GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers own the No. 23 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft, which will start on Thursday night at Lambeau Field. The draft will continue with the second and third rounds on Friday.

Here are 50 possibilities for the Packers at their key positions of need. The list will be updated to 100 on Wednesday to take care of the first three or four rounds.

The stats, scouting reports and notes are for players who could be available to Green Bay. Thus, while the Packers need a cornerback and a receiver, you won’t see Travis Hunter. Players are listed by how they’re ranked within the position.

First-Round Prospects for Packers

Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan

Measurables: 6-foot-4 1/8, 218 pounds. 10-inch hands. 4.53 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: In three seasons, McMillan caught 214 passes for 3,423 yards and 26 touchdowns. He led the conference with 18.0 yards per catch in 2022 and 1,319 yards in 2024. His career averages were 16.1 yards per catch and 92.5 yards per game.

According to Pro Football Focus, 118 receivers were targeted at least 55 times. McMillan ranked 63rd in yards after the catch per catch (5.1), 78th in drop rate (7.7 percent) and third in forced missed tackles (28). He caught 12-of-31 deep passes and scored five touchdowns.

He said it: “I feel like people sleep on my ability with the ball in my hands,” he said at the Scouting Combine. “Obviously, everybody knows about my 50-50 balls and my catch radius. But I feel like I can get in and out of my breaks as a big receiver, and ability with the ball in my hands. …

“People look at me as a big receiver, which I am. I’m physically dominant but, at the end of the day, I’m able to run every route in the route tree. I’m able to play inside or outside, and I feel like a lot of people, a lot of teams are sleeping on that right now.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: ““He’s got unbelievable body control with hands to go play above the rim – red-zone weapon, Drake London-esque, a real, real smooth mover,” Jeremiah said before the Combine.

“The size is outstanding. The body control and ball skills are as good as you’re going to see. There were times just on the back side of routes, I don’t really see him busting it all the time. I’d like to see that just be a little bit more consistent and competitive with each rep in that regard. But, man, someone who can play above the rim in a big, big way. [Coaches would] have some fun with him, especially down in the red area.”

Westendorf said it: A big-bodied receiver that Packers GM Brian Gutekunst has shown plenty of interest in through the predraft process. Suffered from some bad quarterback play at Arizona but catches almost everything that throws his way.

May be good at everything, if not great at anything. Some of the questions that emerged about his speed may allow him to slip into range for Green Bay to pick him.

Noteworthy: Packers GM Brian Gutekunst watched his individual pro day and then invited him to Green Bay for a predraft visit.

Yeah, McMillan is big and that helps with contested catches. So did his background as a star player in volleyball. “I think it’s a big reason why I’m efficient at what I do as far as jump balls, 50/50 balls, going up to get it,” he told ESPN. “Volleyball plays a huge role in that, for sure.

I tell everybody — and I probably shouldn’t say it — that volleyball is my favorite sport. I probably had the most fun playing it.”

Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka

Measurables: 6-foot 7/8, 202 pounds. 9 5/8-inch hands. 4.48 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.72.

By the Numbers: Despite never having been the guy, Egubka was one of the most productive receivers in OSU history with 205 receptions for 2,868 yards and 24 touchdowns. Most of that production came over the final three seasons, including 81 receptions for 1,011 yards (12.5 average) and 10 touchdowns in helping the Buckeyes win the national championship.

According to Pro Football Focus, 118 receivers were targeted at least 55 times. Egbuka ranked 45th in YAC per catch (5.9), 54th in drop rate (5.8 percent) and 49th in missed tackles (10). He caught 6-of-11 passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield.

He said it: “Quick background on the room I stepped into. There was Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Julian Fleming, Jameson Williams, Kamryn Babb, Marvin Harrison Jr. That’s probably one of the craziest rosters I’ve ever heard in my life. Some of you can picture what that room was like. That was one of the reasons I decided to go to Ohio State. I didn’t want to go to a place where I wasn’t going to be challenged by my peers. I wanted to go somewhere I could grow at an exponential rate because they were growing as well.”

Pro Football Focus said it: “Egbuka is such a smooth, smart route runner, as evidenced by his very high separation scores versus zone and single coverage. His breaks aren’t as sharp or twitchy as some, but he attacks leverages and adjusts when he breaks based on the coverage. His long speed isn’t Tier 1, but it is certainly adequate enough to threaten vertically, especially due to how quickly he reaches top speed. His hands are reliable, posting catch percentages above 93.0% in each of the last two years.”

Westendorf said it: One of the most prolific wide receivers to ever play at Ohio State. That is true despite always having shared a wide receiver room with Marvin Harrison Jr. Jaxson Smith-Njigba, or Jeremiah Smith.

Egbuka feels like the receiver that Matt LaFluer could fall in love with. He plays both on the boundary and in the slot. He has mentality in the run game that LaFleur has shown a propensity to value with his receivers.

Noteworthy: Egbuka is the most polished receiver in the draft, scouts agree. After last year’s struggles, the Packers could use a ready-made receiver threat. Egbuka is that player.

In 2011, he threw out the first pitch at a Seattle Mariners game. Why? He was the winner of the MLB Pitch, Hit & Run Championship in the 7- and 8-year-old division. “I just find it so much easier looking for a ball over my shoulder,” Egbuka told The Columbus Dispatch in 2022, “because I’m so used to running down a ball in center field.”

Texas WR Matthew Golden

Measurables: 5-foot-11, 191 pounds. 9 1/2-inch hands. 4.29 40 (fastest receiver).

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: Golden caught 134 passes for 1,975 yards (14.7-yard average) and 22 touchdowns in two seasons at Houston and one season at Texas. With the Longhorns, he set career highs with 58 receptions, 987 yards, 17.0 yards per reception and nine touchdowns. Golden had four 100-yard games in his career, led by eight receptions for 162 yards against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and seven catches for 149 yards against Arizona State in the College Football Playoffs.

According to Pro Football Focus, 118 receivers were targeted at least 55 times. He ranked 62nd in YAC per catch (5.2), 61st in drop rate (6.5 percent) and 64th in missed tackles (eight). He caught 13-of-22 passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield, ranking among the leaders in receptions and catch percentage.

He said it: “Knowing I can play inside and out” is why he believes he’s the No. 1 receiver in the class. “You can move me anywhere. I can get open at any phase, at any level. Just understanding the game and seeing whatever the team wants me to do. I’m reliable on special teams also. So, I feel I can change the game in any way.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “I’ve become kind of obsessed with receivers with the thought and keeping an eye out for guys who are grounded through the catch, guys who really trust their hands and run through the ball,” he said before the Scouting Combine of Golden and Egbuka. “I just put more importance on that. You just see the really great receivers in the NFL have that trait, that quality, that confidence in their hands and allows them to do so much after the catch as well. Both those guys are grounded through the catch, tough, smart, instinctive players.”

Westendorf said it: One of the risers of the predraft process, Matthew Golden came into his final college season expecting to play second fiddle to Isaiah Bond.

Now, it appears Golden could be drafted at least one round before his fellow Longhorn. He ran one of the fastest 40s at the Combine but does not play to the same speed on the field that he showed on the track.

Noteworthy: During his first game on varsity in high school, he caught four touchdown passes. In the process, he became tight with his coach’s young son. ““Win or lose, whether he had the type of game he wanted to have or not, he always made time to stop and give my son hug and do all that,” James Clancy said of Golden. “That was one of the things I told him. No matter what level you play at, don’t ever lose that wholesomeness. Because that’s what makes him special.”

Texas OT Kelvin Banks

Measurables: 6-foot-5 1/8, 215 pounds. 33 1/2-inch arms. 5.16 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 8.32.

By the Numbers: There were 120 FBS-level, draft-eligible offensive tackles who played at least 575 snaps in 2024, according to Pro Football. Banks ranked eighth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. He allowed one sack and 10 total pressures and was penalized seven times. In three seasons, he played 2,778 snaps (2,774 at left tackle) and allowed four sacks (one in 2024, one in 2023 and two in 2024).

He said it: At the Combine, Banks said a handful of teams mentioned a move to guard. “I feel like I’m great in space. I can run. I’m willing to run through anybody’s face who’s in front of me. My approach to run blocking is just to kind of try to dominate my defender. Sometimes that kind of gets me in a bind because I get too aggressive.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: Banks was No. 31 on Jeremiah’s latest Top 50. “I was looking at it the other day. I was like, I need to go back and revisit my original list and see who has moved and why. Why did I have him go up or down? He’s one that felt more like other guys I had just moved up more so than he did anything to disqualify himself and move down. When I do my final update, I’ll move Banks back up a little bit closer to where I had him originally, which I think he was my 19th player at that point in time. He’s a solid player. I just wish he strained to finish a little bit more.”

Westendorf said it: Banks is my favorite tackle in this class. He has good size and plays with a physicality the Packers are starting to shift toward for their offensive linemen.

He can likely hack it at tackle, but if that does not work out for him, he should be able to kick inside at guard and be a productive player there, as well.

Taking Banks gives Green Bay two cracks at finding a franchise left tackle, with last year’s first-round pick, Jordan Morgan, already in tow. The loser of that competition should be more than capable of being Sean Rhyan’s replacement in a year.

Noteworthy: “Most people would have died from everything I went through,” Banks’ mom, Monica, told Yahoo Sports. “I was in a coma twice in the hospital and they told my family I was going to die.” Monica Banks defied the doctors, though, and serves as inspiration. “When she can’t make a game, she’d call me, ‘You better put those guys in the dirt!’” Kelvin Jr. said.

Ohio State OT Josh Simmons

Measurables: 6-foot-7 7/8, 317 pounds. 34 1/8-inch arms (at pro day but 33 at the Combine).

Relative Athletic Score: No workout because of knee injury.

By the Numbers: Did anyone improve more than Simmons? At San Diego State in 2022, he allowed four sacks and 24 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, and was penalized … a lot. More on that later. He transferred to Ohio State and moved to left tackle in 2023. He allowed one sack and 15 pressures in 2023 and zero sacks and just one pressure in six games before a knee injury (torn petallar tendon) in 2024. Among all draft-eligible, FCS-level offensive tackles with at least 300 snaps, Simmons was No. 1 in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap.

He said it: “Physically, obviously, you got to be ready,” Simmons said via Buckeye Huddle, “but I think mentally, that’s where you’ve got to start tightening up a little bit because then you start playing in those Notre Dame games, those Penn State games, and then you realize a penalty like that can literally destroy the whole game. And once you kind of look at that lens, you know those are no-no’s. It can’t happen.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Talent-wise, if you just watch his tape and put his pure talent up there against everybody in this class, he stacks up really well. I think he’ll be a 10-year starter. Itwould have been great to have him healthy the whole year, to see him play against the caliber of competition that they ended up going through. We probably would be talking about him more as a lock as a top-15 pick if that were the case. Talent-wise, yeah, no question, this guy has the ability to start in the NFL for a long time.”

Westendorf said it: One of the big injury questions in this draft class. Simmons looked like he was on track to be in competition to be the first tackle taken in this year’s draft. That was before an injury he suffered in October knocked him out for the rest of the season.

Simmons came on a predraft visit to Green Bay and could be a target as Rasheed Walker’s replacement. His lateral quickness shows up on tape and is something the Packers usually prefer. Feasibly, he could play at either tackle spot and possibly guard.

Noteworthy: At San Diego State in 2022, he was guilty of 17 penalties – most among all offensive tackles. He cut that number to eight in 2023 – only one in the final five games – and one in 2024.

North Dakota State OL Grey Zabel

Measurables: 6-foot-5 7/8, 312 pounds. 32 arms. No 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.49.

By the Numbers: Zabel allowed one sack and seven total pressures in 16 games helping the Bison win the FCS national championship. In five seasons, he played 2,776 snaps, with 1,064 at right tackle, 974 at left tackle, 453 at left guard, 222 at right guard and 17 at center. Center might be his position in the NFL, but his proven versatility will make him an asset.

He said it: “It’s extremely critical,” he said of being versatile. “The biggest thing is understanding the different responsibilities depending on which hand you have down, which stance you’re in, and even if you have to snap the football. You never know where a team might need you in any given week, so just being the best football player you can be is the most important thing.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Not only can he come in and start right away, he’s going to allow you to get your best five guys on the field because of his versatility. So, you get injuries throughout a season, that would be a valuable chess piece for them.”

Westendorf said it: Zabel has that positional versatility the Packers love. He is a former tackle in college that is going to kick inside in the NFL.

Zabel is going to be a first-round pick, but it’s hard to envision the Packers picking someone who seems destined to play at guard or center at the next level.

Noteworthy: During Senior Bowl week, Zabel played four positions. During the game, he played 26 snaps at center and 21 at right guard. “I played quarterback up until eighth grade before they saw my frame and moved me to the offensive line. I was also a pitcher in baseball.”

