![\"Arkansas](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/01kp4ma4twgfvwpvks8b.jpg\" "\\"Arkansas")
<\/p>\nThe NFL Draft is 10 days away. After weeks that turn into months of speculation, soon we will all be able to discuss who teams actually picked as opposed to who teams could pick.<\/p>\n
Of course, the Green Bay Packers\u2019 situation has changed since the last time we did a simulation. They traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for two draft choices, including a fifth-round pick in this year\u2019s class.<\/p>\n
That gives the Packers eight picks, which could mean more at-bats for Brian Gutekunst to find contributors. It could mean more ammo to move around the board in trade scenarios.<\/p>\n
That remains to be seen.<\/p>\n
Selections were made using the PFSN Mock Draft Simulator.<\/p>\n
First Round: Traded<\/p>\n
This pick was traded for defensive end Micah Parsons.<\/p>\n
Second Round, Pick 52: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama<\/p>\n
With the trade of Wicks, the Packers appear to be firmly entrenched in the receiver market in this year\u2019s draft class. They\u2019ve hosted Ted Hurst of Georgia State and Chris Brazzell of Tennessee on 30 visits. Both players are expected to be picked in the first three rounds.<\/p>\n
Bernard is another receiver who fits the Packers\u2019 mold. He has size, speed and high-level production at the collegiate level. He also has leadership experience, as his teammates at Alabama referred to him as \u201cUncle Germ.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bernard ascended from a role player into a star for the Crimson Tide, leading the team in receptions as a junior and a senior. In 2025, he caught 64 passes for 862 yards and seven touchdowns.<\/p>\n
With the pending attrition at receiver coming for Green Bay \u2013 Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Skyy Moore are scheduled to be free agents at the end of the upcoming season \u2013 it likely would be happy to trade a one-year, expiring deal for someone like Bernard, who will have a cost-controlled, four-year contract.<\/p>\n
If nothing else, a pick early in the draft at receiver would help ensure the weaponry surrounding Jordan Love remains fully stocked. He\u2019d also add to the perimeter blocking.<\/p>\n
\u201cI started off as an offensive lineman, so I kind of had that aggression, and then I played defense a lot too,\u201d Bernard said at the Scouting Combine. \u201cI’ve always had that aggression, and I just translated that into blocking and running the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n
Third Round, Pick 84: Julian Neal, CB, Arkansas<\/p>\n
You might have heard by this point that the Packers need some help in the cornerback room. It\u2019s true. Despite the addition of Benjamin St-Juste in free agency, the Packers need some more bodies to help complete in a secondary that went up in smoke by the end of the season.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Arkansas defensive back Julian Neal competes in the broad jump at the Scouting Combine. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
At the bare minimum, Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine will be playing on expiring contracts. Even if Julian Neal doesn\u2019t start in 2026, he\u2019d be in line to play as a second-year player.<\/p>\n
The Packers need size on the boundary, and Neal can provide that at 6-foot-1 and 204 pounds. He played four years at Fresno State before transferring to Arkansas for his final season. He finished the season with two interceptions, 12 pass breakups and two tackles for losses. The two interceptions would have doubled the leader in Green Bay\u2019s cornerback room from a season ago.<\/p>\n
Neal\u2019s age and experience in college could allow him to contribute early for Jonathan Gannon\u2019s defense.<\/p>\n
Fourth Round, Pick 120: Austin Barber, OL, Florida<\/p>\n
An offensive lineman with some positional versatility? That sounds like a Green Bay Packers blocker, doesn\u2019t it? Barber started 38 games in the SEC at left tackle, which has NFL teams intrigued more by the day, according to NFL Draft on SI\u2019s Justin Melo<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI have tons of experience with playing in big-time games. That\u2019s priceless,\u201d Barber told Melo. \u201cI\u2019ve played a lot of football in the SEC. I\u2019ve seen pretty much everything there is to see. That experience is going to help me a ton.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are probably some prospects in this class who aren\u2019t as prepared as I am. I went up against elite level competition every single week. I think that\u2019s important because, obviously, you\u2019re going to see the best of the best in the NFL.\u201d<\/p>\n Big games are the ones the Packers struggled in, notably on the offensive line a season ago. Their loss in the playoffs against Chicago turned almost exclusively as the offensive line morphed into a turnstile. The Packers have insisted by their actions that they think they have the right players on the roster, but there are some questions at swing tackle.