The Green Bay Packers traded up for a receiver and landed potential immediate starters at tight end and safety in a new two-round mock draft conducted by site editors within the NFL Wire network.
While serving as the Packers during the exercise, we sent a fourth-round pick to the Houston Texans to move up to No. 12 and take Ohio State receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, used a second-round pick (No. 42) from the New York Jets in an assumed Aaron Rodgers trade to select Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, and then finished up by ending the slide of Alabama safety/defensive back Brian Branch at No. 45.
No. 12 (from HOU): WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
No. 42 (from NYJ): TE Darnell Washington, Georgia
No. 45: DB Brian Branch, Alabama
The end result: the Packers got a difference-making pass-catcher for Jordan Love, a perfect replacement at tight end for Marcedes Lewis and a starting-caliber defensive back with three picks in the top 50.
Smith-Njigba is the best receiver in the draft class and a perfect complement to Christian Watson. Washington is an elite athlete with NFL-ready size and blocking chops, making him an ideal inline tight end. Branch, who many see as a first-rounder, played mostly in the slot but could transition to the backend for the Packers, who desperately need safety help.
Trading up for a receiver might be a luxury the Packers can’t afford, but a fourth-rounder was worth spending to get a top talent.
Washington has immense potential as a dual-threat weapon if he can grow as a pass-catcher.
Could Branch slide to 45? He didn’t run well at the combine and has precious little experience as a deep safety, complicating the evaluation. In this exercise, the Packers actually had the choice between Branch and Clemson defensive lineman Bryan Bresee.
This is probably an unlikely sequence of events for the Packers, but landing three of the top players at their respective positions – all big needs for Green Bay – would be quite the start to the 2023 draft for general manager Brian Gutekunst.