While he beat up on FCS-level competition, there are several quality FCS blockers in the NFL, including former North Dakota State standout Cody Mauch. “Going down to the Senior Bowl and competing well against top talent just goes to show that football is football. Everyone puts on the shoulder pads the same way. Everyone bleeds red. If you’re a good football player, teams are going to find you, no matter where you played.”

Georgia edge Mykel Williams

Measurables: 6-foot-5 1/8, 260 pounds. 34 3/8-inch arms. 4.77 40.

By the Numbers: Williams had five sacks, eight tackles for losses and two forced fumbles in 2024. He suffered a high-ankle sprain in the first game and wound up playing in 12 games but with only five starts. “It lingered the whole year. I never was healthy. I actually re-injured it multiple times throughout the year. I didn’t practice until Texas game (mid-October). I was messed up pretty bad.”

His three-year totals were 14 sacks, 21.5 TFLs and three forced fumbles. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible edge defenders who played at least 239 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked 36th in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hit and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 54th in pass-rush win rate

He said it: “I have a different grit about myself that I can push through pain. No matter how I’m feeling I can still go get it done. The teams loved that I did. Most players in the position I was in, they would’ve sat and called it. They respected that about me.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Mykel Williams, gosh, I just wish we could have seen him healthy. If he doesn’t get hurt in that Clemson game and we see him at full strength, I think we’re talking about him as another top-10 lock who has a lot of freaky qualities to him, freaky traits to him. He can really get off the ball. He’s got a lot of power and violence as a rusher. He can set the edge. It’s just a perfection. I think the Travon Walker experience and seeing how he has continued to develop with the Jags … I will be more surprised than not if he’s not all the way up in the top 10.”

Westendorf said it: Hyper-athletic former Georgia Bulldog sounds like someone Brian Gutekunst could fall in love with. Green Bay had him on a predraft visit, and there’s plenty of reason to feel good about his potential.

Williams played at an estimated 60 percent last season with an ankle injury and still was one of the best players on one of the best defenses in the nation. Williams had two huge games against Texas, who is one of the most talented teams in the country. He’d require some polish but would immediately impact the team as a run defender as he develops as a rusher.

Noteworthy: Williams has always been big and athletic. He dunked for the first time while in eighth grade and wrestled throughout high school. “It helps a lot, especially with the mentality that you have to have,” he said of wrestling. “It helps knowing that you’re one-on-one, and it’s you versus him. You’re going to give your best and he’s going to give his best. It also builds a mental toughness in you, because you’ve got to have the discipline to cut weight. It helped a lot.”

Boston College edge Donovan Ezeiruaku

Measurables: 6-foot-2 1/2, 248 pounds. 34-inch arms. No 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 8.15.

By the Numbers: Ezeiruaku emerged as one of the most dominant players in college football in 2024. He ranked second in the nation with 16.5 sacks and added 20.5 tackles for losses and there forced fumbles to win the Lombardi Trophy as the nation’s best defensive lineman. He had an eight-sack season in 2022 when Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley was Boston College’s coach. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible edge defenders who played at least 239 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked 13th in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hit and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and ninth in pass-rush win rate.

He said it: “Just going back to what got me here in the first place when I was just having fun flying to the football and playing free. I think I have a knack for the football. I always took pride in playing the run game because I understand that you can’t pass rush on third down until you win on first and second down. And then I take a lot of pride in that. There’s areas to improve in, you know, all parts of, you know, our games. But, I think I played the run pretty darn well. Obviously, it’ll be different going to the NFL, but I think I’ll be just, you know, just fine.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “One of the knocks on him is as a pass rusher that he has too much of an arsenal. Like, you would almost like to see him be a little bit more focused on just his get-off with speed, developing a little more power. He has all the tricks in his bag. Like, he’s got a million different moves, and it’s why he was so dang productive this year. When you get to the NFL, incorporating more power into his game is going to be a big part of his development. In the run game, I thought he was fine. You know, I didn’t think he was just a rugged, knockback, violent run defender, but he’s got really, really long arms, and he can set the edge. He can lock out. He can extend. He is definitely a better pass rusher at this point in time than he is a run defender, but I didn’t view him as a liability in the run game at all.”

Westendorf said it: A former pupil of Jeff Hafley, Ezeiruaku has emerged as one of the favorites among draftniks as a fit in Green Bay.

Ezeiruaku is smaller than what the Packers have preferred on the edge, but he was far more productive than some of the players Gutekunst has taken in the past. If the Packers want to go the safer route in the first round, Ezieruaku is someone they could look to target.

Noteworthy: Ezeiruaku has more ties to the Packers than Hafley. His defensive coordinator in 2024 was Tim Lewis, a first-round pick by the Packers in 1983 whose career was cut short by a neck injury. Historically, he’s too short for the Packers’ tastes. Will his long arms and pass-rushing prowess make up for it? It’s different positions, obviously, but Gutekunst in 2021 selected receiver Amari Rodgers, who was shorter than the team’s historic preferences but wasn’t small.

“I think the film speaks for itself,” he told The Draft Network after the Scouting Combine. “Without giving too much away, I have a deep arsenal of moves. I obviously love that speed rush to the outside. …I have an overall feel for the game as a pass rusher. That plays a big role. I’m an instinctual player. I watch a lot of film to study my opponent. I think it shows on film. That’s why I was able to win so much as a pass rusher this past year.”

Texas A&M edge Shemar Stewart

Measurables: 6-foot-5, 267 pounds. 34 1/8-inch arms. 4.59 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 10.00.

By the Numbers: In 2024, just like in 2022 and 2023, Stewart had 1.5 sacks. His 5.5 tackles for losses weren’t impressive, either, but they did match his combined total from his first two seasons. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible edge defenders who played at least 239 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked 33rd in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hit and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 40th in pass-rush win rate.

He said it: “I wasn’t a sack-chasing warrior. I just wanted to become the best player for my team. And sometimes the stats don’t show that. Definitely trying to get more comfortable and get after the quarterback, trying to run through the tackle instead of maybe trying to reach out, lunging for a tackle.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Shemar Stewart from Texas A&M is easily the most polarizing edge rusher in this draft. I mean, he is the ultimate example of traits versus production. He has all kinds of twitch. He’s explosive. He’s disruptive. He just hasn’t been able to finish, to compile sacks. More and more teams don’t really — they aren’t focusing quite as much on the sack number as they are on win percentage, pressure percentage, where he’s more than functional there. He plays really, really hard.”

Westendorf said it: Stewart is the most Green Bay Packer prospect that has ever Green Bay Packer’d. He’s big, fast, and as athletic as anyone that has ever been through the NFL Combine.

His production, however, leaves something to be desired. Stewart is more disruption than production at this point of his career but has every trait that anyone could wish for if they built a pass rusher in a lab. If he’s available when Green Bay is on the clock, it’s hard to envision Gutekunst passing on him.

Noteworthy: Stewart started playing football when he was 8. He hadn’t even seen a game of football in his life, he said. “I was terrible,” he said at the Scouting Combine. Everything changed after his freshman season when he met Moe Marquez, the defensive line coach at his high school. “My father figure because he taught me how to be a man, how to talk to people, how to treat people with respect and how to just protect the ones you love. He gave me so much wisdom throughout the recruitment process, and he’s definitely the guy I go to if I’m ever in any trouble.”

When he was 17, he took note of Julius Peppers. “I was scrolling through YouTube one day watching some of the NFL guys, and I seen him, and went, ‘Man, he kind of looks like me.’ Same weight and everything. He’s explosive, strong and powerful. He just made plays. I think he got the most interceptions I’ve ever seen from a D-lineman.”

Oregon DT Derrick Harmon

Measurables: 6-foot-4 1/2, 313 pounds. 34 3/8-inch arms. 4.95 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: After decent seasons at Michigan State in 2022 and 2023, Harmon had a superb 2024 at Oregon with five sacks and 11 tackles for losses among 45 total tackles. He also forced two fumbles and batted down four passes.

According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible defensive tackles who played at least 238 pass-rushing snaps. Harmon was first with 55 total pressures (11 more than anyone else), first in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and second in pass-rush win rate. Plus, he was PFF’s 20th-ranked run defender. Somehow, he was only third-team all-Big Ten.

He said it: “With a little bit of grit,” he said when asked to describe his game. “I’ve got a dog in me. Real gritty player, just trying to get to the ball and make a play.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “He’s someone who can get up the field. He plays really, really hard. He’s got good instincts. Ultra-, ultracompetitive. Can get up the field. Plays smart. He flashes some bull rush power. I would like to see a little bit more of that going forward, but this is a guy who has worked hard to change his body over the last year, 18 months and coming off a monster year.”

Westendorf said it: Of all the defensive tackles in this deep class, Harmon probably fits what the Packers have liked the most under Gutekunst.

He’s a twitchy athlete that is capable of winning quickly at the line of scrimmage. He has some work to do when it comes to missing tackles. He’s often in position to make a play, just does not always make them.

He’s likely more consistent at his peak than Devonte Wyatt has been in his young career, and the Packers loved Wyatt coming out of Georgia and have expressed confidence in him.

Noteworthy: Harmon said his mom, Tiffany Saine, is his “why.” She had a couple brain surgeries when he was young. During his freshman season at Michigan State, she had a stroke that paralyzed the left side of her body. She is his inspiration, having made sure he had what he needed to play football since he started at age 5. “I lived with moms, and me and moms was hurting,” Harmon told Oregon Live. “She really broke her back trying to get me to every camp, every visit I could get to. Any time somebody invited me to a camp, she tried her best to get me out there. I never took that for granted. I still thank her to this day for what she did.”

Mississippi DT Walter Nolen

Measurables: 6-foot-3 3/4, 296 pounds. 32 1/2-inch arms.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: Nolen had four sacks and nine tackles for losses as Texas A&M in 2023. He transferred to Ole Miss for his final season and was a consensus All-American with 6.5 sacks and 14 tackles for losses among 48 tackles. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible defensive tackles who played at least 238 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked 14th in pass-rush productivity and 15th in pass-rush win rate. He was PFF’s top-ranked run defender and missed just 4.3 percent of his tackle attempts.

He said it: “I’m the next Aaron Donald, man” he told The Draft Network. “I feel like I can do it all. Aaron Donald did it all at the highest level. I’m a younger, upcoming version of Aaron Donald. I just can’t wait to show everybody that when I get this opportunity I’m being blessed with.” At the Scouting Combine, he said of his game, “Violent, just plain violent. I feel like I play fast. Fast and violent, that’s how the game is supposed to be played.”

Todd McShay said it: “While on tape he’s one of the most physically gifted interior defensive linemen in the class and he has plenty of college experience at big-time programs, he has yet to develop high-level pass rush moves, and far too often, he appears not to have a plan. If he gets with the right veteran group and has a great teacher as a defensive line coach, he has a chance to be a hit. A lot of untapped stuff here.”

Westendorf said it: Nolen came on a predraft visit to Green Bay, and he’s one of the more polarizing prospects on the defensive line.

One man referred to him as the next Aaron Donald. Others think he shouldn’t be taken until the fourth round.

He’s explosive at the line of scrimmage but occasionally plays too high. That can allow some of the bigger offensive guards to get underneath his pads and take him wherever they wanted him to go.

Noteworthy: Nolen was the No. 2 recruit in his class behind only Travis Hunter. “My dad introduced me to the sport of football when I was 3,” Nolen told USA Today. “I started playing in pads when I was five and I enjoy the contact, the physicality. I like watching (Aaron Donald and Khalil Mack. I like how physical and fast they play.”

Michigan DT Kenneth Grant

Measurables: 6-foot-3 5/8, 331 pounds. 33 1/2-inch arms. 5.13 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 7.18.

By the Numbers: Grant had 3.5 sacks and five tackles for losses to help Michigan win the national championship in 2023 and three sacks and seven tackles for losses among 32 tackles in 2024. He deflected five passes in each of those seasons. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible defensive tackles who played at least 238 pass-rushing snaps. He was only 69th in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, but 29th in win rate. Grant was PFF’s seventh-ranked run defender.

He said it: “Definitely it’s my power” that is his best asset, he said. “It’s working on my power watching Dexter Lawrence, Vita Vea, all those guys using their power and their body size.” He added: “I’m a 3-down player for sure. I can rush the passer with my strength and a little bit of finesse in there. Most guys think I’m just a run stopper, but I’m super athletic and can rush the passer.”

Todd McShay said it: “Grant eats up a lot of space, but he has the traits to become a lot more than that. He has a lot of high-impact snaps, but there are also a whole lot of snaps when it feels like he’s just going through the motions—he needs more determination and consistency. At worst, he could be a monster in the middle of a run defense. At best, he could refine his skills and become an elite run defender and an occasional factor as a pass rusher.”

Westendorf said it: Grant is a mountain of a man that could be pigeonholed as a nose tackle solely because of his size. For a 330-pounder, however, Grant has shown plenty of speed.

Grant could be an impact run defender in Green Bay and replace TJ Slaton almost immediately. He has upside as a pass rusher that can make him a potential impact player during his rookie contract.

