesota lost to New York (because of course) in the wild card game, squandering a 3-0 lead, but this turnaround season was one of the more surprising seasons in recent memory.

4. Wisconsin men’s basketball 1999-2000

This team is surprising because of the incredible run it had. This team’s run made fall in love with Bucky basketball. Wisconsin was coming off a season in which it scored just 32 points in an embarrassing 43-32 loss in the 1999 NCAA Tournament to Southwest Missouri State. The regular season was ho hum, but finished in spectacular fashion as the Badgers upset No. 14 Indiana 56-53. The Badgers finished the season at 16-12 and reached the semifinals of the conference tournament.

The 18-13 Badgers made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 8 seed where they took on NCAA’s leading scorer and future NBA draft pick Courtney Alexander and Fresno State, coached by the legendary Jerry Tarkanian. The Bulldogs led midway through the second half before Jon Bryant took over with four triples from the same spot to put the Badgers in front for good.

Wisconsin followed that up by upsetting top-seeded Arizona with Gilbert Arenas and Richard Jefferson and Stromile Swift’s LSU Tigers. Wisconsin reached the Final Four for the first time since 1941 with a win over Purdue, which it defeated in the Big Ten Tournament just a few weeks before. The run to the Final Four re-energized the program and helped set up a great run of success under Bo Ryan.

3. Minnesota Wild 2002-03

Okay, no one in their right mind had Minnesota doing much in this year, just its third season of existence. The Wild were coming off a season in which they finished 12^th in the Western Conference. Not only did they reach the playoffs, but made two huge upsets to reach the Western Conference finals for the first (and to this point, only) time.

Led by youngster Marian Gaborik, Minnesota went 42–29–10–1 in the regular season and was the No. 6 seed in the playoffs. In the first round, it was seemingly a David vs. Goliath matchup against the star-studded Colorado Avalanche, led by Adam Foote, Peter Forsberg, Milan Hejduk and Patrick Roy. Since the start of February, Colorado was 22-5-2-3, so Minnesota had a tall task to put it lightly. Minnesota won game one, but lost the next three to the heavy favorites. Following a game five win, the Wild came back home and Richard Park gave Minnesota an overtime victory. The Wild followed that up with a remarkable game seven victory in overtime with an incredible winner by Andrew Brunette.

Minnesota followed that up with another series against Vancouver in which it came back from a 3-1 deficit to win. In the deciding game seven, the Wild came back from a 2-0 hole to score four unanswered and win 4-2. In both series, the Wild won three games on the road. Minnesota still has not made it back to the conference finals. This unlikely run there needs to be ranked high.

2. Green Bay Packers 1992

The Packers hadn’t made the playoffs since the strike-shortened year of 1982 and had only five winning seasons since the Vince Lombardi years and made the playoffs just the once. Green Bay was coming off a 4-12 season. The Packers brought in the hottest coach on the market in Mike Holmgren to run the show and new general manager Ron Wolf traded a first round pick for a backup quarterback named Brett Favre. To make matters worse, the Packers started out the 1992 season with an 0-2 record and coming off a 31-3 drubbing in Tampa.

Enter the week three game at Lambeau Field against Cincinnati. Green Bay entered the fourth quarter trailing 17-3 and the team lost its starting quarterback Don Majkowski to a serious injury. Enter Brett Favre. The team had cut the deficit to 23-17 and had to start inside its own 10-yard line after a poor decision by Robert Brooks on the kickoff. That is when the legend of the gunslinger who wears No. 4 began. Favre led his team down the field, throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline to Kitrick Taylor with 13 seconds left to earn the 24-23 win over Cincinnati.

The team ended up going 9-7, missing the playoffs, but it set the stage for future success. It was the last time Green Bay did not make the playoffs until 1999. It signaled the Packers had found their quarterback in the form of a second-year man out of Southern Miss. In the run of playoff berths, they would win at least one playoff game every year from 1993-97. The one time they didn’t, let’s be honest, Jerry Rice fumbled and the Packers should have won that one following the 1998 season.

