Packers Pick Lineman in Joel Klatt’s Fox Sports Mock Draft

Penn State pass rusher Abdul Carter might be the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Oregon’s Josh Conerly pitched a shutout against him in the Big Ten Championship Game.

Conerly was the Green Bay Packers’ first-round pick in a new mock draft by Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt.

“After addressing the offensive line in the first round last year, the Packers continue to bolster their offensive line here,” Klatt wrote, referencing Jordan Morgan. “Green Bay can address a few different areas, but you better be able to protect your quarterback if you want to win at the highest level. I like Jordan Love, so protecting him is imperative.” 

Conerly is the No. 29 prospect at Pro Football Focus. It charged him with one sack and nine total pressures in 2024. He went seven consecutive games without allowing one but gave up four pressures (but no hits or sacks) in the playoff loss to Ohio State.

He was a third-team All-American in 2024.

“I feel like it wasn’t just those specific performances,” Conerly told Oregon Live about his decision to enter the NFL Draft. “I feel like it was the whole season and the exponential growth that I made throughout the year that allowed me to make this decision.”

He added: “I think I believed in myself more and I played with a lot more confidence.”

At the Senior Bowl, he was voted the best offensive lineman on the National squad by the American team’s defensive linemen and linebackers.

“I think Josh Conerly might wind up being the best left tackle,” NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay said on the Bill Simmons Podcast. “He is unbelievably athletic with the way that he moves. He’s gotten better with his hands. I think there’s a chance he’s going to be a star from this class.”

Conerly, who measured 6-foot-4 1/8 and 313 pounds with 34-inch arms at the Senior Bowl, was a two-year starting left tackle for the Ducks.

Before becoming a five-star recruit on the offensive line, he was a running back as a freshman at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle.

Conerly is Dane Brugler’s No. 31 prospect at The Athletic and Daniel Jeremiah’s No. 38 prospect at NFL.com.

“Everybody in my circle tells me certain things but I’ve still got to go out there and prove myself,” he said at the Senior Bowl.

The Packers enter the offseason looking to upgrade at cornerback, defensive tackle, defensive end and receiver, as well.

One of the best defensive tackles, Oregon’s Derrick Harmon, went to the Vikings at No. 24. One of the best receivers, Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka, went to the Texans at No. 25. One of the best pass rushers, Mike Green of Marshall, went to the Lions at No. 28.