Noteworthy: Grant has always been big. He started playing football when he was 8 or 9. “Every game, the parents were like, ‘That’s a grown man. Did we weigh him in? Where’s his birth certificate?’” his mom, Ewana, told The Michigan Daily. He’s not just big, though. Against Penn State in 2023, he chased down running back Kaytron Allen to prevent a touchdown. “One of the best plays of the season, that play by Kenneth Grant. Maybe one of the best plays ever,” then-Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “Compare it to the play Justin Smith made against the Eagles my first year coaching at the 49ers. It was a guardian of victory type of play.”

Michigan CB Will Johnson

Measurables: 6-1 3/4, 194 pounds. 30 1/8-inch arms. No 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: In 32 carer games, Johnson had nine interceptions – including three he returned for touchdowns – and 19 passes defensed. Injuries limited him to only six games in 2024. He had two pick-sixes and four passes defensed. According to PFF, he allowed a 61.5 percent completion rate in 2024 (but 45.9 percent in 2023) with zero touchdowns and two penalties. His missed-tackle rate was 20.8 percent in 2024 and 15.7 percent for his career.

He said it: Asked about his speed at the Combine, he said, “Have you ever seen somebody run away from me?”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Will Johnson is an interesting one because there’s so much hype on him coming into the season, and he’s this big, athletic, rangy corner. He’s got ball production. I do not think he played his best this year. I thought there were times where he wasn’t super-interested against the run and he got trucked a couple of times against the run. I just want to see a little more physicality there. And had then some guys got on top of him. Didn’t get a.” chance to finish out the year healthy.”

Westendorf said it: Johnson was thought to be someone who would be long gone by the time the Packers are on the clock. The speed concerns are real in NFL circles, as are injuries. He missed most of his final season in Ann Arbor with two separate injuries.

When he’s healthy, he’s stood toe-to-toe with some of the top receivers who were drafted in the first round. Against Ohio State he drew the assignment of shadowing Marvin Harrison Jr. Against Washington in the CFP National Championship Game, he drew Rome Odunze.

Johnson won’t back down from a challenge and does his best work when the ball is in the air. He had two interceptions and returned both for touchdowns in 2024. His skill-set may not fit well for every team, but is a seamless fit in Jeff Hafley’s vision-based defense.

Noteworthy: Johnson chose to wear Charles Woodson’s famed No. 2. “(The number) obviously reminds me of the legacy behind that number and just to perform, it’s a little motivation,” Johnson said. His father, Deon, was a defensive back at Michigan in the early 1990s, so Will Johnson was well-schooled at a young age. “When he gets a little pissed off, that’s when you see it,” Michigan co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale told The Michigan Daily. “Oh yeah, oh yeah, he plays with a different aggression. That’s the part of Deon I see in him.”

Mississippi CB Trey Amos

Measurables: 6-foot 3/4, 195 pounds. 31 1/4-inch arms. 4.43 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 8.37.

By the Numbers: Amos spent three seasons at Louisiana and was a backup at Alabama in 2023. In 2024 at Ole Miss, he had three interceptions and led the SEC with 16 passes defensed to earn first-team all-SEC. According to PFF, there were 110 FBS-level, draft-eligible cornerbacks who played 280 coverage snaps in 2024. He ranked 32nd in completion percentage allowed (51.6) and 16th in passer rating (54.5) with two touchdowns allowed. He was guilty of three penalties. His career missed-tackle rate was 10.1 percent, with 11.5 in 2024 and 7.7 with Alabama in 2023.

He said it: “My best skill is my man coverage, just getting hands on wide receivers and just being able to like just do my thing – just go out there and just compete. And I feel like I just need to improve tackling, just taking better angles. I feel like that’s how I can improve being a cornerback. I feel like my man coverage and my zone coverage have all gotten better.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Trey Amos has a really good shot going in the bottom half of the first round. He’s had a good process. He ran well, which was kind of the only question mark on him. He answered that.” Going more in-depth at NFL.com, Jeremiah wrote: “He has average twitch and burst, but he plays with excellent instincts and ball skills. He can play the ball with his back to the quarterback as well as any cornerback in this draft.”

Westendorf said it: Amos possesses prototypical size for the position. He marries that size with excellent press technique. He plays well mirroring the receiver and getting his hands on them at the line of scrimmage.

He did just turn 23, so he is an older prospect. The Packers have typically leaned toward players that are younger, therefore having higher upside, though they drafted Devonte Wyatt in the first round a couple years ago.

Amos’ skills would fit well in Green Bay’s scheme if Hafley wanted to play more man coverage than he did in 2024.

Noteworthy: At Catholic of New Iberia (La.) High School, Amos was a dual-threat quarterback who totaled more than 2,300 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2018. “My younger self, I was looking forward to [being an All-American],” he said in 2024. “But now, I appreciate that, but there’s still stuff left on the table. Still want to keep on improving for this last game. Still, getting the recognition on being an All-American, I’m still grateful for that, too.”

Texas CB Jahdae Barron

Measurables: 5-10 3/4, 194 pounds. 29 5/8-inch arms. 4.39 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 8.64.

By the Numbers: Barron led the SEC with five interceptions in 2024 and finished with 16 passes defensed to win the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back. All eight interceptions came during his final three seasons. According to PFF, there were 110 FBS-level, draft-eligible cornerbacks who played 280 coverage snaps in 2024. He ranked 45th in completion percentage allowed (54.4) and second passer rating (34.4) with two touchdowns allowed. He was guilty of two penalties. His career missed-tackle rate was 14.0 percent but just 9.5 percent in 2024. He had a ridiculous 12 tackles for losses in 2022.

He said it: “This class has heckuva ballplayers, heckuva DBs. They do a lot of great things, and I do a lot of great things. I think for myself, I’m more versatile than anybody in this draft class. I know it will help a defense. I like watching McDuffie, how he gets moved around, from corner to nickel. A team won’t anticipate where I’m at in the next week or the next drive.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “I’m higher on Barron than just about every team I’ve talked to. I love the way that he plays. This is what I’ve said to teams. I’m, like, ‘Look, you blew it on (Brian) Branch. You let Branch fall to the second round. The league collectively blew it on Cooper DeJean and let him fall to the second round. Is this going to happen again?’ Are we going to let Barron fall because we’re not going to give credit to someone who is going to be on the field the whole game as someone who is going to be a nickel or going to play in that different role, he can play and be your dime linebacker, your nickel? I think he could survive outside if you needed him to. That’s not going to be where his specialty is, but somebody that is a sure tackler, that has instincts, that takes the football away, that’s an outstanding blitzer, he can be a difference-maker and has been in the past.”

Westendorf said it: Barron’s arm length is going to be a key point of discussion as to whether he can play on the boundary with arms that short. If a team thinks he can play the boundary, Barron has a claim to be the best defensive back in this class not named Travis Hunter. Even if he cannot play the boundary, Barron has a skillset similar to Cooper DeJean, a favorite from last year’s draft class and hero of Super Bowl LIX.

In Green Bay he could be an immediate starter in the slot, with potential to be the primary backup to Xavier McKinney if the Packers did want to go that route. His ball skills are some of the best in the class, as well. His biggest concern is just his size.

Noteworthy: Barron’s short arms could take him off some teams’ boards, Green Bay’s included. He played primarily in the slot in 2022 and 2023 and primarily on the perimeter in 2024. He’s fast and intelligent, though. “Jahdae’s kind of the glue over there for us right now,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said in 2023. “He does a really good job of tying the front and the back end together. Jaylan (Ford) obviously does it from the backer position, but Jahdae does it from the star position. He’s in and around the box in the run game; we’re asking him to play in coverage … he gets some tough matchups.”

Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston

Measurables: 5-11 1/4, 183 pounds. 31-inch arms. 4.28 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.63.

By the Numbers: After a breakout season of five interceptions in 2023, Hairston in seven games in 2024 had one interception, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles. Had he played enough coverage snaps, he would have ranked 46th in completion percentage (54.5) and 54th passer rating (78.2). He did not allow any touchdowns and was guilty of two penalties. His missed-tackle rate soared from 8.2 percent in 2023 to 27.3 percent in 2024.

He said it: “From the [vertical jump] to the broad jump to the 40 [yard dash], the field work, too, that’s going to be the cherry on top…You need to get popcorn, probably a milkshake and some candy,” Hairston said before his Combine workout. On the heels of his breakout 2023 season, Hairston told The Draft Network: “I played wide receiver growing up. That’s where the ball skills come from. It definitely helped with that. I feel like I can catch any ball thrown my way just like a receiver can. I have great instincts for the position, as well. When I do see something, or I have a natural feel for something, I’m not afraid to trigger and trust my instincts.”

Dane Brugler said it: “A fluid mover with A-plus speed, Hairston moves fairly effortlessly in all areas of the field. He (shows) conviction and awareness in Cover 3. He is a natural making plays at the catch point, but he’s also more scrappy than strong, which will show against physical NFL receivers and in run support. Hairston … plays with the reactionary movements and ball skills to fit a variety of coverages. If he makes the necessary improvements as a tackler, he has the talent to become a capable NFL starter early in his career.”

Westendorf said it: Hairston has the athleticism that is desired to play cornerback. He glides when the ball is in his hands.

There are questions, and justifiably so, about his ability and willingness as a tackler. Hairston was skinny as a rail during his time at Kentucky. He’s shared pictures about him putting on weight, but can he play as fast when he’s 10 or 12 pounds heavier?

If you’re just looking at his RAS score, you’d think he’s a perfect fit in Green Bay, but his skill-set does not seem like something that matches up with what the Packers would covet in their cornerbacks.

Noteworthy: Hariston’s nickname is “Mad Max.” As he told Steelers Depot at the Combine: “It’s my personality on the field. My coach gave me it when I was younger, and now that NIL’s a thing, I just kind of took off with it. That’s my personality on the field. I’m Mad Max.”

Trade-Back Options for Packers

Here are more first-pick possibilities for the Packers, especially if they trade out of No. 23.

Missouri WR Luther Burden

Measurables: 6-foot, 206 pounds. 8 1/2-inch hands. 4.41 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: Burden had a sensational sophomore season, earning second-team All-American in 2023 with 86 receptions for 1,212 yards (14.1 average) and nine touchdowns. In 2024, with the same quarterback and same head coach, he dipped to 61 receptions for 676 yards (11.1 average) and six touchdowns. He lined up wide less than 12 percent of the time.

According to Pro Football Focus, 118 FBS-level, draft-eligible receivers were targeted at least 55 times. He ranked 36th in yards after the catch per catch (6.1) and 40th in drop rate (4.7 percent) but first in forced missed tackles (30). He caught 7-of-18 deep passes and scored three touchdowns.

He said it: “I got a mentality (of) as soon as I get the ball, trying to score, trying to put my team in the best position to be successful.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “The production did dip and due somewhat to the quarterback play that was a little bit up and down. The offense just wasn’t what it had been previously. I didn’t see any decline in his skills. As a player he reminded me a lot of Stef Diggs coming out of Maryland. And Stefon Diggs was just so quick at just getting away from people, separating from people, and then with the ball in his hands, could make some things happen. He’s outstanding. One of the best run-after-catch receivers in this draft, if not the best run-after catch receivers in this draft.”

Westendorf said it: Burden is one of the more polarizing prospects in this receiver class. He’s been flagged for some concerns about his character in the locker room, though Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz has defended his player.

Football-wise, there are questions as to whether he could play in the boundary or is destined in the slot. For my money’s worth, he could do both of those things, and has shown the ability to make plays down the field. There are questions about his ability to run the whole route tree due to the offense he played in at Missouri.

Noteworthy: Burden grew up in St. Louis and played in the same youth football league and at the same high school as Lions receiver Jameson Williams. “I think he’s going to be a top-five pick. He’s one of the greatest athletes I’ve ever seen,” Williams said of Burden last year. “Basketball, football, he’s doing it. I watched every single Mizzou game last year. I never watched a Mizzou game. I ain’t gonna lie. But Mookie (Cooper) and Luther, that’s the only two people I’m watching. Those are my guys.” Said Burden of Williams at the Combine: “I like how he always tries to make something happen when he gets the ball, as well. He’s got a mentality to score and not go down by the first guy.”

Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins

Measurables: 6-foot-4 1/8, 214 pounds. 9 1/8-inch hands. 4.47 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.63.

By the Numbers: After two seasons at Eastern Kentucky, Higgins caught 53 passes for 983 yards (18.6 average) in 2023 and 87 passes for 1,183 yards (13.6 average) and nine touchdowns in 2024 to earn third-team All-American.

According to Pro Football Focus, 118 FBS-level, draft-eligible receivers were targeted at least 55 times. He ranked 94th in yards after the catch per catch (3.8), 12th in drop rate (2.2 percent) and 37th in forced missed tackles (12). He caught 8-of-24 deep passes and scored two touchdowns.

He said it: “I would say my versatility, being a big guy, I can do anything that a small guy can do and also just being able to catch the ball when it’s in the air and make plays. … Just being able to move like a smaller receiver. I’m big, 6-4, but I can play in the slot. I can play inside and out and just make those plays at the end of the day.”

