Latest Mock Drafts With 10 Days Until NFL Draft: Kiper-Yates 3-Rounder

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GREEN BAY, Wis. – With Mel Kiper and Field Yates playing the role of Brian Gutekunst, they selected Iowa defensive back Cooper DeJean in the first round of their three-round mock draft at ESPN.

Kiper was in charge of the odd-numbered picks so made the call on DeJean.

“Some teams see him as a safety, but I think he can be a No. 1 corner,” Kiper wrote.

DeJean played cornerback at Iowa. He had five interceptions in 2022 – three of which were returned for touchdowns – and grabbed two more picks in 2023. The Packers need to bolster their ranks at cornerback, a position steeped in uncertainty, and at safety, which has no obvious starter alongside Xavier McKinney.

DeJean is a superior blend of size (6-foot 1/2), athleticism (4.46 in the 40, 9.85 Relative Athletic Score) and production. He won the Big Ten’s top honors at defensive back and kick returner in 2023.

Kiper and Yates handled most of the team’s key needs with the four Day 2 selections.

At No. 41 of the second round, Kiper picked Houston’s Patrick Paul. Paul was a three-year starter at left tackle who “might be a first-rounder in most other drafts.” Of 100 FBS-level offensive tackles in this draft with at least 640 snaps in 2023, he ranked fourth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, a metric that measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap.

At No. 58 of the second round, Yates grabbed NC State linebacker Payton Wilson. By production and talent, he’s the best linebacker in the draft. He won the Butkus Award as the nation’s top linebacker in 2023, when he stuffed the stat sheet with 138 tackles, six sacks, 17.5 tackles for losses, three interceptions and nine passes defensed. At the Combine, he ran his 40 in 4.43 seconds. A long injury history, however, could push him well into Day 2.

If DeJean is going to play corner, who is going to play safety alongside McKinney? At No. 88 of the third round, Yates went with USC’s Calen Bullock. At 6-foot-2 and with 4.48 speed, “Bullock has endless range and would pair with Xavier McKinney to form a new-look, turnover-forcing safety duo in Green Bay.” He had nine interceptions in three seasons.

Three picks later at No. 91, Kiper selected Washington edge defender Brennan Jackson to add depth behind Rashan Gary, Preston Smith and Lukas Van Ness in the defensive end room. At 6-foot-4 and 264 pounds, he had 8.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for losses in 2023.

“I wanted to find a spot for Jackson at the end of Round 3,” Kiper said, “because I think everyone else is underrating him. He’s a crafty pass-rusher. I really like the draft we’ve built for Green Bay.”

PFF (2 Rounds): Clemson CB Nate Wiggins

Sam Monson’s two-round mock started with Clemson cornerback Nate Wiggins.

Wiggins is a big-time player and prospect. He’s got size (6-foot-1 3/8), speed (4.28 in the 40) and production (three interceptions and 25 passes defensed his final two seasons).

“He got better every year in college and allowed a 44.4 passer rating when targeted last season, giving up just 176 yards all year,” Monson wrote.

At No. 41, Monson crossed off the other need in the secondary by selecting Georgia safety Javon Bullard. Bullard isn’t the prototypical box safety to play with McKinney. Rather, he has extensive backgrounds at safety and in the slot. But, despite being 5-foot-10 1/2 and 198 pounds, he’s an aggressive tackler to go with his coverage skills.

“He’s like a little stick of dynamite,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “He’s physical and he’s passionate about playing the game.”

Bullard was the second safety off the board, after Minnesota’s Tyler Nubin but before Washington State’s Jaden Hicks.

At No. 58, the pick was Kansas State guard Cooper Beebe. He fits the versatile mold, having been the primary starter at right tackle in 2020, left tackle in 2021 and left guard the last two years. He was a consensus first-team All-American in 2023, when he allowed two sacks. That’s two more sacks than he gave up in 2021 and 2022.

“Beebe, a prototypical guard who played all over the line at Kansas State, provides Green Bay with an immediate starter,” Monson wrote.

USA Today: Duke OL Graham Barton

In his latest for USA Today, Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz selected Barton at No. 25. Barton was a three-year starting left tackle. Due to shorter-than-desire arms, he’s likely destined to play center or guard, but he’s a big-time athlete for the position with four years of quality play on tape.

“Versatility and stability are Barton’s calling cards after a career in which he flipped from center to starting left tackle,” he explained. “Now, however, he looks set to slide back to the interior, and the Packers should be drawn to him as they seek additional reinforcements up front.”

In this mock, DeJean went to the Detroit Lions at No. 29.