1. Wisconsin football 1993

Throughout the late 1980s, the Wisconsin Badgers football program was a disaster. Following the unfortunate passing of head coach Dave McClain prior to the 1986 season, the Badgers under Jim Hilles and Don Morton went a combined 9-36, including an embarrassing 5-27 record in Big Ten play.

In 1988, the University of Wisconsin hired Donna Shalala as chancellor, who hired Pat Richter as athletics director a year later. A year after that, the two hired Barry Alvarez as the new head football coach. Alvarez was thrust into a position that hadn’t seen the school reach the Rose Bowl in nearly 30 years. In his first three years, the Badgers won 11 games and 10 in the previous two games. The program was ready for a big jump in year four under Alvarez.

The Badgers were primed for the breakout season behind the great running back core of Terrell Fletcher and the Big Ten player of the year, the late, great, Brent Moss. The Badgers only hiccup was a loss at lowly Minnesota, but Wisconsin knocked off Michigan State in Tokyo to earn the Rose Bowl spot after Michigan beat Ohio State in the regular season finale.

Wisconsin went out a won the Rose Bowl against UCLA in its home stadium. Darrell Bevell’s 21-yard touchdown run was the difference as Bucky won 21-16. People thought about the Wisconsin football program differently that day. After hardly ever going to bowls, the Badgers go there on a regular basis. Starting with that win, Wisconsin has been to six Rose Bowls, winning three of them. With that, it has started the Badgers being a big time program for the past 30 seasons.