PFF said it: “Higgins is well built for an X receiver, with some added wiggle and agility for a big man. As a possession type, he has reliable hands and consistently catches the ball away from his body. He brings good footwork and a variety of releases to effectively get off press coverage. He also knows how to run almost all routes in the tree. While Higgins isn’t a consistent winner with athleticism before and after the catch, he can still create separation due to his savviness and foot quickness. He is a willing blocker with good length.”

Westendorf said it: Probably the most popular Day 2 receiver prospect for Green Bay, and for good reason. Higgins is one of few receivers in this draft class that have the size that Brian Gutekunst typically covets, combined with the speed that Green Bay’s offense craves.

Higgins is who is the formula spits out if you tried to design a prototypical “X” receiver in a laboratory. He’s not the greatest at making plays after the ball in his hands, but his size and speed combination suggests he could become better in that spot. At minimum, he injects some speed, and that gravitational effect that defenses have to account for.

Noteworthy: Higgins, who returned to football as a junior in high school, has some of the best hands in the draft even though they measured a bit on the small side. “I catch a hundred JUGS every single day, Monday through Friday, with my guy Jonathan Vande Walle, someone we got on the team. Man. It’s just a routine that I have. I have a certain routine as far as catching the ball, and I like to do that every single day to stay sharp … (and) trying to be better than the other guys. Honestly, just put in that extra work and just add something to my resume.”

As Higgins said, he’s not just a big receiver in the mold of another former Iowa State star, Allen Lazard. “Jayden’s ability to not only be big and have a great catch radius,” Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said, “but he’s a great route runner. One of the things that separates him is his speed and his ability at the top of the route to really separate and create open windows. Sometimes when you’re big, it’s hard to lower your lever at the route point and be able to create separation. He does such a special job of it.”

Oregon OT Josh Conerly

Measurables: 6-foot-4 5/8, 311 pounds. 33 1/2-inch arms (but 34 1/4 at pro day). 5.05 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 8.84.

By the Numbers: There were 120 FBS-level, draft-eligible offensive tackles who played at least 575 snaps in 2024, according to Pro Football. Conerly ranked fourth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. He allowed one sack and nine total pressures and was penalized four times. His pressure count was down from 17 in 2023. Almost all 1,881 career snaps came at left tackle.

He said it: “As far as I can tell, there is nobody that’s made me better than Jordan Burch. You see his size – 6-5, runs like the wind. At 290 (pounds), he gets a head full of steam and comes to bull rush you… that’s somebody who has helped me develop an anchor. Going head up in run drills every day. He’s helped me a ton.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Conerly, he has that sturdy frame, long arms. He’s real patient. He has quick feet. The issue with him is just going to be he’s not a great bender, and that’s how you can kind of get caught like he did in the clip that got sent around from Mike Green at the Senior Bowl. That’s going to be something he is going to have to continue to work through. It’s just getting a little bit lower, bending a little bit better.”

Westendorf said it: A toolsy left tackle that has improved every year in college. He moves well in pass protection and is able to get out in space in the run game. His movement skills are something that Gutekunst will likely love, and could be the best in the entire draft class.

His hand usage is going to require some improvement at the next level. He was able to get away with spotty hand placement in college but will need to improve. If he adds that, there is star potential for him as a left tackle. He fits in Green Bay from the standpoint he could essentially redshirt for a season, allowing him to hone his craft.

Noteworthy: Conerly was a running back through his freshman year at Seattle’s Rainier Beach High School. Then, when he was about 6-foot-1 and 240 pounds, he was moved to the offensive line. “My first year playing, I played O-line. The next year, I was like running back and middle linebacker until about my sophomore year of high school. Going into my sophomore year of high school, we lost our starting offensive and defensive line. I just had to make the switch and it worked out well.” Working out well is an understatement. As a senior at Rainier Beach, he won the Anthony Munoz Award as the nation’s top lineman.

Conerly played left tackle at Oregon. At the Senior Bowl, he was trucked by Marshall’s Mike Green during one of his first reps at right tackle. “It’s the game of football. Everybody ‘gets got.’ I got ‘got’, simple as that. This happened before in practice [at Oregon] so I’ve been in that situation. No matter what, you have to get back up and keep fighting. You’re not just going to lay there forever.”

Minnesota OT Aireontae Ersery

Measurables: 6-foot-6, 331 pounds. 33 1/8-inch arms. 5.01 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.42.

By the Numbers: There were 120 FBS-level, draft-eligible offensive tackles who played at least 575 snaps in 2024, according to Pro Football. Ersery ranked 18th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. He allowed one sack and 12 total pressures and was penalized three times to become the Big Ten’s Offensive Lineman of the Year. He allowed five sacks in three years as a starter. Almost all 2,433 career snaps came at left tackle.

He said it: “I’m physical at the point of attack in pass protection,” he told The Draft Network. “I’m always the one that starts the fight. I’m detail-oriented in pass pro. That comes first and foremost. I never want to give anything away. I go out there and have fun. I don’t overthink it. Like you said, I’m a three-year starter now. I’ve seen a lot of different moves. I don’t think there’s a pass-rush move you can hit me with that I’m not familiar with. I’m pretty much prepared for anything.”

Bleacher Report’s Brandon Thorn said it: “With his NFL-ready build and length, Ersery has a stiff punch to steer rushers wide of the pocket, and he can anchor down when rushers try to attack him down the middle. Though he moves well for a big man, especially as a zone-blocker, it might be a bumpy ride early as he transitions to the next level.”

Westendorf said it: Ersery is a mountain of a man. He’s the first-player-off-the-bus type of guy. When the Packers drafted Josh Myers in 2021, Gutekunst said that he wanted to build a big, intimidating offensive line. Ersery would fit the bill there. Can he move well enough laterally to stay at offensive tackle? That’s the multimillion-dollar question. If he cannot, he could kick inside to guard. He’s currently much better in the run game than as a pass blocker.

Noteworthy: The Kansas City native didn’t begin playing football until his sophomore year at Ruskin High School. By the end of high school, he was a hot recruit who reached the state tournament as a wrestler and finished fourth in the state in the shot put.

Recalled former Ruskin coach William Perkins: “He’s got a video where as a big kid he’s jumping on top of these stacked plyo boxes to prove to some of the receivers that he was more explosive than they were. He’d compete with those guys.”

Ersery’s not just big. He’s fast. His 40 time was the fastest mark by an offensive lineman who is at least 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds since 2003.

Toledo DT Darius Alexander

Measurables: 6-foot-3 7/8, 305 pounds. 34-inch arms. 4.95 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.17.

By the Numbers: Alexander started 23 games the past two seasons. He had four sacks, 5.5 tackles for losses, 36 tackles and three passes defensed in 2023 and 3.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles for losses, 40 tackles, five passes defensed and one pick-six in 2024 to earn second-team all-MAC. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible defensive tackles who played at least 238 pass-rushing snaps. He was 12th in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and ninth in pass-rush win rate. He was PFF’s second-ranked run defender.

He said it: “I think my best attribute is my whole game. I think there’s areas I can work on all my game, but my best attribute is to go out there and play physical. … I play everything on the D-line. I don’t play just one spot. I’m a game wrecker and I just love to show my skill off.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Darius Alexander, he’s a little bit older, which we’ll see some teams care more about that than others. When I was watching defensive linemen this year, the ones that I circled back on after the Super Bowl was over, I just wrote vet, ‘v-e-t’ on my sheet. If you see the words ‘violent, explosive, twitchy’ over and over again, those are the guys that I think you want because that’s what we just saw win the Super Bowl.”

Westendorf said it: Alexander is an interesting prospect because, at this point, we should have a really good idea of what he can become. He’s an older player who will turn 25 during his rookie season. There likely isn’t much more potential he can reach from his body growing into itself.

His skills are something conducive to what the Packers have typically liked. He is a disruptor, dominating in his final season at Toledo. Can he hold up well enough in the run game to make an impact? Would Gutekunst spend a premium pick on an older player? Those are the questions he’ll have to answer.

Noteworthy: Alexander was lightly recruited coming out of Fort Wayne (Ind.) High School. He redshirted in 2019 as an offensive lineman before being shifted to defense. “We’re talking about a kid that played left tackle as a freshman, that’s probably going to be an NFL draft pick,” Toledo coach Jason Candle said in October.

His dominance started at practice, position coach Frank Okam said. “I do think Darius has the skill set, the athletic build, the mindset, the mental makeup, the toughness, and the durability to be a really, really special player,” Okam said. “Some of the things he can do, there are not a lot of people in the country that can do that.”

He was No. 53 on this year’s Freaks List.

Ohio State DT Tyleik Williams

Measurables: 6-foot-2 7/8, 334 pounds. 32-inch arms. Fell on 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: Williams was a Freshman All-American in 2021 with five sacks. That wound up being his career high. In four seasons, he finished with 11.5 sacks, 27 tackles for losses and 10 passes defensed. In 13 games in 2024, he had 2.5 sacks and eight TFLs among 46 tackles. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible defensive tackles who played at least 238 pass-rushing snaps. He was 57th in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 58th in pass-rush win rate. He was PFF’s fourth-ranked run defender.

He said it: “I’m great at getting off the ball,” he told The Draft Network. “I think my get-off is among the best, especially at my size. My movement skills are rare for a guy my size. It catches teams off-guard. My defensive line coach, the way our drills were set up in practice, we were taught to attack relentlessly by using our hands. That’s what I’ve been doing these past few seasons at every practice. It became natural for me to make plays on the field. I know how to find the ball.”

PFF said it: “His calling card is his power. He plays with a compact, explosive stance that allows him to fire off the ball and convert speed to power. He has the frame to play both interior spots (nose and 3-tech), but his skill set is best suited for a run-stuffing nose tackle role. However, he lacks a well-developed pass-rush arsenal. His career pass-rush win rate has remained below 10.0%, and he doesn’t showcase many finesse moves. If he doesn’t win with his first step, his rushes tend to stall out.”

Westendorf said it: Not quite as a player, but the same style, Williams reminds me of former Packers defensive tackle Jarran Reed when he was entering the draft. Reed was a brick in the run game. Williams could step in on Day 1 and replace TJ Slaton and become an impact defender. He may be an upgrade from Slaton frankly, as a rookie.

Williams is not just a run plugger. He may not ever get 10 sacks in a season the way that Reed did, but he can grow into a more disruptive pass rusher. Williams might not go in the first round but may not make it to their second-round pick. Gutekunst may have to either reach for him in the first round, or manipulate the draft board to be in a position to where he’s comfortable taking him.

Noteworthy: Before he was a 330-pound, NFL-bound defensive tackle, the native of Manassas, Va., was a youth quarterback and running back. When he arrived in Columbus, he was 360 pounds. “I was supposed to be around 320, but COVID got the best of me,” he said.

He grew up playing basketball and is a much better athlete than he looks. “I’ve always been that dude that the other team would look at and be like, ‘Who’s that?’ It’s been my whole life,” Williams said. “People think I’m some slow slob.”

Tennessee edge James Pearce

Measurables: 6-foot-5 1/4, 245 pounds. 32 3/4-inch arms. 4.47 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.40.

By the Numbers: Pearce is arguably the best pure pass rusher in the draft. He was first-team all-SEC in 2023 (10 sacks, 14.5 tackles for losses, two forced fumbles) and 2024 (7.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, one forced fumble). According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible edge defenders who played at least 239 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked first in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hit and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and first in pass-rush win rate.

He said it: “On the tape, there’s nothing you really can dislike,” Pearce said of character issues at pro day. “(In meetings with NFL personnel) they want to know the type of person that I am. They want to know that from me. They ask everybody else, but they want to know from me, too. I’m a great guy. I’m a great teammate, a great player. I’m a people person. I’ve got a good heart.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “James Pearce, he’s going to be an interesting one. He could go in the top 15. He could go bottom of 1. He could go top of 2. There’s a wide range on him. He’s a lean, skinny rusher, but he has a ton of juice and explosiveness. He really knows how to rush. His first three steps are pretty dynamic. … H has that one dominant pitch with his speed. I think that would translate really quickly. That would be maybe the one if you are looking for Year 1 impact.”

Westendorf said it: At this time last year, Pearce was projected as one of the top picks in this year’s draft class. Now, Pearce is likely to be picked in the second half of the first round. It won’t be from a talent standpoint. Pearce has speed to burn and a skill-set that does not occupy Green Bay’s edge room.

Pearce is one of the most disruptive players in college football, the question is whether he can withstand a full workload at the NFL level. He averaged 36 snaps per game at Tennessee. He’s probably best suited as a situational pass rusher in the way the Packers used to use Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila in the late 2000s, but is a player like that worth a first-round pick?

Noteworthy: Pearce, a native of Charlotte, shot up the recruiting ranks. Following one game as a senior, a rival coach made a point to tell him he’d be “playing on Sundays.”