<\/p>\n If new left tackle Jordan Morgan were to go down, the next man up would be Darian Kinnard, shifting Zach Tom from right tackle to left tackle or Anthony Belton from right guard to left tackle. None of those are great options. That could make Barber a potential target in the middle rounds for Green Bay.<\/p>\n Fifth Round, Pick 153: Jaishawn Barham, Edge, Michigan<\/p>\n This is the pick the Packers received from the Eagles in the trade for Wicks. In this case, they take a swing on some potential upside at pass rusher.<\/p>\n Barham was a linebacker early in his college career at Maryland before transferring to Michigan before the 2024 season to play for Don \u201cWink\u201d Martindale. Martindale started experimenting with Barham playing on the edge, and that could be where his home is at the next level.<\/p>\n Barham, who plays with an intensity and violence that has been missing from Green Bay\u2019s defense, had four sacks and one forced fumble in 2025.<\/p>\n The question about Barham would be whether he\u2019s big enough to hold up on the edge in the NFL. He weighed in at 240 pounds at the Scouting Combine before bulking up to 251 at his pro day.<\/p>\n Would the Packers add a player like Barham when they have a similar player, Collin Oliver, already on the roster?<\/p>\n Haason Reddick was an undersized rusher who enjoyed the best season of his career under Jonathan Gannon. Perhaps he sees enough in Barham\u2019s game to try and re-create some of the magic he had with Reddick in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n Fifth Round, Pick 160: Kaelon Black, RB, Indiana<\/p>\n The Packers had running back Kaelon Black in on a 30 visit. The Packers have had three running backs in on visits from what is known so far, and Black seems to fit the best in terms of where he could be taken and what the Packers typically like at the position.<\/p>\n Indiana Hoosiers running back Kaelon Black falls forward during the national championship game against Miami. | Grace Hollars\/IndyStar \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n Mike Washington, for example, is likely someone the Packers would have to take with their second- or third-round pick. With needs around the rest of the roster, that may be too rich to pick a running back, even if they have done it before.<\/p>\n Black weighed in at 211 pounds on his 5-foot-9 frame, and is a tough runner in a similar vein to Josh Jacobs.<\/p>\n \u201cHe runs extremely hard, I felt every hit,\u201d Maryland\u2019s Jalen Huskey told The Athletic\u2019s Dane Brugler.<\/p>\n Black has some things working against him as a six-year college player, but he\u2019s only carried the ball more than 100 times twice: once with James Madison in 2023 and last year en route to a national championship with the Hoosiers.<\/p>\n Sixth Round, Pick 201: Will Kacmarek, TE, Ohio State<\/p>\n Tucker Kraft is going to be the team\u2019s tight end for the foreseeable future. That much seems certain. Behind him? Who knows.<\/p>\n Luke Musgrave and Josh Whyle are entering contract years, and neither player is a slam dunk to be with the team in 2027. Enter Will Kacmarek.<\/p>\n Ohio State Buckeyes tight end Will Kacmarek catches a ball during pro day last month. | Adam Cairns\/Columbus Dispatch \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n Kacmarek is a player who fits the bill as a player who is a willing blocker who can help elevate a run game. He never became much of a threat in the passing game at Ohio State but will earn his money with his blocking ability.<\/p>\n \u201cKacmarek developed his physical mentality while playing lacrosse, and it directly translates to his blocking,\u201d Brugler wrote. \u201cHe balances proper technique with creating violent collisions and looking to punish opponents using his competitive edge.\u201d<\/p>\n As a receiver, he caught 23-of-27 targets the last two seasons with zero drops.<\/p>\n Seventh Round, Pick 236: Preston Hodge, DB, Colorado<\/p>\n One more defensive back to help round out the back end of a room that Brian Gutekunst said he needed to improve the depth on before next season began.<\/p>\n He\u2019s right. As great of a story as Bo Melton changing positions was, he never entered a regular-season game on defense, which makes you wonder how serious they were about ever putting him in the spot had they needed to.<\/p>\n Hodge played cornerback at Colorado; Brugler\u2019s draft guide lists him as a safety while ESPN\u2019s Matt Miller has him at corner. Positional versatility and a potential role on special teams are all things that can help a late-round player make a run at a roster spot.<\/p>\n Seventh Round, Pick 255: Zxavian Harris, DT, Ole Miss<\/p>\n With the last pick, the Packers fill what is perhaps their biggest need. Zxavian Harris certainly fits the mold for the Packers needing a big body. He weighs 330 pounds, which bodes well for the Packers, who need another big body in the middle of the defensive line.