The Green Bay Packers will be back on the clock on Friday. / Bill Huber/Packers On SI
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Day 1 of the NFL Draft is in the books, and it was of the history-making variety for the Green Bay Packers.
An estimated 205,000 people flocked to Green Bay on Thursday to see who their team would pick in the first round. The crowd erupted when Mark Murphy announced the Packers had done something they hadn’t done since 2002 by drafting a receiver, Matthew Golden, in the first round.
Of the team’s needs, receiver was at or near the top of the list. With Golden on board, the Packers can presumably turn to other needs like defensive line, pass rusher, cornerback and offensive line for the second and third rounds on Friday.
With the help of the Pro Football Network simulator, here is a Day 2 mock draft.
Had the Packers not taken a receiver in the first round, defensive end could have been a target. However, with Georgia’s Mykel Williams and Texas A&M’s Shemar Stewart off the board, that need would have to wait.
Ohio State’s JT Tuimoloau spurned last year’s NFL Draft to return to Columbus for his senior season and chase a national championship. His chase was fruitful. He racked up 12.5 sacks to help the Buckeyes capture that elusive championship ring that had evaded him for three seasons.
Tuimoloau does not have the accolades of some of the pass rushers that came before him at Ohio State. He’s not one of the Bosa Brothers, or Chase Young, but he is a good player in his own right.
The selection of Tuimoloau would offer a bit of a theme to Gutekunst’s draft choices. Golden played his best football at the end of the season with big games against Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and Arizona State in the College Football Playoff.
Tuimoloau’s best football came during the College Football Playoff, as well. During Ohio State’s four-game run to a national championship, Tuimoloau recorded 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for losses, 20 pressures and one forced fumble. That 6.5-sack stretch would have ranked him second on the Packers behind Rashan Gary’s full-season total of 7.5 last season.
When he’s not around the quarterback, he can also make plays at the line of scrimmage. He batted down 12 passes during his career and had two interceptions, including a pick-six against Penn State in 2022.
The pass rush needs an infusion of talent to go along with the organic growth they’re expecting from a new position coach and the second year in Jeff Hafley’s 4-3 scheme.
Plus, Gary’s contract is getting to a point where they could move on if his production does not pick up. Lukas Van Ness, the team’s 2023 first-round pick, is entering a big year. Kingsley Enagbare is entering a contract year. They need reinforcements up front.
Tuimoloau made the most sense with cornerbacks Will Johnson, Trey Amos and Shavon Revel off the board.
With a deep defensive tackle class, Tuimoloau gets the nod over two defensive tackles, including South Carolina’s TJ Sanders, who was in on a predraft visit.
Also Considered: DT T.J. Sanders, DT Darius Alexander, OL Aireontae Ersery, QB Jalen Milroe.
Wide receiver fever has hit Green Bay. The Packers drafted one receiver, Golden, who had a predraft visit, so why not another? Tony Horton was one of the Packers’ final visits.
While it might seem like overkill to take receivers with two of their three top-100 picks, the Packers need to restock that room for the present and the future. All of Green Bay’s top four receivers are scheduled to be free agents by the end of 2026. They will not re-sign them all.
Horton fits more of the prototypical size the Packers value on the outside, standing 6-foot-2 1/2 as opposed to Golden’s 5-foot-11. He’s also another speed threat. Green Bay’s offense has struggled when its premier vertical threat, Christian Watson, has been out with injuries. With Watson recovering from a torn ACL, Golden and Horton would provide two downfield options.
Horton’s speed is among the best in the class. Not long after being cleared from knee surgery, he ran his 40 in 4.41 seconds at the Scouting Combine. He reached 22.5 mph in-game, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler.
Like Golden, Horton is not just a one-trick pony. He is able to run routes and is used to getting a high share of the targets. At Colorado State, he set the single-game record for receptions and finished second in Mountain West Conference history in receptions and third in receiving yards.
One other theme that emerged from Gutekunst talking about Golden that would apply to Horton is how much he loves football and his fit in the locker room.
“Authentic and genuine,” Gutekunst said of Golden. “This guy’s been through some things now in his young life and come out the other side of it. I think he’s very authentic, he knows who he is. He loves football and I think he’s going to be a great teammate around here.”
Horton has received similar reviews from those who have been around him. He’s a two-time team captain and received a big endorsement from his head coach.
“I’ve been around the kid for a long time, and he’s made of the right stuff,” Jay Norvell said.
Horton can also help in the return game. He returned three punts for touchdowns at Colorado State, all longer than 70 yards. While at Houston in 2023, Golden had two kickoff-return touchdowns.
In an ideal world, the Packers would probably like to add a cornerback here, but all of the top options, much like in the second round, were picked over. The selection of Horton would make the defensive backfield a primary focus on the third day of the draft.
Also Considered: OT Anthony Belton, CB Zy Alexander, DT Omarr Norman-Lott.