“James is a smart player, electric in his ability to rush the passer,” Vols coach Josh Heupel said at pro day. “Just seeing his growth on and off the field in three short years, his best is still in front of him.”

He was arrested in 2023. “When a young man comes into our building, they are at varying levels of maturity,” Heupel said. “It’s our job to accelerate them as fast as we can. James has done a really good job. His football understanding grew really quickly. Developing as a man and as a person, he has done a really good job continuing that, too.”

Day 2 Prospects for Packers

Utah State WR Jalen Royals

Measurables: 6-foot, 205 pounds. 9 1/2-inch hands. 4.42 40

Relative Athletic Score: 9.01.

By the Numbers: After one year of junior college and a one year on the bench at Utah State, Royals caught 71 passes for 1,080 yards (15.2 average) and 15 touchdowns in 2023 and 55 receptions for 834 yards (15.2 average) and six touchdowns in 2024. A foot injury limited him to seven games in 2024; his 119.1 yards per game would have ranked fourth in the nation had he played enough games to qualify.

According to Pro Football Focus, 118 FBS-level, draft-eligible receivers were targeted at least 55 times. He ranked eighth in yards after the catch per catch (7.9), 46th in drop rate (5.2 percent) and 18th in forced missed tackles (17). He caught 7-of-12 deep passes and scored two touchdowns.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Actually kind of looks like Randall Cobb to go back in the old school there.” Going deeper at NFL.com, Lance Zierlein wrote in part: “Skilled and instinctive, Royals might lack the desired explosiveness, but he makes up for it with his body control and feel for the game.”

Westendorf said it: Royals is one of this year’s best deep threats at receiver.  He’s one of the best players in the class with the ball in his hands as well. He forced 17 missed tackles in 2024. Those two abilities combined make him a potentially seamless fit in Green Bay. His nuance in his route running could use a little polish, but the Packers have as good of a track record as anyone in developing receivers.

Noteworthy: After a superb 2023 season, Royals was offered significant money to transfer to one of the power schools in 2024. Instead, he stuck with Utah State, which gave him a chance out of Georgia Military.

“I mean, I have not made in my lifetime as much money as Jalen has been offered for the last six months,” Utah state co-offensive coordinator Cooper Bassett said. He dominated again in 2024 until a foot injury.

“Last year helped me know that I can compete with anybody,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what conference they are in.”

Mississippi WR Tre Harris

Measurables: 6-foot-2 3/8, 205 pounds. 9 5/8-inch hands. 4.54 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.23.

By the Numbers: After three seasons at Louisiana Tech, Harris caught 65 passes for 935 yards (14.4 average) and 10 touchdowns in 2023. In just eight games in 2024, he caught 60 passes for 1,030 yards (17.2 average) and seven touchdowns. Had he played enough games to quality, he would have led the nation with 128.8 receiving yards per game.

According to Pro Football Focus, 118 FBS-level, draft-eligible receivers were targeted at least 55 times. He ranked 11th in yards after the catch per catch (7.7), 78th in drop rate (7.7 percent) and 42nd in forced missed tackles (11). He caught 9-of-16 deep passes and scored five touchdowns.

PFF said it: “He brings above-average size to the position and has a ton of experience catching deep passes. But despite Harris’ size and outside skill-set, he does not have much experience versus press due to the nature of Ole Miss’ offense. He also lacks varied releases off the line, outside of a speed release. Harris’ contested-catch numbers are lower than ideal, and his separation rate against single coverage is below 20 percent. He has some nice impact blocks on tape.”

Westendorf said it: Harris has the desired size in Green Bay, which caught the eyes of most draftniks immediately as a potential fit. He’s tough and physical in the run game, and would have to win on contested catches and back shoulder throws.

He’s not the greatest athlete which can give pause at the next level for how effective he can be. He’s an intermediate-level receiver with good hands.

Noteworthy: Harris and star Giants receiver Malik Nabers were teammates at Comeaux High School in Lafayette, La. Harris was the quarterback. At one point, he considered giving up football to focus on basketball.

“I was like ‘Bro, I need a quarterback,’” Nabers told WCBI-TV. “I’m going to be a really good receiver. We should have a really good football team.’ He was like ‘Bro, I’m going to think about it.’ This went on every day, I was like ‘Bro, please come on and play football.’”

The rest is history. “I don’t want to get emotional. I’m so proud of what he’s become,” Nabers said. “I always wanted to see him succeed more than I did myself. Seeing him be that player that I know he’s capable of means the world to me.”

TCU WR Jack Bech

Measurables: 6-foot-1 1/4, 214 pounds. 9-inch hands. DNP 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.51.

By the Numbers: Bech caught 43 passes at LSU in 2021 but only 16 in 2022. So, he transferred to TCU. After catching only 12 passes in eight games in 2023, he had an excellent senior season with 62 receptions for 1,034 yards (16.7 average) and nine touchdowns.

According to Pro Football Focus, 118 FBS-level, draft-eligible receivers were targeted at least 55 times. He ranked 53rd in yards after the catch per catch (5.5), seventh in drop rate (1.6 percent) and 18th in forced missed tackles (17). He caught 9-of-19 deep passes and scored three touchdowns.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Jack Bech, people have compared him to Cooper Kupp because of the toughness and all that. I think that’s the competitive side of the comparison. (He’s) someone who could play over the top as well and go get the ball.” Going deeper, PFF said: “As a bigger receiver, his movement abilities stand out and allow him to line up as an X, flanker and slot. His flexibility and agility are impressive for his size, and his high catch rates make him targetable in any situation. Ultimately, Bech’s tape is about trusting the ‘high’ of a player. His best 15 plays stack up with any Tier 2 receiver in this class. But that nuance does come and go.”

Westendorf said it: Bech is likely on Green Bay’s radar because he was one of the best players at the Senior Bowl, which is an event the Packers have shown to value under the stewardship of Gutekunst.

Bech was not just a one-week wonder, however. He had a huge season for the Horned Frogs, making big plays down the field, and going over the 1,000-yard mark for receiving. He has the ability to line up both on the outside, and in the slot. He’s a willing run blocker, and has the athletic profile the Packers would value in this position.

Noteworthy: Despite below-average hand size Bech is one of the most sure-handed receivers in the draft with 133 career receptionsand only four drops, “Yeah, I just feel like route running and catching the ball. I feel like I have the best hands in this draft class. That comes with just a lot of hard work, you know, after practice, trying to catch the most JUGS, not only on the team but out of anybody in the country, day in and day out. There wasn’t a practice that I skipped, where I wasn’t out there catching extra JUGS balls. That’s just where my confidence comes from.””

Bech’s older brother, Tiger, who played at Princeton, was killed in the New Orleans attack on New Year’s Day. After winning Senior Bowl MVP, Bech credited his brother for his mentality.

“Having an older brother, he was like six years older than me, just always having him around, his friends around, and always wanting to be with them,” Bech said. “Even though I was a lot younger, they were all grown up.

Iowa State WR Jaylin Noel

Measurables: 5-foot-10 1/4, 194 pounds. 8 3/4-inch hands. 4.39 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.75.

By the Numbers: In four productive seasons, Noel finished with 245 receptions for 2,855 yards and 18 touchdowns. He saved his best for last with 80 receptions for 1,194 yards (14.9 average) and eight touchdowns in 2024. Plus, he averaged 15.3 yards per punt return during his final season.

According to Pro Football Focus, 118 FBS-level, draft-eligible receivers were targeted at least 55 times. He ranked 84th in yards after the catch per catch (4.2), 41st in drop rate (4,8 percent) and 99th in forced missed tackles (three). He caught 14-of-24 deep passes and scored four touchdowns.

Brock Purdy said it: Former Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy, now with the 49ers, told NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah: “He’s a playmaker. Get the ball in his hands, and he’ll break tackles and get away from guys. He can return kicks and punts and make plays for whoever he’s playing for.” He added: “Everybody that I talked to about Jaylin, the first thing that comes to mind is his mindset and how mature he is for his age. As a quarterback, that’s a guy that I can trust in the heat of the moment, you know, third downs and trying to convert, that’s the guy I want to be on the field with.”

Westendorf said it: A slot receiver, and partner in crime to fellow Cyclones receiver Jayden Higgins, but Noel is no Robin to Higgins’ Batman. He was the first FBS player since 2014 to record four 50-plus yard receptions, two 50-yard kick returns, and two 30-yard punt returns in a season. That ability to be a factor in the return game could be attractive to the Packers as they could be looking to get Jayden Reed off of returning punts.

Noteworthy: Noel has a sleeve of tattoos one arm featuring all of his family members. One of them honors his older brother, who died in 2019. “It’s honestly my why,” Noel told Iowa State Daily. “I constantly think about him, and it helps me get a positive mindset and it helps me push myself every day knowing that he wants me to be great.”

Stanford WR Elic Ayomanor

Measurables: 6-foot-1 3/4, 206 pounds. 10-inch hands. 4.44 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.71.

By the Numbers: After sitting out 2022 with a knee injury, Ayomanor caught 125 passes for 1,844 yards (14.8 average) and 12 touchdowns during his final two seasons. He was a third-team All-American in 2023, when he had 62 receptions for 1,013 yards; he caught one more pass for 182 fewer yards in 2024. According to Pro Football Focus, 118 FBS-level, draft-eligible receivers were targeted at least 55 times. He ranked 92nd in yards after the catch per catch (3.9), 92nd in drop rate (8.7 percent) and 49th in forced missed tackles (10). He caught 7-of-30 deep passes and scored two touchdowns.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “The first time I noticed Stanford receiver when I’m watching Colorado last year. I’m going, holy moly, he had a monster game there. That’s when he jumped on my scene a little bit. He had 290-plus yards in that game. A good bit of it on Travis Hunter, I might add. That’s when he jumped on my radar. But outside, big-time burst in his release. I thought he was better on the move. Keep him on the go. He’s a little bit sticky at the top of routes working back downhill. But I thought he’s someone who runs through the ball, which I like to see. The issue with him just kind of contact drops. You just want to see when he gets kind of those combat-catch opportunities, just being a little stronger and finishing on those. He has excellent size.”

Westendorf said it: Big, fast, physical, excels as a run blocker. That sounds like a Packers receiver. Ayomanor is a midround prospect who could catch Brian Gutekunst’s eye immediately. He has a desire to win every rep on the field, whether as a blocker or as a receiver. He played in an offense that wasn’t conducive to developing him in the passing game, which will be an adjustment at the next level. His issues with drops will also be something he needs to work on at the next level.

Noteworthy: Ayomanor is from Alberta, Canada. He played hockey, of course, “because that’s what you do in Canada.” In middle school, he tried football and fell in love. He connected Justin Dillon, who helps Canadians kids attend U.S. high schools in hopes of earning Division I football scholarships. It all paid off when he caught 13 passes for 294 yards and three touchdowns in the second half against Colorado.

“Elic can be the face for football in Canada,” Dillon said.

At the Combine, Ayomanor said he’s “not afraid to do the dirty work.” Or work, in general. “To get to Stanford in the first place, there are a lot of things that you have to do and a lot of sacrifices that you have to make, and I was willing to make those sacrifices. I think I can show people around me those types of actions, and it is something that emanates from you and leads into other people.”

Ohio State G/T Donovan Jackson

Measurables: 6-foot-3 5/8, 315 pounds. 33 1/2-inch arms (34 1/2 at pro day). DNP 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.00.

By the Numbers: Jackson was a three-year starter. He played 1,963 snaps at left guard before moving out to left tackle to replace injured Josh Simmons for the Buckeyes’ run to the national championship. There were 109 FBS-level, draft-eligible offensive tackles who played at least 650 snaps in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. Jackson ranked 55th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. He was charged with two sacks and 19 total pressures. Of those numbers, he yielded zero sacks and four pressures in five full games at left guard before moving out to tackle. He was penalized two times.

Dane Brugler said it: “Jackson’s sustain and recovery hiccups must be addressed by an NFL coaching staff, but his athletic traits and play strength should translate well to the next level. He projects as an NFL starter, and his tape shows a player with true tackle-guard versatility.”

Westendorf said it: Usually the Packers like to take offensive tackles that kick inside to guard at the professional level. In college, Jackson went the other way. When Josh Simmons went down for the season with a knee injury, Jackson became the team’s blindside protector.

He’s likely best suited to play guard at the next level but has plenty of experience pass blocking while being able to move some people in the run game.

Noteworthy: The move to left tackle changed Jackson’s career. “I’m very grateful for the experience,” Jackson said at the Combine. “Unfortunately, the way I got it wasn’t the way I wanted it to go. At Ohio State, we always say competitive excellence, so you got to make the play when your number’s called. So, when my number was called to play tackle, I went into it with the best mentality I could. If I’m going to do it, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability, showing off my versatility a little bit, showing that I can play anywhere on the line so I’m grateful for the experience.”

Starting with his debut game against Penn State star and presumptive top-five pick Abdul Carter, Jackson thrived. Said Simmons: “He’s a freak athlete. He’s probably one of the freakiest guys in this entire draft. So, obviously, it was just going to take a game or two, but then we evolved.”