Mock Draft v. 2.0

1. Chicago Bears: Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia

2. Houston Texans: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

3. Arizona Cardinals: Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama

4. Indianapolis Colts: CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State

5. Seattle Seahawks (from Denver): Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

6. Detroit Lions (from Los Angeles): Joey Porter, Jr., CB, Penn State

7. Las Vegas Raiders: Myles Murphy, DL, Clemson

8. Atlanta Falcons: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

9. Carolina Panthers: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

10. Philadelphia Eagles (from New Orleans): Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State

11. Tennessee Titans: Bijon Robinson, RB, Texas

12. Houston Texans (from Cleveland): Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

13. New York Jets: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

14. New England Patriots: Jordan Addison, WR, USC

15. Green Bay Packers: Brian Branch, S, Alabama

16. Washington Commanders: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

17. Pittsburgh Steelers: Devon Witherspoon, CB, Illinois

18. Detroit Lions: Brian Bresee, DT, Clemson

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

20. Seattle Seahawks:  O'Cyrus Torremce, OL, Florida

21. Los Angeles Chargers: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

22. Baltimore Ravens: Nolan Smith, EDGE, Georgia

23. Minnesota Vikings: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

24. Jacksonville Jaguars: Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

25. New York Giants: Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina

26. Dallas Cowboys: Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee

27. Cincinnati Bengals: Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

28. Denver Broncos (from San Francisco through Miami): Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame

29. Buffalo Bills: Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson

30. Kansas City Chiefs: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma

31. Philadelphia Eagles: Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Alabama

NFL Mock Draft

1. Texans: Bryce Young, QB, Alabama

2. Bears: Will Anderson, EDGE, Alabama

3. Seahawks: Jalen Carter, EDGE, Georgia

4. Lions: CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State

5. Eagles: Myles Murphy, EDGE, Clemson

6. Panthers: Will Levis, QB, Kentucky

7. Jaguars: Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State

8. Cardinals: Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech

9. Colts: Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida

10. Falcons: Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

11. Packers: Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

12. Raiders: Broderick Jones, OT, Georgia

13. Texans: Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson

14. Steelers: Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State

15. Lions: Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

16. Chargers: Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

17. Patriots: Jordan Addison, WR, USC

18. Commanders: Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

19. Bucs: Isaiah Foskey, EDGE, Notre Dame

20. Seahawks: Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida

21. Titans: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

22. Jets: Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson

23. Giants: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

24. Broncos: Cody Mauch, OT, North Dakota State

25. Ravens: Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina

26. Bengals: Antonio Johnson, S, Texas A&M

27. Cowboys: Clark Phillips, CB, Utah

28. Chiefs: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma

29. Vikings: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington

30. Bills: Brian Branch, S, Alabama

31. Eagles: Bijon Robinson, RB, Texas

Packers Mock Draft

This has been a bad performance this season by the Packers. There will be a lot of changes this offseason and the draft is a part of that. Here is my current Packers mock draft as of now:

 

1) Peter Skoronski, OT, Northwestern

This would be cool, as Peter’s grandfather Bob, was a guy cog on the offensive line during the Lombardi years. The Packers may have found a right tackle of the future in Yosh Njiman, but they very easily could want an upgrade. Even if they do really like Yosh at right tackle, the team is in cap hell next season at about $30 mil over the cap. David Bakhtiari is aging and extremely expensive and could be a cap casualty. I see the Packers taking one or two offensive linemen in the draft with one of the picks being high. Skoronski is a big-time offensive tackle prospect and would be a starter from day one.

 2) Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

If the Packers can’t get Michael Mayer, Darnell Washington is a good consolation prize. If only the Packers could trade tight end rooms with Georgia. Green Bay also loves taking Georgia guys, having taken Eric Stokes, Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt in the first round the past two seasons. He has a great combination of size and speed. While he has potential as a pass catcher, he really will make his mark as a blocker. As for the Packers tight end room, everyone is a free agent outside of Josiah Deguara. I like Marcedes Lewis as a blocker, but he is old. Washington could fit right in as a blocker. I like Big Bob Tonyan, but he is not really starting caliber and his 2020 season looks more like a fluke. I do think he has a role on this team if he wants to come back on the cheap, though. Washington could come in and grow along with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs and form a formidable passing attack for the Green & Gold.

3)               3) Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina

The Packers could use another wide receiver in addition to picking Washington. Green Bay drafted three receivers last year—Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure—all of whom have a future on the team. Those three are also the only wide receivers under contract for 2023. While Aaron Rodgers may want both Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb back, they don’t really move the needle and the organization may want to go in a different direction. I think another year in the system for those three will be huge, but they could use one more weapon. Due to his slight frame (5-10, 171), he will likely be relegated to slot receiver in the NFL. Considering Watson and Doubs are outside receivers, this makes sense. He is explosive and was very productive at UNC. One downside would be his blocking would need to improve and the Packers like to draft receivers who can block.

4)           4) Devon Achane, RB, Texas A&M

You might be thinking “why a running back?” Well, despite being the best playmaker on a struggling Packers offense, Aaron Jones may very easily be a cap casualty because they did his contract where the team could easily move on from him after two years. With Green Bay in cap hell, Jones very easily could be moved on from. If so, then Achane would fill in as the lightning to AJ Dillon’s thunder. To quote the remake of The Longest Yard, he’s so fast, he makes fast people look not fast. He could find himself in day two territory, though, so this could be wishful thinking.

5)              5) Ji'Ayir Brown, S, Penn State

Another possible wishful thinking pick. Brown could come in and contribute right away. Green Bay’s safety play this season has been so abysmal. Unfortunately, Darnell Savage’s fifth year option was picked up and he has been awful this season and Adrian Amos’ play has fallen off a cliff. Rudy Ford has been a savior of sorts at safety. He makes plays every game. Still, a running mate for Ford (if he is a starter for the future) because one is desperately needed.

