Draft Talk 9.0: Our one and only mock draft and the Aaron Rodgers trade

In the final episode of Draft Talk before the 2023 NFL Draft actually kicks off, Acme Packing Company’s Tyler Brooke and Justis Mosqueda break down the trade of Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets and give you a mock draft to head into draftmas with. The mock draft was made using Pro Football Focus’ mock draft simulator, so you can leave them a message if you think a player wouldn’t be available at one of the selections that we made.

A full breakdown of the draft choices we made can be found below. As a reminder, we encourage you to add questions to our Q&A session this week. Brooke and Mosqueda will be answering your questions on Thursday, April 27th at 7 PM ET, just one hour before the 2023 NFL Draft begins. APC will also be hosting a draft stream on Thursday, where you’ll be able to join our crew as picks start to roll in. On Day 2 and Day 3 of the draft, we’ll also be hosting Twitter Spaces while the Packers are on the clock to give you live reactions to the selections that the team has made. As always, we’ll be recording daily podcast episodes on the draft throughout the event.

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Timestamps

• 0:00: Aaron Rodgers is finally a Jets
• 6:45: Mock draft

Previous Episodes:

• Grading the safety class
• Grading the tight end class
• Grading the defensive line class
• Grading the receiver class
• Grading the edge rushers class
• Draft rumors and our favorite players
• Breaking down the Packers’ pre-draft visits

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#13) Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

We’ve made the case that Green Bay accepting a pick swap of the 13th and 15th overall picks, rather than an extra mid-round selection, is an indication that the Packers are looking to get into the tackle market — which is expected to take off around this range of the draft. Wright not only took a visit with Green Bay, but also drew general manager Brian Gutekunst to take a trip to Tennessee for the team’s pro day. He’s also the only top tackle who fits all of the historical preferences that the Packers have looked at with their Day 1 and Day 2 selections on the offensive line over the last decade and a half. With left tackle David Bakhtiari likely to be traded over the next calendar year due to his 2024 cap hit and right tackle Yosh Nijman only on a one-year deal, this gives Green Bay an opportunity to lockdown their bookend situation a year ahead of time.

Packers trade #42 and #78 to the New York Giants for #25 and #128.

#25) Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

Once Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer and Utah’s Dalton Kincaid went off the board, we made the decision to trade up for Darnell Washington, who both Brooke and Mosqueda believe is the best tight end prospect in the draft. The inline tight end would be a great every-down replacement in the Marcedes Lewis role and flashed pass-catching upside when given the opportunity. Washington also was brought in on a visit to Green Bay.

#45) Jonathan Mingo, WR, Ole Miss

If the Packers want to draft a receiver who is going to break the three-man rotation as a rookie, they’re probably going to have to take one in the second round. That was our pitch for drafting Jonathan Mingo ahead of some of the edge rushers that Green Bay has reportedly been interested in. Mingo brings in rare size and speed at the position, two things that we know head coach Matt LaFleur values at receiver.

#116) Jaquelin Roy, DL, LSU

With the defensive line board thinning out, it was time to make a decision on if the Packers were going to get a contributor in this draft class or not. Jaquelin Roy can be a solid 3-4 defensive end, despite his poor combine performance. He is more athletic on tape than he showed during the pre-draft process and has very active hands that should help him see the field early on. Hopefully, he can be that third defensive lineman and second 3-4 defensive end opposite of Devonte Wyatt for the duration of his rookie contract. He was also brought in on a visit by Green Bay.

#128) Christopher Smith, SAF, Georgia

Value finally matched up with the need at safety here. Christopher Smith, like Roy, didn’t have the most impressive combine but is a better football player than his measurable show. Smith has a chance to push Rudy Ford for playing time in 2023 and should be expected to develop into a long-term starter at the position.

#149) D.J. Johnson, EDGE, Oregon

General manager Brian Gutekunst mentioned on Monday that edge rusher is a position that is abnormally deep in the 2023 draft class. There’s no better example of that than D.J. Johnson, who is 260 pounds and ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash time, being available with the 149th overall pick here. Johnson has only played on the defensive side of the ball full-time for a short period of time, as he was also used as a tight end for Oregon, which hopefully means there’s some untapped potential there.

#207) Jake Moody, K, Michigan

With inexperienced kicker Parker White being the only rostered player at the position on the Packers’ squad, as it stands currently, we made the decision to draft the best kicker available in Jake Moody. At the very least, it’s a player who is guaranteed a roster spot in the sixth round. We’ll call that a win.

#232) Chris Rodriguez Jr., RB, Kentucky

Brooke pitched Chris Rodriguez Jr. as a potential AJ Dillion replacement. Dillon is going into the final year of his rookie deal and the Packers have struggled to find a third running back since Jamaal Williams left in free agency a few seasons ago.

#235) Jake Witt, OT, Northern Michigan

Jake Witt is a former basketball player who only recently focused on football. Only even more recently has he been moved to the offensive line, as he was a mid-2021 convert to the position. Athletically, he’s one of the more gifted players in this class.

#242) Puka Nacua, WR, BYU

Puka Nacua is something like the player that Amari Rodgers was supposed to be. Nacua is an auxiliary player who gets the ball in his hands in multiple ways and has a chance to contribute as a punt returner, a position the Packers haven’t really filled this off-season.

#256) Tyson Bagent, QB, Shepherd

I’d be lying to you if I told you I’ve seen any of Tyson Bagent’s film, but we were tired of picking Georgia’s Stetson Bennett to be Green Bay’s QB2 this upcoming season. Bagent’s father is a multiple-time world champion arm wrestler, which is a fun story.

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