Arizona G Jonah Savaiinaea

Measurables: 6-foot-4 1/8, 324 pounds. 33 7/8-inch arms. 4.95 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.19.

By the Numbers: Savaiinaea started all 36 appearances in three seasons, with 16 at right tackle, 15 at right guard and five at left tackle in 2024. There were 109 FBS-level, draft-eligible offensive tackles who played at least 650 snaps in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. He ranked 36th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. He was charged with four sacks and 15 total pressures. He was penalized only once. He played a little more than 1,000 snaps at right tackle, a little less than 1,000 snaps at right guard and 345 at left tackle.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: At NFL.com, he wrote, “Savaiinaea was a massive offensive lineman for Arizona, playing right tackle for the bulk of the last two seasons. I’m projecting him inside to guard at the next level. In pass pro, he plays with a wide base and strong/firm hands. … In the run game, he can wash defenders down the line and he’s quick to the second level. Overall, Savaiinaea is a starting-caliber guard right now and there will be more upside as he continues to develop.”

Westendorf said it: Similar to his former teammate Jordan Morgan, Jonah Savaiinaea might be the most tailor-made offensive line prospect for Green Bay. Savaiinaea is a tackle who is going to play guard at the next level. He’s a pass-blocking savant, and could be a ready-made replacement for Sean Rhyan should the Packers allow him to walk after the 2025 season.

Noteworthy: Savaiinaea was born in American Samoa. He grew up playing the piano and can play music by ear. He started playing football in seventh grade, and his parents allowed him to move to Hawaii to attend high school and further his career.

It didn’t take long to get noticed. As an early enrollee at Arizona, he attended a spring practice in 2022. Also there was longtime NFL line coach Chris Foerster. “He said, ‘That’s an NFL player,’” Wildcats coach Jedd Fisch said during Pac-12 Media Day. “I said, ‘That’s a high school senior.’”

At Arizona, Savaiinaea and Jordan Morgan were bookend tackles. Now, he could join Morgan with the Packers.

“That’s a lifestyle dream of mine,” Savaiinaea told Tucson.com. “The work just started. When I get that phone call, it’s only going to make me push myself and work more.”

Purdue OL Marcus Mbow

Measurables: 6-foot-4 1/8, 303 pounds. 32-inch arms. DNP 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: Mbow started 36 games during his final three seasons, with 14 at right guard in 2022 and 18 at right tackle in 2023 and 2024. There were 109 FBS-level, draft-eligible offensive tackles who played at least 666 snaps in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. (That’s how many Mbow played.) He ranked 93rd in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. He was charged with three sacks and 25 total pressures. Plus, he was penalized seven times. He played 1,167 snaps at right tackle and 668 at right guard in his career.

Brandon Thorn said it: The O-line guru at Bleacher Report wrote, “Overall, Mbow brings good quickness and a crafty, refined skill-set that will allow him to compete for a backup role right away at tackle or guard with starter potential during his rookie contract but he will need to bolster his play strength and ability to deal with power before becoming a full-time starter.”

Noteworthy: Mbow is a Wisconsin native who played football and basketball at Wauwatosa East High School. “I never really was thinking I was going to be playing football for a living, especially coming into high school,” Mbow told WTMJ-TV. Said his mom, Beth: “He always played football and basketball. He also did track in high school, but basketball was his passion.”

Mbow missed half of 2023 with a leg injury but came back with a “different drive and hunger,” his mom said. The next step will take place this week.

“It’s definitely kind of like a stars aligning moment in terms of my career and the fact that the draft’s in Wisconsin. It’s super-cool,” Mbow told WISN-TV.

Georgia G Tate Ratledge

Measurables: 6-foot-6 1/2, 308 pounds. 32 1/4-inch arms. 4.97 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.96.

By the Numbers: Ratledge started 37 games the past three seasons. He was a second-team All-American in 2023 and a first-teamer in 2024, despite missing four games with an ankle injury.

Had he been one of the 120 FBS-level, draft-eligible offensive guards who played at least 650 snaps in 2024, he would have ranked 35th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. PFF charged him with one sack and seven total pressures in 2024 and just two sacks as a three-year starter. He was penalized twice. Just about every one of his 2,077 career snaps came at right guard.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Ratledge at right guard, good seal and position blocker, takes good angles, but kind of more upper body, just wrestle. The side note, watching that Florida tape, Florida’s got that 400-pound defensive tackle, and that defensive tackle threw him around a little bit. Had some initial pop; just didn’t do a really good job of sustaining.”

Westendorf said it: Ratledge is a mountain of a man, standing at 6-foot-6 which might make you think he’s more of a tackle than a guard. The Packers have not shied away from taller players moving inside. Ratledge is a good mover that is able to climb to the second level. He fights for every inch on a given play, which is something that likely endeared him to coaches during the predraft process.

Noteworthy: Ratledge’s father played at Tennessee Tech and coached his son in high school. Being big now is great. Being big as a kid was tough. “I used to go home and tell my mom, crying, that I wanted to be the same size as everybody else. I felt out of place.” But “Dad used to always tell me, when I’d say that, that one day everyone will want to be your size. That turned out to be true. And sports definitely helped me embrace it.”

Georgia C Jared Wilson

Measurables: 6-foot-3, 310 pounds. 32 3/8-inch arms. 4.84 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.84.

By the Numbers: Wilson played less than 200 snaps during his first three seasons on campus. In 2024, he emerged as a top-flight center.

There were 72 FBS-level, draft-eligible offensive guards who played at least 565 snaps in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. Wilson ranked second in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. He yielded zero sacks and six pressures with three penalties. Of his 1,014 career snaps, 921 came at center.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Wilson to me is the top one of the bunch. He’s a center, wide base, plays with strong hands. He takes good angles at the second level. Real firm. He’s aware on twists in games. He can recover and stay attached. I think he’s an elite athlete. He just really doesn’t get beat, and he’s a good solid player.”

Westendorf said it: If the Packers were looking for an immediate replacement for Josh Myers, they could do worse than Jared Wilson. They are not, however, with Elgton Jenkins set to slide inside to the pivot position in 2025. Wilson could redshirt for a season before taking over if Jenkins becomes a salary cap casualty.

Wilson has more quickness than power and does struggle with strong defensive tackles across from him. He’d need to refine his technique at the next level to become a reliable player.

Noteworthy: Wilson’s athleticism at the Scouting Combine wasn’t surprising. This is what coach Kirby Smart said before last season: “When you talk about athleticism at the center position, this guy runs faster than a lot of our defensive backs, believe it or not, our tight ends, our quarterbacks. His numbers are extremely athletics, over 300 pounds, can get to the second level as quick as anybody.”

Wilson loves watching Jason Kelce but that’s not his idol. “My mom,” he said at the Comibne. “I give all the credit to my mom, and she sacrificed so much when I was growing up, especially me and my little brothers. I have three little brothers that are very little, but they’re little brothers in age. She’s just I can’t say enough about her. I love her so much. She’s my backbone. She sacrificed so much for me. She definitely is the reason that here.”

LSU G Miles Frazier

Measurables: 6-foot-5 5/8, 317 pounds. 32 3/4-inch arms. 5.24 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.33.

By the Numbers: Frazier started 15 games at left tackle for Florida International in 2020 and 2021 before spending his final three seasons at LSU. He started 39 games for the Tigers, with 28 starts at right guard (12 in 2024), nine at left guard and two at right tackle (one in 2024). There were 120 FBS-level, draft-eligible offensive guards who played at least 650 snaps in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. Frazier ranked 24th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. He allowed zero sacks and 13 total pressures and was penalized three times.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “He’s got size. I just think he knows how to play. He’s played some outside as well, but he’s definitely going to be a guard. He’s got some power, some torque, and some turn to him.” Added Bleacher Report’s Thorn as part of an extensive scouting report: “Overall, Frazier has below-average movement skills and erratic sustain skills but is a big, strong, experienced guard prospect with impressive proven versatility on his resume and the skills to carve out a role inside a downhill, vertical run scheme.”

Noteworthy: Frazier fell in love with football while watching his brother, who eventually played tight end at LSU, among other schools. They played together during Miles’ first season in Baton Rouge. “I saw how happy [football] made him, and I just wanted to follow him in his footsteps,” Frazier said at the Senior Bowl.

At the Senior Bowl, he was selected the American Team’s best offensive linemen by the National Team’s defensive linemen. “I’m getting more comfortable with each rep at the Senior Bowl at tackle and guard. So, whether I play right tackle, right guard, left tackle, left guard [in the NFL], I’m down to play wherever.”

He wants to be a coach when his career is over.

Texas A&M DT Shemar Turner

Measurables: 6-foot-3 1/8, 290 pounds. 33 5/8-inch arms. DNP 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers Turner started all 35 appearances during his final three seasons. He had an excellent junior season with six sacks, 10.5 tackles for losses, two forced fumbles and two blocked kicks. In 2024, he fell to two sacks and 5.5 TFLs, though he did have his third consecutive season of 30-plus tackles. He was flagged for an unacceptable five personal fouls in 2024 and missed 23.3 percent of his tackle attempts.

According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible defensive tackles who played at least 238 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked in 53rd pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 59th in pass-rush win rate. Plus, he was only PFF’s 66th-ranked run defender.

PFF said it: “What Turner lacks in length he makes up for in hand usage and effort. His hands are active and fast to swipe and chop off the snap, helping him stay clean or fight through with counters to disengage. His consistent leverage allows him to hold the line of scrimmage well in run defense.”

Westendorf said it: Shemar Stewart isn’t the only Shemar from Texas A&M getting some love during the predraft cycle. His teammate, Shemar Turner is likely a top-100 pick as well.

Turner is the classic case of a player who plays with his hair on fire. He’s going to win with effort, energy and desire at the next level. He might be good at everything if not great at anything, but there are a lot of good rotational players that have made a career out of a skill-set like that one.

Noteworthy: The 15-yard penalties were a major issue. “The conversation’s not going well enough, because it’s not getting fixed,” coach Mike Elko said after a loss at South Carolina. “And so the conversation is you can’t have post-snap 15-yard penalties. They’re killers. They’re selfish. You can’t do it… I’ve got to find a different way to get that message across because it’s clearly not working.”

It took a village to raise Turner. He was kicked out of school as a third-grader; a letter from his mom changed their mind. Eventually, he moved in with his older brother, who happened to be coaching a youth football team that featured Byron Murphy at running back. “Being able to let him be my mentor and show me what to do, how to do this or how to handle this situation, he was a big part of who I am today,” Turner said at SEC Media Days.

South Carolina DT T.J. Sanders

Measurables: 6-foot-3 7/8, 297 pounds. 33 1/8-inch arms. 4.95 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.38.

By the Numbers: Sanders had 4.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for losses in 2023 and four sacks and seven tackles for losses among a career-high 50 tackles in 2024.

According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible defensive tackles who played at least 238 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked behind only Oregon’s Derrick Harmon in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 10th in pass-rush win rate. Plus, he was PFF’s 25th-ranked run defender. However, only one defensive tackle had a worst missed-tackle rate than Harmon’s 26.7 percent.

Pro Football Network said it: As part of a long scouting report: “A powerful 3-technique defensive tackle who also brings some juice as a penetrating 1-technique, Sanders appears to have the strength and improving technique to hold his own in NFL trenches. With solid overall quickness and an improving arsenal of moves to shed blocks, Sanders was … an effective run defender who brings enough pressure as a pass-rusher to entice NFL teams.”

Westendorf said it: Sanders has quickness and the ability to be disruptive, which is something the Packers have valued on the defensive line. With Devonte Wyatt in the good graces of Brian Gutekunst, he’ll need a potential running mate if he’s a long term fixture in Green Bay.

Noteworthy: Long before he had a predraft visit with the Packers, he dreamed of being drafted into the NBA. “I was a hooper. I wasn’t touching no football,” the NFL-bound defensive tackle, who had a predraft visit with the Green Bay Packers on Friday, according to a source, said at South Carolina’s pro day. “One minute you think you are going to the NBA and the next thing you are doing things for the NFL. Crazy how your life can change in the blink of an eye. I am just thankful and taking it all in. … Extremely blessed.”

Texas DT Alfred Collins

Measurables: 6-foot-5 5/8, 332 pounds. 34 5/8-inch arms. DNP 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: Collins started 28 games in five seasons, including all 16 in 2024, when he had one sack and 5.5 tackles for losses among 55 tackles along with seven passes defensed and one blocked kick. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible defensive tackles who played at least 238 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and in pass-rush win rate. Plus, he was PFF’s -ranked run defender. Of the defensive tackles who will be in this story, his 3.0 percent missed-tackle rate was the best.

Pro Football Network said it: Wrote Dalton Miller as part of an extensive scouting report: “Despite 35-inch arms with an 82-inch wingspan, the Texas interior defender is a wet blanket on passing downs. There is no semblance of a rush plan, and for all of his practically unbelievable effectiveness, processing information, dissecting blocks, and hurling SEC guards across the field like a bail of hay does not translate at all.” But: “’Grown-man strength’ doesn’t begin to describe the strike explosiveness or rotational force Collins produces. For teams looking for a major uptick in second-level freedom and first-level playmaking versus the run, Collins is worth top-50 consideration.”