7a) Trey Palmer, WR, Nebraska

Palmer, a transfer from LSU, recently declared for the NFL Draft. He has a ton of talent and has had one of the best seasons in Nebraska history at wide receiver. He does most of his damage in the slot, which is what the Packers could use. All Green Bay has under contract for next year are the three rookies from the 2021 draft class. It wouldn’t surprise me to see multiple receivers taken. He does need to correct his drops, though, as he has a 14 percent drop way, which is obviously way too high and will push him to day three. If that can be corrected, he could be a really good receiver.

7b) Cory Durden, DL, North Carolina State

Green Bay always takes a defensive lineman at some point in the draft. You can never have too many defensive linemen. They also need to find someone who can stop the run. I like Reed, but he is a free agent. Devonte Wyatt will hopefully be better in year two. Kenny Clark should be back to being the man.

7c) Sav'ell Smalls, EDGE, Washington

The Packers should take an EDGE at some point too. I like what I have seen from last year’s draft pick Kingsley Enagbare and Rashan Gary emerged into one of the league’s best pass rushers before his injury. He won’t be himself for a bit after coming back, so another EDGE is a must. They could take one higher than the last pick in the draft, but it will depend on how the board falls.

Top 20 coaches who have not made the Final Four

Honorable Mention

Bobby Hurley, Arizona State (160-120, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: HM

Anthony Grant, Dayton (295-162, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: HM

Kevin Willard, Maryland (270-210, 5 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: 20

Ben Jacobsen, Northern Iowa (321-201, 4 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: 19

Steve Alford, Nevada (557-309, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, 4 Sweet 16s)—previous: 18

Todd Golden, Florida (57-36, 1 NCAA Tournament appearance)—previous: N/A

Fran McCaffery, Iowa (493-339, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: N/A

Dan Hurley, UConn (224-152, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: N/A

Leon Rice, Boise State (244-144, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: N/A

Penny Hardaway, Memphis (85-43, 1 NCAA Tournament appearance)—previous: N/A

 

20. Matt McMahon, LSU (154-67, 3 NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: N/A

Matt McMahon is in his first year with LSU after coming over from a successful stint at Murray State where he led the Racers to a 154-67 record with three trips to the NCAA Tournament, including twice making it to the second round. He took over for Steve Prohm, who left for Iowa State, and elevated the program even further. He is coming off a season in which he led Murray State to 31 wins before being upset by giant killers St. Peter’s in the second round. It will be interesting to see how he does down on the bayou. The Tigers are coming off a season where they were a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

19. Steve Pikiell, Rutgers (290-247, three NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: 17

Perhaps it is a bit unfair to actually move Pikiell down on this list since he led Rutgers to another really good season. After leading Stony Brook to at least 20 wins in six of his last seven seasons and an NCAA Tournament appearance, he came to a program that hadn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 1991. He had three below .500 seasons with Rutgers to start his career, but then it all came together. Pikiell would have led the Knights to three consecutive tournament berths if COVID hadn’t halted play in 2020, which has not happened in program history. As a matter of fact, Rutgers had only once made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances (1975-76) before making it the past two seasons.

18. Jamie Dixon, TCU (445-207, 13 NCAA Tournament appearances, two Sweet 16s, one Elite 8)—previous: 15

It was tough moving Dixon as well, as he led TCU to a second-round appearance, where the Horned Frogs nearly, and perhaps should have, upset top-seeded Arizona. The dominant 69-42 win over Seton Hall in the first round was the first victory in the Big Dance since 1987. He took over a dormant program after Trent Johnson couldn’t win in his four years with the program. TCU only had one winning season and was a combined 8-64 in conference play, never finishing higher than ninth in the conference under Johnson. Prior to Dixon, TCU had not made either the NCAA Tournament or NIT since 2005, and not made the Big Dance this millennium. He has led his alma mater to four 20-win seasons with two trips to the NCAA Tournament. One thing he does need to do, though, is finish above .500 in the Big 12, something he has not done quite yet.