<\/p>\n The potential issue? Harris is the same height as a small forward in the NBA, standing at a towering 6-foot-8.<\/p>\n One of the most basic principles in the trenches is that the low man usually wins in a battle for the yard on either side of the line of scrimmage.<\/p>\n Can a man as tall as Harris get that low to the ground when he is so tall? That\u2019s a question worth looking into with a pick this late in the draft and the Packers having not addressed defensive tackle to this point.<\/p>\n What I Liked<\/p>\n Rounds 3 through 5 were really the best part of this simulation for the Packers. Neal fits Green Bay perfectly from a schematic standpoint and would have an opportunity to start right away.<\/p>\n Barber is a Packers-style prospect through and through on the offensive line and would add competition at both guard spots and potentially right tackle, as well. The Packers liked Black enough to bring him on a predraft visit. With an extra pick in the fifth round, Barham would be a worthwhile swing as a pass rusher.<\/p>\n Bernard would give the Packers some leverage in contract negotiations with Christian Watson and Jayden Reed. He also would help insulate the room in the event that Watson and Reed both are allowed to walk in free agency should they become too pricey.<\/p>\n What I Didn\u2019t Like<\/p>\n Gutekunst better be ready to go shopping in free agency if the draft plays out this way for his defensive line.<\/p>\n In a world where the Packers were not looking to be serious Super Bowl contenders, they likely could make the gamble that Nazir Stackhouse and Jonathan Ford would be able to man the middle of their defensive line.<\/p>\n The Packers, however, are playing for everything, and not addressing nose tackle until the seventh round is something they can ill afford.<\/p>\n Barber is an interesting prospect, but there are questions as to whether he\u2019d be able to transition to center at the next level. That makes Sean Rhyan the starting center with Jacob Monk as the likely backup going into camp. The Packers could probably use more competition at that spot than what this draft class was able to provide.<\/p>\n This is a small nitpick, but all of the high-upside options at quarterback were not available in spots that made sense, therefore we weren\u2019t able to add competition to Desmond Ridder and Kyle McCord.<\/p>\n Finally, no competition being added at linebacker, unless you include the positional versatility of Barham, is something that could put the Packers in a compromising position if Zaire Franklin or Edgerrin Cooper has to miss any time with injuries.<\/p>\n SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY PACKERS NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n Packers Predraft Visits<\/p>\n Cornerbacks: Safety turned corner<\/a> | \u201cBlanket\u201d cornerback<\/a> | Prove-it cornerback<\/a> | 99th percentile cornerback<\/a> | From done to drafted?<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n Other positions:Mr. Give Me That<\/a> | Second-round receiver<\/a> | Big-time pass rusher with big voice<\/a> | Backup offensive lineman<\/a> | Multifaceted running back<\/a> | Most athletic D-lineman<\/a> | Will he be first pick?<\/a> | Receiver to linebacker<\/a> | Championship running back<\/a> | All-American defensive tackle<\/a> | Big-play receiver<\/a> | Tough-as-nails QB<\/a> | A top running back<\/a> | Rising Big Ten blocker<\/a> | Walk-on safety to NFL<\/a> | Round 3 pass rusher<\/a> | Hard-hitting linebacker<\/a> | Round 3 receiver<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The NFL Draft is 10 days away. After weeks that turn into months of speculation, soon we will…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":865863,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2072],"tags":[7,41,345,2514,2513,6,428],"class_list":{"0":"post-865862","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-green-bay-packers","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-green-bay","10":"tag-green-bay-packers","11":"tag-greenbay","12":"tag-greenbaypackers","13":"tag-nfl","14":"tag-packers"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116400301351126728","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/865862","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=865862"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/865862\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/865863"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=865862"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=865862"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=865862"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Indiana](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/01kp4mcvn82xwh2yfpqm.jpg\" "\\"Indiana")
<\/p>\n![\"Ohio](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/01kp4mj98g4a3g0nm37r.jpg\" "\\"Ohio")
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