Westendorf said it: A big man in the middle, and the anchor of Texas’ run defense. Collins is not as big as last year’s second-round pick of the Tennessee Titans, T’Vondre Sweat, but he would be a ready-made replacement for TJ Slaton should the Packers select him.

Collins tips the scales at 332 pounds, and rarely misses tackles. As of now, he’s more of a pocket pusher than actual pass rusher, but that is still  a role the Packers have use for in their defense.

Noteworthy: Collins has sports in his genetics. His mom played college basketball at Texas – he was a 280-pound basketball player in high school – and a cousin, Trent Brown, is a longtime NFL offensive lineman.

“If you put your mind on something, you could do anything you want,” he said at the Combine of what he learned from his mom. “She always tells me don’t start something you won’t finish. So, that’s why I went back for my fifth year to finish my degree.” He described his game as “aggressive fast and physical.”

Ohio State edge JT Tuimoloau

Measurables: 6-foot-4 1/4, 265 pounds. 33 3/4-inch arms (34 7/8 at pro day). DNP 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.33.

By the Numbers: Tuimoloau piled up 23.5 sacks, 43.5 tackles for losses and 12 passes defensed in 54 career games (41 starts). He was first-team all-conference in 2024 with 12.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for losses. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible edge defenders who played at least 239 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked 10th in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hit and hurries per pass-rushing snap, but only 44th in pass-rush win rate.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Tuimoloau is a big, athletic edge rusher,” he wrote at NFL.com. “As a pass rusher, he has a nice mix of polish and power. He doesn’t have an elite get-off, but he can jolt offensive tackles once he gets to their chest with his length. He annihilates tight ends every time he’s matched up with them. Against the run, he can set a firm edge. … Overall, Tuimoloau is a steady player on tape and should be ready to make an impact right away in the NFL.

Westendorf said it: Tuimoloau is one of two Buckeye pass rushers in this draft class, and he’s the one likely to be picked higher than his running-mate, Jack Sawyer.

Tuimoloau has one of the best games in college football history on his resume. His dominant performance in 2022 against Penn State was one that would have you think he was a sure-fire first round pick. Now, it appears unlikely Tuimoloau will be drafted that early, though he’ll probably be a top-50 selection. He plays like his hair is on fire, and finished his final season with the Buckeyes with 12.5 sacks.

Noteworthy: Tuimoloau and Jack Sawyer were roommates at Ohio State and again at the Scouting Combine. “That’s my roommate still. You know, I think they messed up right there,” Tuimoloau said at the Combine. “That’s my brother. Having Jack there, it’s like an extended family. Having him there, we talk about everything and what going through this process means for the both of us. We dreamed about it as little kids. It’s crazy how time flies, we’re already here.”

A native of Edgewater, Wash., he was coached as a kid by former NFL standout Sam Adams. He is no stranger to the grind. The family motto was “God, family, school and sports,” so becoming a star athlete had to take a backseat to everything else. At Ohio State, he hoped to play basketball, too.

Texas A&M edge Nic Scourton

Measurables: 6-foot-2 3/4, 257 pounds. 33-inch arms. DNP 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: At 2023 in Purdue, Scourton had 10 sacks and 15 tackles for losses. He transferred to Texas A&M for 2024. With added weight to play the scheme, he had only five sacks but tallied 14 tackles for losses. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible edge defenders who played at least 239 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked 39th in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hit and hurries per pass-rushing snap, but 12th in pass-rush win rate.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Nic Scourton is kind of a wild card because he’s almost like two different players. He played at 280 this year. He’s 257 now, which mirrors more what he was at Purdue in ‘23. He might not have the highest ceiling but you’re probably going to get the best of Nic Scourton as soon as he gets. He’s someone who I don’t think would be a 13-, 15-sack guy, but eventually someone who I think could be a steady seven- to 10-sack performer who is going to be physical and set the edge.”

Westendorf said it: Scourton has heavy hands in the run game, which allows him to shed blockers and set the edge, which is something Jeff Hafley added an emphasis to for his defensive ends.

Scourton played at 280 pounds last season, and looked like he may have lost some juice as a result. He dropped some weight at the Combine, so it will be curious to see what weight the Packers ask him to play at if they were to select him. He has some work to do on his technique and often plays too high.

Noteworthy: Scourton – who was Nic Caraway at the time – was in danger of flunking out of high school. With his parents going through hard times, he played video games at night and slept during the day. To help, a friend, Andrew Buban, asked his father, the high school principal, if Nic could spend the night. “One night turned into three years.”

He had one big season at Purdue, then transferred to A&M. Said Shemar Stewart of his linemate: “Nic brought another dog in the room. Teams had problems, because they had nobody that they could just really single out. Everybody, that dude is going to eat.”

Arkansas edge Landon Jackson

Measurables: 6-foot-6, 264 pounds. 33 1/4-inch arms. 4.68 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.78.

By the Numbers: Jackson spent his final three seasons at Arkansas. He started each of his final two seasons with 6.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for losses in 2023 and 6.5 sacks, 9.5 TFLs and three passes defensed in 2024. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible edge defenders who played at least 239 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked 51st in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hit and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 52nd in pass-rush win rate.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Landon Jackson from Arkansas had a monster Senior Bowl. He’s 6-5-and-change, 273 pounds. He can really rush with that long arm, physical. He can close. He can run. He plays with effort.”

Westendorf said it: Jackson is a really good run defender while needing some polish as a pass rusher. He moves well enough to excel on stunts and twists along the defensive line.

Noteworthy: Jackson’s mom played college volleyball and his dad played college basketball. Jackson has alopecia, so he lost his hair. After being bullied as a kid, he served as a mentor.

“That’s something that means a lot to me because I just know how I was as a kid growing up with it and it was real tough,” he said at the Scouting Combine. “Inspire those kids that are different and make them know that it’s OK to be different.”

For all the talk of Shemar Stewart’s 10.00 RAS, Jackson is no slouch and has better production. “I fly around. Love the game,” Jackson said at the Combine. “Definitely my length. I’m a really long-levered guy. Play with a motor. Use my length and got a few finesse moves in the bag as well.”

Oregon edge Jordan Burch

Measurables: 6-foot-4 1/8, 279 pounds. 33-inch arms (33 3/4 at pro day). 4.67 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: After three seasons at South Carolina, Burch transferred to Oregon. He had a solid debut season in 2023 with three sacks and 7.5 tackles for losses but really took a jump in 2024 with 8.5 sacks, 11 tackles for losses and five passes defensed. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible edge defenders who played at least 239 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked 16th in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hit and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 18th in pass-rush win rate.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “He’s so big, but he is kind of more of a finesse player than a real physical player. Not real violent guy, but he is nifty. He plays to that long-arm move. He has a real steady bull rush. Not real dynamic, twitchy, explosive. He can hold up with his length at the point of attack, and he does play really hard to close and chase plays from the back side.”

Westendorf said it: A former five-star recruit and top-30 visit, Burch is an edge rusher who is projected to go in Day 2 with some positional versatility. He’ll line up on the outside in base but has the quickness to move inside in obvious passing situations.

He’s a power rusher who likes to watch Rashan Gary and grew up idolizing Julius Peppers. The Packers have shown a tendency to favor power pass rushers, which gives Burch a potential leg up on being selected by Green Bay.

Noteworthy: A native of Columbia, S.C., Burch is a former five-star recruit who was rated above NFL stars including Will Anderson and Jalen Carter. He was the Gamecocks’ highest-rated recruit since Jadeveon Clowney. He was a star defensive end and tight end in high school before settling in at defensive end for his college career.

He transferred to Oregon for his final two years. “God doesn’t make a lot of people that look like Jordan Burch,” Ducks coach Dan Lanning said. “When people see him, they’re surprised to hear he’s really 300 pounds because he looks really good at his size. But he plays like a beast on the field, relentless effort. … Jordan Burch is really dangerous.”

He had a predraft visit with the Packers, where he could join one of his former players, Rashan Gary.

Ohio State edge Jack Sawyer

Measurables: 6-foot-4 1/4, 260 pounds. 31 3/4-inch arms. DNP 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: Sawyer earned all-Big Ten honors each of his final three seasons. As a senior in 2024, he had nine sacks, nine tackles for losses, three forced fumbles and seven passes defensed. Sawyer scored on an 83-yard fumble return in the Cotton Bowl.

According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible edge defenders who played at least 239 pass-rushing snaps. Sawyer finished third in total pressures, though some of that was a byproduct of playing 16 games. He ranked eighth in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hit and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 10th in pass-rush win rate.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Real physical, rugged edge rusher who can also really set the edge.” Added Jacob Infante at Pro Football Network: “Sawyer has the technical know-how, the football instincts, the physicality and the level of effort needed to project as a quality starting edge rusher in the league. … His speed and bend could limit him in the pros, as it did at times in college.”

Westendorf said it: A power rusher, which Gutekunst tends to love, he had nine sacks in his final season at Ohio State. There are questions about his athleticism and whether or not the Packers would value Sawyer’s skill-set. That could be something they overlook in the middle rounds similarly to how they did for Kingsley Enagbare.

Noteworthy: Ohio State was the dream school for Sawyer, an Ohio native who grew up near Columbus. “I remember running around with an Ohio State jersey on in the backyard,” Sawyer said via Bleacher Report. “This is something I’ve dreamed about since I was a little kid.” He’s a natural; he even played quarterback in high school. “When he warms up before a game, I would say he’s in the top three or four on our team throwing the ball,” Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said. “That includes the quarterbacks. He’s as good of a person and player as I’ve ever been around.”

He came back for one more season at Ohio State. He clinched the national semifinal game with a legendary sacks, scoop and score. “I think he’ll go down in history as one of the greatest Buckeyes of all time in a program that has had a lot of great players,” Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles said. “Jack will live in infamy for the plays he made but also the spirit and leadership he brought to the program.”

UCLA edge Oluwafemi Oladejo

Measurables: 6-foot-3 1/4, 259 pounds. 33 3/8-innch arms. DNP 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: Oladejo is one of the more fascinating players in the class. He was an off-the-ball linebacker at Cal in 2021 and 2022 and at UCLA in 2023. Injuries on the edge and depth at linebacker necessitated a position change in 2024. In 12 games, he had 4.5 sacks and 13.5 tackles for losses. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible edge defenders who played at least 239 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked 46th in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hit and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 59th in pass-rush win rate.

PFF said it: “It wasn’t until two games into his senior season with the Bruins that he played the majority of his snaps in an edge role, so he lacks experience and a fully formed pass-rush repertoire. Oladejo impressed at Senior Bowl practices by winning the majority of his pass-rush one-on-one reps. He is an inexperienced pass-rusher that teams will want to take a chance on due to his athleticism and 33 3/8-inch arms.”

Noteworthy: Oladejo’s parents were born in Nigeria but Oladejo was born in the United States. “I’ve been there three times,” he said at the Combine. “I went last year before camp, my first time as an adult, with my father. They think American football is crazy. It was a fun time there. They see the helmets and they don’t understand it.”

He’s gone by the shortened form of his first name, Femi, but leaned into the full name as he matured. “My full name is Oluwafemi Moses Oladejo, and Oluwafemi means ‘God loves me,’ A couple months ago, as I started to grow my relationship with God, I (decided that) I want to actually express my full name because it means God loves me, so I started going by Oluwafemi. In a way I was scared of it, or not scared of it, but kind of ashamed because I really did not like when people consistently asked me how to say it. Now, in a sense, I take pride in it, so that’s why I go by Oluwafemi now.”

LSU edge Bradyn Swinson

Measurables: 6-foot-3 5/8, 255 pounds. 33 3/8-inch arms. DNP 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: After three seasons at Oregon, Swinson transferred to LSU. He recorded two sacks and five passes defensed as a reserve in 2023 but had a breakout 2024 with 8.5 sacks, 13 tackles for losses and two forced fumbles. According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible edge defenders who played at least 239 pass-rushing snaps. Swinson ranked fifth in pressures, pass-rush productivity (which measures sacks, hit and hurries per pass-rushing snap) and pass-rush win rate.

Pro Football Network said it: “Swinson has a lot to offer,” Brentley Weissman wrote as part of an extensive scouting report. “He has good size and length and is an outstanding athlete (but) lacks the strength and power of a true three-down edge defender. … Overall, Swinson profiles as a pass-rush specialist who needs development before he can be relied on in obvious run situations.”

Westendorf said it: Swinson was a fifth-year player at LSU, who played mostly as a standup outside linebacker. He is a proficient pass rusher and made plenty of big plays in his final season with the Tigers. He has the speed to win around the edge, but struggles due to his size to set the edge in the run game.

The Packers might ask him to add some weight if they selected him in one of the first three rounds, but he might be miscast as a defensive end in Green Bay’s even front.

