The Green Bay Packers have invested significant resources in the NFL Draft, adding homegrown talent around quarterback Jordan Love and the offense in recent years, and general manager Brian Gutekunst might be primed to double-down on the same strategy on defense.
A year removed from selecting offensive lineman Jordan Morgan in the first round of the NFL Draft, Gutekunst and the Packers could be targeting a difference-maker on defense this month.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. released his latest mock draft, projecting the Packers to add standout University of Georgia linebacker Mykel Williams with the No. 23 overall pick.
“The Packers had 45 sacks last season (tied for eighth), but that’s a little misleading,” Kiper writes for ESPN. “They were really good at converting pressure into sacks, but they got pressure only 29.8% of the time (22nd). Williams was hindered by an ankle injury in 2024, which kept him to five sacks over 12 games. But he has the explosive traits to be an extremely effective edge rusher. Other spots of interest would be receiver and cornerback, so expect Green Bay to take a look at guys like Emeka Egbuka or Kentucky corner Maxwell Hairston, too.”
Williams, 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds is a dynamic playmaker who produced five sacks and 21 total tackles for the Bulldogs last season and could be an instant infusion of athleticism along the Packers’ front seven.
Mykel Williams NFL Draft Scouting Report
The Philadelphia Eagles drew up the blueprint for winning the Super Bowl, especially by sacking Patrick Mahomes six times in a 40-22 blowout win in Super Bowl LIX. Williams could be a small step towards the Packers building a defense capable of being similarly dominantly disruptive.
Pro Football Focus points out that in addition to Williams’ pass rush prowess, the 265-pound linebacker also logged an impressive 82.9 run-defense grade.
“An upside prospect with loads of traits,” NFL Media’s Chad Reuter writes of Wiliams. “Simply needs more snaps and more time to fill out his frame. He is an explosive athlete who uses his exceptional length to keep tackles and tight ends at the end of his punch. He plays a little too tall at the point and needs to get stronger to shed blocks more quickly, but he plays with good physicality in the trenches and is never pushed around.”
Across three seasons in Athens, Williams logged 10 sacks and 65 total tackles with three forced fumbles, and could be an ideal fit for Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s scheme while filling a pressing need.
