Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Packers Take ‘High-Floor’ Receiver, Surprise Receiver in New NFL Mock Drafts
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Emeka Egbuka (2) against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the CFP National Championship. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

While there are approximately 69 million reasons to not sign one of the remaining veteran receivers, the need remains for the Green Bay Packers. So, maybe this really will be the year they use their first-round draft pick on a receiver.

In a new mock draft at Pro Football Focus, the Packers selected Ohio State star Emeka Egbuka.

“There seems to be some draft fatigue with Egbuka, who has been talked about as an NFL prospect for three years. Don't fall for it,” PFF’s Josh Liskiewitz said. “He's a high-floor, versatile and savvy receiver as a borderline WR1/WR2.”

Egbuka was part of some loaded receiver rooms at Ohio State, as he lined up with the likes of Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jeremiah Smith. Still, Egbuka finished No. 1 in school history in receptions and No. 2 in yards.

“I love studying the art of the receiver, the art of route running, the cerebral part of it,” he said at the Scouting Combine.

In 2024, he caught 81 passes for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns. For his career, according to PFF, he caught 54.3 percent of his contested-catch opportunities, averaged 6.6 yards after the catch and fumbled only once.

Egbuka was the fourth and final receiver taken in the first round in this mock. The Vikings took a safety at No. 24 and the Lions took a guard at No. 28.

The hyped edge group was pretty well picked over, though Tennessee’s James Pearce was still available. He had a predraft visit with the Packers last week.

CBS: Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins

The Packers also took a receiver in Chris Trapasso’s latest mock at CBS. It wasn’t Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka or Texas’ Matthew Golden, though. Rather, it was Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins, who has been viewed as mostly a second-round option.

“The Packers emphasize high-caliber athletes early in the draft, and Higgins is precisely that,” Trapasso wrote. “He can run the full route tree from the X position.”

Higgins would replace Christian Watson’s skill-set as the tall speedster. While not as fast as Watson, Higgins at the Scouting Combine measured 6-foot-4 1/8 and ran his 40 in 4.47 seconds. His Relative Athletic Score was 9.92 out of 10.

Higgins caught 87 passes for 1,185 yards (13.6 average) and nine touchdowns as a senior. He’s got some of the best hands in the class. In two years at Iowa State, he caught 140 passes with just three drops.

In a story featuring the best traits among this year’s receiver class, PFF said Higgins had the best releases.

NFL.com: Michigan CB Will Johnson

Arguably the best cornerback in the draft class fell into the Packers’ laps in Bucky Brooks’ third mock at NFL.com.

“If the Packers move on from CB Jaire Alexander, this Michigan product would give defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley a plug-and-play option on the perimeter,” Brooks wrote.

Johnson was the second of two corners who went in the first round in this simulation. Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams, Arizona receiver Tet McMillan and Texas receiver Matthew Golden were players who went after Green Bay’s spot at No. 23.

Pro Football Network: 3 Rounds

In a three-round mock by PFN, the Packers grabbed Georgia edge Mykel Williams at No. 23. He checks the boxes for what the Packers prefer at defensive end.

“Mykel Williams has the prototypical size and is an elite athlete,” Owain Jones wrote. “At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, the Georgia defensive end is already a refined run defender. However, while his pass rush resume needs work, his gifted athletic ability, burst, agility, and bend show shoots of growth heading to the pros.”

Williams had five sacks in 2024 while playing through an ankle injury.

Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison was the pick in the second round and Ole Miss linebacker Chris Paul was the choice in the third.

Morrison would make a lot of sense; a linebacker wouldn’t make any sense at all. Morrison intercepted six passes as a freshman in 2022 and three more in 2023. He missed most of 2024 with an injury. He allowed sub-50 percent catch rates all three seasons, according to PFF.

What about a receiver? Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor and TCU’s Jack Bech would have been options in the second. No receivers were selected after Green Bay’s pick in the third; Colorado State’s Tory Horton was taken one spot before the Paul pick.

This article first appeared on Green Bay Packers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

TODAY'S BEST

OKC Thunder Blowouts Could Solve Playing Time Problems
General Sports

OKC Thunder Blowouts Could Solve Playing Time Problems

The Oklahoma City Thunder are running back their title core, and have only a few problems to figure out. Entering next season, the Thunder are seen as the clear favorites to not only win the West but also repeat as NBA champions. After one of the most dominant seasons in league history capped with a gritty playoff run, the Thunder can continue to grow into a potential dynasty. Over the next few years, the Thunder will have to make some difficult decisions. As max contract extensions kick in, the Thunder will need to decide which role players to keep around and who to try and replace through the draft. Of course, that problem won’t exist next season as the Thunder are set to return 14 of the 15 players from the playoff roster, also adding No. 15 pick Thomas Sorber to the mix. So, the Thunder enter next season with a much different problem than they’ll have in the coming years. Mark Daigneault might have too many players to use in 2025-26. While the team was injured throughout the regular season, allowing plenty of opportunities for most guys, the Thunder could run into some playing time issues if they can remain healthy next season. Some players will have their playing time dictated entirely by matchups and others will be almost guaranteed the same role each night. In any case, there is a simple solution for all of the Thunder’s problems: winning big. Last season, the Thunder finished with the most double-digit wins in a season in league history. With the team expected to get better as players continue to develop next season, there’s no reason to believe they can’t achieve similar results. Considering how dominant the Thunder were last season, there were numerous fourth quarters that were entirely garbage time. Another season of those results would allow not only for the players toward the end of the bench to get into the game for solid minutes but also allow the main players to play fewer minutes without it feeling like a slight. Obviously, Daigneault is unafraid to make the moves he feels are necessary, and the Thunder have such a team-first attitude that getting limited playing time isn’t always a bad thing. Still, these are NBA players who live to play the game, and simply getting some blowout wins with consistency can keep everyone happy. Winning solves everything, but winning big solves even more.

