![\"Darien](\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,w_8640,h_4860,x_0,y_461\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/ImagnImages\/mmsport\/packer_central\/01jm35mnrv96zf2tg8n6.jpg\")
<\/p>\nIn a three-round mock draft for The 33rd Team, the Green Bay Packers started with Ohio State\u2019s injured left tackle, Josh Simmons.<\/p>\n
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Darien Porter stands for a photo during Iowa State Football media day. \/ Zach Boyden-Holmes\/The Register \/ USA TODAY NETWORK<\/em><\/p>\n GREEN BAY, Wis. \u2013 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The offensive tackle was Ohio State\u2019s 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\u2019s left tackle.<\/p>\n Well, it was more like one-plus year. Simmons suffered a torn ACL in October and missed the Buckeyes\u2019 run to the national championship. He could be on the field for the start of training camp.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite recovering from a torn ACL, Josh Simmons could be the top left tackle in this class,\u201d Ian Valentino wrote in his mock. \u201cHis blend of power and quickness is apparent in run and pass blocking, making him a great fit for Matt LaFleur’s system.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cPhysically, obviously, you got to be ready, but I think mentally, that\u2019s where you\u2019ve 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,\u201d Simmons said via Buckeye Huddle. \u201cAnd once you kind of look at that lens, you know those are no-noes. It can\u2019t happen.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n If Myers signs elsewhere, the Packers could move Tom \u2013 who finished third in All-Pro voting \u2013 to center.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we drafted him, we also thought he could be a very, very good center if we needed him to be,\u201d general manager Brian Gutekunst said of Tom at the end of the season.<\/p>\n The second-round pick was Iowa State cornerback Darien Porter. Porter would provide much-needed size to Green Bay\u2019s undersized cornerback group at 6-foot-2 3\/8.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI obviously use that length and my speed to my advantage,\u201d Porter told The Draft Network\u2019s Justin Melo before the Senior Bowl. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n PFF charged him with five completions in 17 targets \u2013 a completion rate of just 29.4 percent \u2013 in 202 coverage snaps. Plus, he blocked a field goal and a punt; it was the fourth blocked punt of his career.<\/p>\n The obvious question? \u201cWhy did it take him until his sixth season in college for him to see steady snaps?\u201d wrote The Athletic\u2019s Dane Brugler, who ranked him the No. 99 prospect of the class.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The negatives?<\/p>\n \u201cWill be 25 years old before the end of his rookie season in 2025 with just three years of cornerback experience \u2014 creating a challenging developmental curve vs. physical peak dynamic,\u201d wrote The 33rd Team\u2019s Kyle Crabbs as part of his scouting report.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are baseline traits present to be a dangerous pass rusher, but he\u2019s more proficient and ready to contribute on early downs to help control the point of attack against the run,\u201d reads a snippet of his 33rd Team scouting report.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Stewart put on about 30 pounds for his final season by what he called the \u201cChipotle diet.\u201d What\u2019s that? Six chicken tacos, with green chili salsa, rice and beans.<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" GREEN BAY, Wis. \u2013 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 se<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-green-bay-packers"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Packers](\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/video\/thumbnail\/mmsport\/01jjcrybtzssd2fjdrpa\/01jjcrybtzssd2fjdrpa-002a63390cb35e1ce07ddb12f4a65fe3.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Joshua](\"https:\/\/core.opendorse.com\/profile\/447448\/20230824235420_1f9bb937-511e-46d4-8710-e3919348a39a.jpg\")
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