17. Mike Brey, Notre Dame (571-311, 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16, two Elite 8s)—previous: 12

Another coach who was moved down despite a very successful season. Brey’s Fighting Irish won 24 games, the most the program has won since winning 26 in 2016-17. They also won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since that season as well, defeating Rutgers in double overtime in the First Four and upsetting Alabama in the first round before falling to Texas Tech. Unfortunately, in his 22 seasons in South Bend, he has advanced past the first weekend just three times and time may be running out for him to get that elusive Final Four appearance.

16. Mike White, Georgia (243-128, four NCAA Tournament appearances, one Elite 8)—previous: 9

I think Mike White saw the writing on the wall that he was in a do-or-die season at Florida, so he bolted to Georgia, a place where there is no pressure because nobody really cares about basketball there. I mean, their football team is the national champs and is off to a great start in 2022 as well, so that is understandable. After starting out his career with the Gators with four consecutive seasons with at least 20 wins, he has yet to crack that mark in his last three. He came from Louisiana Tech, where he found plenty of success. In his final three years with Louisiana Tech, he led the Bulldogs to 83 wins and a conference title all three years. However, he could not get his team over the hump and into the Big Dance and had to settle for the NIT all three seasons.

15. Randy Bennett, St. Mary’s (480-200, nine NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16)—previous: 16

Bennett is kind of in an uphill climb to reach the Final Four being at a school like St. Mary’s. He led the Gaels to a tremendous 26-8 season, reaching the second round of the tournament for the fourth time in his tenure after destroying Indiana. He also led them to an upset of Gonzaga to finish the regular season. Bennett took over a woeful St. Mary’s program and has turned it into a powerful program, but I have a hard time seeing him take St. Mary’s to the Final Four, so unless he goes to another program, I think he may be on this list for awhile.

14. Ed Cooley, Providence (313-210, 6 NCAA Tournament appearances, 1 Sweet 16)—previous: N/A

A new entrance to the list, Ed Cooley has done a masterful job at Providence. After having a number of seasons of around 20 wins, Cooley had his breakout season this past year, leading the Friars to a 27-8 record and 14-3 mark in conference play. In his first five tournament appearances, his team only advanced past the first round once, but made it to the second weekend in 2022 and put a scare into eventual national champion Kansas and actually had the lead with under six minutes to play. Only time will tell if this was a one-year wonder for Cooley or if he has something brewing.

13. Brian Dutcher, San Diego State (119-40, three NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: 13

Dutcher took over for Steve Fisher in 2017 and has not skipped a beat. He has averaged nearly 24 wins a season in his five years but has not yet made it past the first round. Granted, his team finished 30-2 with Malachi Flynn in 2019-20, but the tournament was cancelled. But still, the team was a No. 6 seed twice and a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament and has still not won a game in the Big Dance. You can never say never, but his at his age (62) after being an assistant under Fisher for so many years at Michigan and SDSU, it may be tough to reach the Final Four without taking another job. He was rumored to be in the running for a job at his alma mater (Minnesota), but ultimately Ben Johnson got that job.

12. Nate Oats, Alabama (157-79, five NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16)—previous: 14

After a fantastic second season at Alabama, his third season saw his team go just 19-14 and get bounced in the first round of the tournament by Notre Dame. After leading Buffalo to 59 wins and two NCAA Tournament appearances his final two seasons there, the Watertown, Wis., native, left for Alabama, where he guided the Tide to the Sweet 16 in 2021 for the first time since 2004. Still just 47 years old, he has a chance to make his way off this list in the next several years.

11. Andy Enfeld, USC (224-146, 5 NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16, one Elite 8)—previous: N/A

I admit, I did not like USC’s hire of Enfeld when he was brought in by the Trojans in 2013. I thought he was just a product of one great, lucky, run by Florida Gulf Coast. But he took over a program that had just 20 wins in the previous two seasons, but he got to work and turned the program around. After two subpar seasons to begin his tenure, he has won at least 20 games in six of his last seven seasons, including a combined 51 his past two seasons. He led the Trojans to the Elite 8 in 2021, losing to UCLA. As a No. 10 seed this past season, his team was bounced by Miami by two. His program was close in 2021, so I wouldn’t put it past him to take a step further sometime.