Noteworthy: Swinson wore No. 4 at LSU. “Originally, number four was my rec ball number,” Swinson told the school Web site. “But my teammate at Oregon, Spencer Webb, passed away in a rock climbing accident. He wore number four. So when I saw that it opened up, that was just the first thing that popped into my head. And I just had to go ahead and get ‘4’ for him. I got a tattoo for him, as well.”

Swinson dedicated a three-sack game against South Carolina to his grandmother, Dawna Lynn David, who died a couple weeks earlier. “I feel like I was playing off the strength of my grandmother passing and her watching over me,” he said. “I really just put that game towards her, and all the credit goes to her and all my coaches.”

Louisville edge Ashton Gillotte

Measurables: 6-foot-2 5/8, 264 pounds. 31 7/8-inch arms. 4.65 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.74.

By the Numbers: Gillotte was a four-year producer for the Cardinals, finishing his career with 25.5 sacks, 39.5 tackles for losses and three forced fumbles. His biggest season came in 2023, when he had 11 sacks, 14.5 TFLs and all three forced fumbles to earn second-team All-American. In 2024, he had 4.5 sacks and 10 TFLs.

According to PFF, there were 100 FBS-level, draft-eligible edge defenders who played at least 239 pass-rushing snaps. Gillotte ranked ninth in pressures, 15th in pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hit and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and sixth in pass-rush win rate.

The Draft Network said it: “Gillotte is seemingly just scratching the surface of what he can be as a three-down lineman,” Ryan Fowler wrote in his report. “Considering his strength and movement skills to counter the run, along with his blend of speed and power on passing downs, he’s a potential high-impact defender who can impact a ballgame in a variety of ways.

Noteworthy: More than just a football player, he was a finalist for the William Campbell Trophy – aka the Academic Heisman.

An older brother, Devin, is an MMA fighter. Competitiveness was fostered in the family by Family Fun Days. “Even in wrestling,” Ashton told the Courier Journal. “There’s obviously a big age gap, but a lot of what I learned about football, and any of the sports I played, was from my brother. He was a big inspiration for me (with) that kind of sibling rivalry. Even when he went to college and I was in high school, it made me want to push to new heights.”

East Carolina CB Shavon Revel

Measurables: 6-foot-1 7/8, 194 pounds. 32 5/8-inch arms. DNP 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: After two years at Louisburg (N.C.) Junior College to get his grades in order, he spent three years at East Carolina. In 2022, he had one interception and 12 passes defensed. In 2024, he had two interceptions and four passes defensed in three games before a torn ACL. He allowed completion rates of 38.1 percent in 2024 and 45.2 percent in 2023. His career missed-tackle rate was just 5.6 percent.

Dane Brugler said it: Revel has “astute timing” and “budding playmaking skills” and is a “functional” tackler. “Overall, his durability will be questioned, understandably, but Revel is a boundary bully with terrific speed, length and ball-tracking skills. He has the talent of an NFL starter.”

Westendorf said it: Revel is coming off an ACL injury that he suffered in September, but he should be full-go by the start of training camp. A tall, athletic cornerback might give some flashbacks to when the Packers took Eric Stokes, but the skill-sets are different.

Revel has better ball skills than Stokes and is a willing run defender. Had it not been for the ACL injury, Revel likely goes in the first round. Now? It’s possible he falls into Day 2 where he could be a value pick for Green Bay.

Noteworthy: Revel had a predraft visit with the Packers. “Everybody wanted to know my story,” he said at the Combine. “So, it was kind of like they still trying to get to know me. I love the Packers. I mean, I love Jaire Alexander. He was a good cornerback that I look up to. Like, I like how he pressed at the line of scrimmage and stuff like that. I feel like I carry the same attributes that he carried.”

He turned down big-school, big-money NIL money to stay at ECU in 2024, only to suffer the torn ACL at practice.

“He is mentally tough but he’s also a tough football player,” Revel’s position coach at East Carolina, Jules Montinar, said on The Ship’s Log podcast in the spring. “He’s a hard worker. He shows up every day, goes 100 miles per hour, does what he’s supposed to do, takes care of his business in the classroom.

“Throughout my years of being a coach, you appreciate guys that (do) it the right way, Very humbling attitude and really has a special story. The guy spent two years at junior college and didn’t necessarily get the offers he wanted out of high school. So, he’s had to work to get to where he’s at here.”

Notre Dame CB Benjamin Morrison

Measurables: 6-foot 1/4, 193 pounds. 30 3/8-inch arms. No 40.

Relative Athletic Score: Not enough testing.

By the Numbers: Morrison was a Freshman All-American with six interceptions and 10 passes defensed in 2022. He added three interceptions and 13 passes defensed in 2023. In 2024, he missed the final 10 games with a hip injury that required surgery and prevented him from testing. He had zero interceptions and four passes defensed in six games. His career catch rate was 45.7 percent, which would have ranked 11th among draft-eligible corners in this class, but his career missed-tackle rate was 16.2 percent – 15.0 percent or worse all three seasons.

“I think my ball productivity jumps off the tape,” he said at the Combine. “Nine interceptions in two-and-a-half years I think is a pretty good stat line. I hope that jumps off the film when they turn me on.”

Daniel Jeremiah said it: Asked about the Dolphins at No. 48, Jeremiah said, “Morrison would never be there in a million years if he was healthy, but hurt his knee in October. So he’s not been healthy through the process, but the corner out of Notre Dame would be a heck of a value at that point in time.” Going deeper at NFL.com, Jeremiah said, “He excels in off coverage, with a fluid pedal and excellent awareness. He understands down-and-distance situations, settling and closing without wasting any movement.”

Westendorf said it: Morrison is tough and physical. He was one of the cornerstones of Notre Dame’s defense before a hip injury ruined his 2024 season. Morrison had a private workout on the Tuesday before the draft, which helped answer some questions about his health.

He may have been a first-round pick without the injury, but it’s to be determined as to where he’s going to fall. If he’s available in the second round, the Packers might be looking that direction if they did not add a cornerback on the first day.

Noteworthy: His father, Darryl Morrison, was a fifth-round draft pick by Washington in 1993 who started 28 games at safety in four NFL seasons.

“I would look at his helmet every single day,” Benjamin told Rivals. “His jerseys are hung up around the house. Seeing that it never seemed too far or too big of a dream for me. I always said, ‘If my dad could do it, I could do it.’”

Morrison is one of five children. All of them are Division I athletes, including older brother Sammy Morrison, who played football at Arizona. Morrison worked out with his dad from a young age.

“I used to get jealous of my friends and their parents, because their dads were so nice and so cool,” Morrison said. “My dad was always saying, ‘I’m not your friend. I’m here to push you.’”

Florida State CB Azarey’h Thomas

Measurables: 6-foot-1 1/2, 197 pounds. 32 3/8-inch arms. 4.58 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 8.17.

By the Numbers: Thomas started one game his first two seasons but got the call 12 times in 2024. He had one interception and five passes defensed. He broke up 10 passes off the bench in 2023. According to PFF, there were 110 FBS-level, draft-eligible cornerbacks who played 280 coverage snaps in 2024. He ranked 31st in completion percentage allowed (51.5) and 10th in passer rating (60.2) with zero touchdowns allowed. He was guilty of three penalties. His career missed-tackle rate was 13.4 percent.

PFF said it: “Thomas brings ideal length to the cornerback position with 85th-percentile arms. He uses those well and effectively at the line of scrimmage in press coverage with massive hands that can really knock receivers off their routes and out of their releases. His overall athleticism is good, but his foot quickness is his calling card. He can sometimes be late or slow with his footwork out of press, which forces him into recovery mode early, but he usually makes up for it. With his receiver background, he has a good feel for where the ball is when in flight, even with his back turned.”

Westendorf said it: Thomas is talented but appears to be someone who will excel in a scheme that plays a lot of man coverage. In zone coverage he can get a little lost. He is, however, a very young player, slated to be 21 before training camp starts this year, so his best football is likely ahead of him.

Despite being a man-coverage corner, his ball skills did not translate to being in position the way that he was. Similar to former Packers corner Davon House, he may get pass breakups but rarely came down with interceptions.

Noteworthy: Thomas’ older brother, Juanyeh Thomas, has played in 29 games with one start for the Cowboys the past two seasons after going undrafted out of Georgia Tech. “Really the same exact thing that got you here won’t keep you there. You have to change your habits, you have to enhance your habits, you have to approach every day like’s somebody’s trying to take your spot. You’re coming in as a rookie, as a 20-year-old. There’s guys with kids on the team that they’ve got to feed. So you’ve got to come in hungry, you’ve got to come in trying to take somebody’s spot.”

After football, he said he wants to be a sports broadcaster.

California CB Nohl Williams

Measurables: 6-foot 3/8, 199 pounds. 30 3/4-inch arms (31 1/4 at pro day). 4.50 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 7.13.

By the Numbers: Williams was a consensus All-American in 2024 when he led the nation with seven interceptions and added 15 passes defensed. Including his first three years at UNLV, Williams started 50 games in five seasons and snared 14 picks. According to PFF, there were 110 FBS-level, draft-eligible cornerbacks who played 280 coverage snaps in 2024. He ranked in completion percentage allowed () and seventh in passer rating (40.1) with three touchdowns allowed. He was guilty of three penalties. His career missed-tackle rate was 14.3 percent, with a career-best 5.7 percent in 2024 but 19.4 percent in 2023.

Daniel Jeremiah said it: “Nohl Williams, who has a ton of production, and I think is ready to play right away. You can watch the Auburn game with him. I think he had three picks in that game. Picked off Cam Ward. A pick-6 against Cam Ward in that game. Feisty, physical. Maybe a little quicker than fast.” Going deeper at NFL.com, Lance Zierlein concluded: “He’s eager from zone with instincts and ball skills to make plays on the throw. Williams’ inconsistency in run support could be a concern, but his size and ball production are hard to ignore.”

Westendorf said it: Of the cornerbacks not set to go in the first round, Williams has created a lot of buzz. His ball production is what stands out the most. He had 25 pass breakups and picked off 14 passes during his college career.

The question about Williams is less so about what happens on the field but rather whether he’s a proficient enough athlete to hack it at the NFL level.

Noteworthy: Williams is more than a football player. “I’m writing a thesis on therapy in juvenile detention centers,” Williams told The Daily Cal. “Over the last few summers, I went to some juvenile centers and talked to the kids. Down the road, (I’ll) probably be in that type of field working with those types of kids.”

Williams’ dad played at Oregon and an older brother played at Wyoming. He didn’t only learn football from his dad, though. Andre Williams spent more than three decades working in juvenile detention centers. “Nohl would always know and hear stories,” his mom said. “My husband would come home (after) working with the boys on probation, and he would always tell my boys, ‘You know, you guys have to understand this is a humble home that we have. We’re in mental health services.’ My husband actually made sure ‘I’m gonna bring the boys to my job.’”

Iowa State CB Darien Porter

Measurables: 6-foot-2 7/8, 195 pounds. 33 1/8-inch arms. 4.30 40.

Relative Athletic Score: 9.99.

By the Numbers: Porter barely played at receiver in 2019, 2020 and 2021 and barely played at cornerback in 2022 and 2023. Finally, in 2024, he started seven of 12 games and played 425 snaps (203 coverage). He had three interceptions and five passes defensed. According to PFF, he gave up five completions in 17 targets, meaning he broke up as many passes as he allowed catches. The 29.4 percent catch rate and 4.7 passer rating would have been No. 1 among draft-eligible cornerbacks had he played enough snaps.

“I think, obviously, I had great success this past season, but still think that there’s a lot left,” he said at the Combine. “And, really, I’m just scratching the surface. My best football is still ahead of me.

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said it: With “elite” size and speed and lineman-caliber length but limited experience, “Porter’s rep total is heavy on zone coverages but he has the athleticism, burst and speed to handle more man coverage. He has excellent zone awareness with the twitch and ball skills to expand his sphere of influence.”

Westendorf said it: Porter is a moldable ball of clay that has not spent much time at cornerback. He is, however, incredibly athletic, and the Packers clearly value athleticism, especially at premium positions like corner.

Porter will require some work and he is a risk, but he could be someone with high upside if the coaching staff were able to develop him appropriately.

Noteworthy: The native of Bettendorf, Iowa, arrived with big goals. “At the time, I wanted to be their next great receiver, you know, with the likes of Allen Lazard and Hakeem Butler,” Porter told KWQC-TV. Cyclones coach Matt Campbell had to figure out a way to get the tall, fast athlete on the field. Thus, a midcareer position change.

“Coach Campbell met with me because of my athleticism. We had lost some guys in the secondary to the transfer portal,” Porter told WQAD-TV. “He said stick with it for the spring and see how you like it … and here we are today.”

Porter played in a school-record 64 games in six seasons. “Most selfless, most incredible human on our football team,” Campbell said. “He does all the hard things really, really well. It’s what makes him really special, and I think Darien is going to have a really bright future.”