In a three-round mock draft for The 33rd Team, the Green Bay Packers started with Ohio State’s injured left tackle, Josh Simmons.
Darien Porter stands for a photo during Iowa State Football media day. / Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK
GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl on the strength of their work in the trenches and the cornerbacks they selected in the first and second round of the draft.
In a new three-round mock draft for The 33rd Team, the Green Bay Packers drafted an offensive tackle, a cornerback and a defensive tackle.
The offensive tackle was Ohio State’s Josh Simmons, who went from a so-so right tackle at San Diego State to a sure-fire first-round pick in two years as Ohio State’s left tackle.
Well, it was more like one-plus year. Simmons suffered a torn ACL in October and missed the Buckeyes’ run to the national championship. He could be on the field for the start of training camp.
“Despite recovering from a torn ACL, Josh Simmons could be the top left tackle in this class,” Ian Valentino wrote in his mock. “His blend of power and quickness is apparent in run and pass blocking, making him a great fit for Matt LaFleur’s system.”
According to Pro Football Focus, Simmons allowed one sack and 15 total pressures with eight penalties in 2023, when there were growing pains in terms of the position change and the jump in competition. He was a brick wall in 2024, though, with zero sacks, one pressure allowed and one penalty in six games.
“Physically, obviously, you got to be ready, but I think mentally, that’s where you’ve got to start tightening up a little bit because then you start playing in those Notre Dame games, those Penn State games, and then you realize a penalty like that can literally destroy the whole game,” Simmons said via Buckeye Huddle. “And once you kind of look at that lens, you know those are no-noes. It can’t happen.”
The Packers have a quality tandem with left tackle Rasheed Walker and right tackle Zach Tom, both of whom are entering their final season under contract. Their one hole is at center, with Josh Myers headed to free agency.
If Myers signs elsewhere, the Packers could move Tom – who finished third in All-Pro voting – to center.
“When we drafted him, we also thought he could be a very, very good center if we needed him to be,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said of Tom at the end of the season.
The second-round pick was Iowa State cornerback Darien Porter. Porter would provide much-needed size to Green Bay’s undersized cornerback group at 6-foot-2 3/8.
Porter is quite a story. He was a three-star recruit as a receiver, which is where he spent his first three seasons. Most of his action in his 28 games came on special teams. In 2022, he moved to defense. In 2024, he became a part-time starter. He intercepted three passes and finished with five passes defensed.
“I obviously use that length and my speed to my advantage,” Porter told The Draft Network’s Justin Melo before the Senior Bowl. “I have a lot of abilities that very few corners are built with. I use my length to make wide receivers uncomfortable. I make life difficult for them at the line of scrimmage and throughout the route. I try to be as physical as possible by using all of my natural gifts to my advantage.”
PFF charged him with five completions in 17 targets – a completion rate of just 29.4 percent – in 202 coverage snaps. Plus, he blocked a field goal and a punt; it was the fourth blocked punt of his career.
The obvious question? “Why did it take him until his sixth season in college for him to see steady snaps?” wrote The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who ranked him the No. 99 prospect of the class.
His size, speed and ball skills are obvious positives. He is at his best in zone coverage, which the Packers rely on with defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
The negatives?
“Will be 25 years old before the end of his rookie season in 2025 with just three years of cornerback experience — creating a challenging developmental curve vs. physical peak dynamic,” wrote The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabbs as part of his scouting report.
In the third-round, the choice was Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner. Turner had a superb six sacks and 11 tackles for losses in 2023 but slipped back to two sacks and six tackles for losses in 2024.
“There are baseline traits present to be a dangerous pass rusher, but he’s more proficient and ready to contribute on early downs to help control the point of attack against the run,” reads a snippet of his 33rd Team scouting report.
Stewart was selected for the Senior Bowl, where he measured 6-foot-3 and 289 pounds, but withdrew due to a stress fracture from training camp. He should be ready for the Scouting Combine and pro day, though.
Stewart put on about 30 pounds for his final season by what he called the “Chipotle diet.” What’s that? Six chicken tacos, with green chili salsa, rice and beans.