10. Juwan Howard, Michigan (61-32, two NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16, one Elite 8)—previous: 7

Mike Tyson…..errrr…..Juwan Howard led his team to the Sweet 16 as a No. 11 seed. He led the Wolverines a conference championship and trip to the Elite 8 in 2021, but that is the only season in his three coached that his team finished higher than seventh in the Big Ten standings. Taking over for a legend in Jon Beilein is no easy task. Hunter Dickinson comes back, which will help him. It will be interesting to see if he has another season like he had in 2020-21 if he decides to stay at his alma mater or if he takes his talent to the NBA.

9. Buzz Williams, Texas A&M (300-192, eight NCAA Tournament appearances, three Sweet 16s, one Elite 8)—previous: 6

Following two subpar seasons in his first two years in College Station, his team finally broke out last year. While his team didn’t make the tournament, his team did finish 27-13 and probably should have made the dance. With Virginia Tech, he led the Hokies to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1966-67 and nearly knocked off Duke. Before Virginia Tech, he averaged more than 23 wins per season with Marquette and made the Sweet 16 twice and an Elite 8. The former Mike McConathy assistant certainly has the Aggies on the right track and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him reach the Final Four at some point.

8. Tommy Lloyd, Arizona (33-4, one NCAA Tournament appearance, one Sweet 16)—previous: N/A

I put Tommy this high since he led Arizona to a No. 1 seed and a Sweet 16 appearance in his first season. I “only” put him at No. 8 because it is his first season and he’ll need a few more good seasons to show this was not a fluke. With that being said, the program was in a bit of turmoil when Sean Miller was fired. All Tommy Lloyd did was lead the Wildcats to a conference regular season and tournament title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He was looked at as a rising star in the coaching profession at Gonzaga and the possible heir apparent once Mark Few retired. It just seems like it is a matter of time before he reaches the Final Four. I will say, though, I said that about Sean Miller a number of times, so we’ll see.

7. Greg Gard, Wisconsin (144-78, five NCAA Tournament appearances, two Sweet 16s)—previous: 10

For the second time in three seasons, Greg Gard led the Wisconsin Badgers to a regular season Big Ten championship. This time, it was on an incredible banked in 3-pointer from Chucky Hepburn. Unfortunately, the NCAA Tournament success hasn’t followed. After Hepburn got hurt against Iowa State, Wisconsin lost in the second round of the tournament. However, if he keeps having regular season success, the postseason success will eventually come. I mean, his predecessor Bo Ryan didn’t go to the Final Four until 2014 and he had been coaching at UW since 2001-02. Most of the time, the Badgers didn’t even advance to the second weekend. It will be interesting to see how the Badgers perform without First Team All-American and Big Ten Player of the Year Johnny Davis.

6. Brad Underwood, Illinois (203-93, six NCAA Tournament appearances)—previous: 8

It was another successful regular season for Underwood, leading Illinois to a conference regular season title, tying with Wisconsin, after earning the conference tournament crown in 2021. But unfortunately, like most of his buddies from the Big Ten, fell short in the NCAA Tournament, as Illinois lost in the second round for the second consecutive season. After an incredible run at Stephen F. Austin in which he led the Lumberjacks to an 89-14 record and an incredible 53-1 conference record, he led the Oklahoma State Cowboys to the tournament in 2017. It feels like just a matter of time for Underwood to break through, although I say it with a lot of the coaches on this list. It will be a bit more difficult without All-American Kofi Cockburn.

