The Green Bay Packers began Jordan Reid’s 7-round mock draft for ESPN with one of the most athletic edge rushers to ever compete at the NFL Scouting Combine and also made two picks at wide receiver and three along the offensive line.
At No. 23 overall in the first round, Reid sent Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart — who produced a perfect 10.0 Relative Athletic Score — to the Packers.
He has been connected with the Packers throughout the pre-draft process, not only because he plays edge rusher — a premium position and one of need in Green Bay — but also due to his incredible combination of traits, athleticism, age and experience at a top program.
From Reid: “At 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds, Stewart has some awesome athletic traits. That became clear after a dominant combine in which he ran a 4.59 40 and leaped 40 inches in the vertical and 10 feet, 11 inches in the broad jump.
But Stewart’s college production didn’t match the measurables — he never exceeded 1.5 sacks in a season.
The Packers haven’t shied away from taking chances on toolsy edge rushers recently. Stewart fits that mold and would give Green Bay a much-needed edge presence.”
While Stewart lacked top production, his potential as a pro is that of a top 10 player in the class, so the Packers could gamble on the upside if he’s still available at No. 23 overall. Getting an elite player at a premium position in the second half of the first round would be a huge score, although the risk — given Stewart’s production numbers and need for development at the next level — is clear.
The idea in Green Bay would be to develop Stewart behind Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness and ensure the Packers have a stable of big, highly athletic edge rushers for Jeff Hafley’s defensive front.
After Stewart, Reid gave the Packers two wide receivers — Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor in the second round and Florida’s Chimere Dike in the fifth round — and three offensive linemen, including versatile Texas Tech blocker Caleb Rogers in the fourth round.
The lone pick at cornerback was Kansas State’s Jacob Parrish, who is 5-9 and might be too small for Green Bay at the position.
Reid sees Ayomanor as a receiver who can make tough catches and block but also must fix drop issues, which plagued the Packers passing game in 2024.
From Reid: “Ayomanor is similar to recent Day 2 receiver picks the Packers have made, like Christian Watson. Ayomanor had 35 contested catches over the past two seasons, fourth most in the FBS. Drops are an occasional issue (15 since 2023), but he’s a competitive perimeter blocker.”
Here is the full class of picks for the Packers from Reid:
- 1.23: DE Shemar Stewart, Texas A&M
- 2.54: WR Elic Ayomanor, Stanford
- 3.87: CB Jacob Parrish, Kansas State
- 4.124: OL Caleb Rogers, Texas Tech
- 5.159: WR Chimere Dike, Florida
- 6.198: OL Esa Pole, Washington State
- 7.237: DE Tyler Batty, BYU
- 7.250: C Jonah Monheim, USC
Breakdown: The Packers addressed major needs at edge rusher, wide receiver and cornerback while also adding considering depth along the offensive line — all boxes Brian Gutekunst will be expected to check this week.
However, the lone pick at cornerback is a question mark, and the Packers didn’t get a true defensive tackle from a great class at the position.
While Stewart has huge upside, he might need time before he’s a consistently disruptive player at the NFL level. Ayomanor is talented but also hugely frustrating as a pass-catcher, and he’ll need time to adjust and develop, too.
Save for Parrish, who is probably shorter than the Packers would prefer at corner, the first six picks are Packers types. And it won’t be at all surprising if the Packers pick some combination of defensive lineman, wide receiver and cornerback in the first three rounds.