New report suggests Christian Wilkins release related to 'incident' with teammate
NFL

New report suggests Christian Wilkins release related to 'incident' with teammate

There may be more to Christian Wilkins’ recent surprise release from the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL reporter Josina Anderson reported Saturday that "some sources believe an incident involving a teammate may have factored in-part into the Raiders' fatigue and release" of Wilkins. The nature of the incident is not clear. However, many believe the Raiders had a very good reason to move on from Wilkins considering the money they had invested in him. It also suggests the Raiders saw no alternative if they went straight to a release. Wilkins was dumped by the Raiders just one year into a four-year, $110 million deal. The Raiders suggested Wilkins failed to take rehab seriously as he tries to work his way back from a foot injury. Other teams do not appear to have the same concerns about Wilkins as the Raiders did, and he should find a new landing spot fairly easily. That is one of the reasons some suspect there is more to the Raiders’ decision than they are publicly saying.

Browns make curious decision with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders
NFL

Browns make curious decision with rookie QB Shedeur Sanders

The Cleveland Browns are giving Shedeur Sanders special treatment in training camp, but it's not the type of favoritism the fifth-round pick would necessarily want. Per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, Sanders is the only Browns quarterback who has not been taking reps with the first-team offense during OTAs or the first two practices of training camp. Former Pittsburgh Steelers first-round pick Kenny Pickett, veteran Joe Flacco and rookie Dillon Gabriel have all split reps with the first team. Despite being asked to throw passes to members of the equipment staff amid a shortage of professional pass-catchers for a four-quarterback roster, Sanders said he's thankful for the opportunity to show the Browns coaching staff his talents. "I feel like that it's not in my control, so I'm not going to think about that or even have that in my thought process of why it is," Sanders said to a question as to why he's not getting first-team reps. "There's a lot of people who want to have the opportunity to be at this level, and I'm here and I'm thankful to have the opportunity. So, whenever that is, that is." Sanders, 23, believes that he can contribute more to the Browns than what the coaching staff is asking of him. "It doesn't make me feel down or left out because I know who I am as a person," Sanders said. "I know who I am as an individual and I know what I could bring to this team. So, I can never feel less than any circumstance." The Browns selected Sanders with the No. 144 pick in April's draft. As a player whom many draft analysts thought was a first-round talent, Cleveland took what could be the steal of the draft in the fifth round. It's curious why the Browns aren't giving Sanders a shot with the first team early in training camp before the quarterback race becomes more serious. Cleveland should see what Sanders has to offer this summer. Flacco, 40, isn't a long-term solution at the position. Pickett failed in Pittsburgh. The Browns need to gauge what rookies Gabriel and Sanders can do with the first team. Having Sanders throw balls to the equipment staff is a waste of everyone's time. But then again, Cleveland has wasted plenty of quarterbacks.

Royals acquire outfield help in perplexing trade with Diamondbacks
MLB

Royals acquire outfield help in perplexing trade with Diamondbacks

The Kansas City Royals were hoping to bolster their outfield ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. They were able to do just that in a trade on Saturday. Steve Gilbert from MLB.com reported that the Royals have acquired outfielder Randal Grichuk from the Arizona Diamondbacks. Mark Feinsand from MLB.com reported that relief pitcher Andrew Hoffman will head to Arizona in exchange for Grichuk. The Royals desperately needed help in their outfield. Royals outfielders had been the worst in the majors, posting an atrocious .219/.273/.328 batting line with just 19 home runs entering Saturday's action. Although Grichuk is in the midst of a disappointing season himself, he is an immediate upgrade over whatever the Royals have sent into the outfield. Grichuk had posted a .243/.280/.462 batting line in 186 plate appearances entering Saturday, hitting seven homers and 15 doubles. In exchange, the Diamondbacks receive Hoffman, who FanGraphs ranked as the Royals' 22nd-best prospect entering the season. His upper-90s fastball and new kick change are both considered plus offerings, although his ability to command his arsenal is questionable at best. Hoffman's potential and flaws were evident this season. He made his major league debut for the Royals, allowing six runs, two earned, on seven hits and four walks over 4.2 innings, striking out five. However, Hoffman had dominated at Triple-A, posting a 3.60 ERA and a 1.125 WHiP over his 40 innings, striking out 55 batters with just 10 walks. He is another intriguing addition for a Diamondbacks team that has prioritized pitching in their two trades thus far. The same upside does not exist for the Royals. Kansas City had the same record as the Diamondbacks entering the second game of their doubleheader against the Guardians. Grichuk signed a one-year contract with $5 million guaranteed for 2025. There is a mutual option worth $5 million, with a $3 million buyout, for 2026. Theoretically, Grichuk could be part of the Royals' plans next season. However, mutual options are rarely picked up. As the Royals are currently under .500 and need to pass four teams in the standings to seize the final wild-card spot, adding a rental option does not make sense. It is possible that both sides can work out an arrangement for 2026, but unless that happens, the Royals' latest move is questionable at best.