5. Chris Holtmann, Ohio State (221-141, seven NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16)—previous: 4

Holtmann makes it three straight from the Big Ten. Holtmann has always had good seasons with the Buckeyes, but not many standout seasons. His OSU team was a No. 2 seed, despite going just 21-10, in 2021 and lost to Oral Roberts in the first round. Under his watch, the Buckeyes have only won more than 21 games once, and that was his first season (he has coached five at OSU). He came to the Buckeyes from Butler, where he was hired to take over for a Butler legend in Brad Stevens. Holtmann was 70-31 in three seasons and reached the Sweet 16 in 2017. His overall record is a little deceiving, as he turned around a Gardner-Webb program that had not had a winning record since 2005-06. In his first two seasons with the Runnin’ Bulldogs, they went 23-41 and did not finish higher than ninth in the Big South. However, in his third season, he led them to a 21-13 record and a berth in the CIT.

4. Leonard Hamilton, Florida State (617-452, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, four Sweet 16s, one Elite 8)—previous: 3

After five really good seasons at Florida State, he had a bit of a down year, one in which the Seminoles were just 17-14 and came in eighth place in the ACC. But this doesn’t take away from what he has accomplished in the past five years.  The Seminoles made it to the second weekend the three NCAA Tournaments prior to 2021-22. At 74, he is the oldest coach on the list and it seems like he is getting better with age. His head coaching career began in 1986 with Oklahoma State, and he lasted four seasons with a 47 percent winning percentage. He went to Miami for 10 years, turning around the program, and making the NCAA Tournament his final three seasons with the Hurricanes. In 2002-03, he went to Tallahassee and turned things around. In 2018, he led them to their first Elite 8 in 25 years. One must wonder how many years he has left in him.

3. Eric Musselman, Arkansas (183-62, five NCAA Tournament appearances, one Sweet 16, two Elite 8s)—previous: 5

Musselman has improved every year he has been Arkansas. This past season, he led the Razorbacks to a 28-9 record and trip to the Elite 8 for the second straight season, falling to top-seeded Duke. Musselman came to Fayetteville after beginning his collegiate head coaching career at Nevada. In his first season there, he rebuilt the Wolfpack after a 9-22 season. He led Nevada to a 15-win increase in 2015-16 and a CBI championship. In his next three seasons, he led them to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and a berth in the Sweet 16 in 2018. Musselman has proven he is worthy of this job and may exit this list sooner rather than later.

2. Matt Painter, Purdue (409-197, 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, five Sweet 16s, one Elite 8)—previous: 2

At some point Matt Painter will lead his Boilermakers to a Final Four, right? In 2022, everything seemed to be rolling his way. In his bracket, No. 2 Kentucky lost in the first round, No. 1 Baylor lost in the second round and No. 4 UCLA lost in the Sweet 16. The Boilers had to beat No. 15 St. Peter’s and No. 8 North Carolina to reach the elusive Final Four. But Purdue was upset by three against St. Peter’s. Everything seemed to be there for them and the Boilers blew it. But on the bright side, people thought the same about Tony Bennett after his Cavaliers lost blowing a double-digit lead to Syracuse in the Elite 8 in 2016. Three years later, the Cavs won it all. People were saying the same stuff about Bennett that they’re saying about Painter right now. His time will eventually come.

1.      1. Sean Miller, Xavier (278-133, nine NCAA Tournament appearances, three Sweet 16s, one Elite 8)—previous: N/A

From 2017-20, Sean Miller took home the top spot on this list. After not coaching last year, he relinquished the top spot. Now, after he is back with Xavier, he re-claims the dubious top spot on this list. Before being fired by Arizona, he was a monster there, going 302-109 in 12 seasons, winning at least 30 games four times. It seems like he is snake bit, however. Going to four Elite 8s and not winning one will make it seem that way. It does not help that two of the best teams Miller has had ran into Frank Kaminsky in the Elite 8. At some point, though, Miller will break through, you’d think. It is a mystery how he has yet to reach the Final Four. I know I have been saying this for awhile, but it is just a matter of time for him, but it became tougher at a program like Xavier than it was at Arizona.