Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached peak mock draft season. Do we really know who is going where? No, but the guessing games are as prevalent as ever. 

Albert Einstein gets credited with the quote, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Does this mean that certain draft experts who continue to predict the Packers take a wide receiver in the first-round meet the criteria of insanity? Maybe, because as history has shown us over and over again Green Bay will most likely not draft a wide receiver in the first-round. Safe bet. 

Smart and safe draft choices could hold a team back from developing or could propel a team forward in success. That is the name of the draft game. Everything is a coin flip. How does one define making the correct selection? It may come across as much less exciting or predictable to fathom the Packers using their first pick on a defensive or offensive lineman or even a cornerback. Whether you agree with the philosophy or not, this formula has been GM Brian Gutekunst's bread and butter. I wonder, how often Gute and the Packers front office actually draft "the best player available" as oppose to catering the pick for position need. 

How are the first-round mock draft picks unfolding?

It is interesting to observe how many mock drafts roughly three weeks ago had the Packers drafting Oregon defensive tackle Derrick Harmon at pick 23. Observing the latest and most recent mock drafts, Harmon does not even get a mention. The pre-draft chaos moves like a monsoon wave with its unpredictability. Out of twenty mock drafts from various media outlets and draft analysts, 60% had Green Bay drafting a player on defense while 40% had them drafting a player on offense. 

One mock draft has the Packers trading with Tampa Bay moving up to pick 19 to draft Georgia DL defensive lineman Mykel Williams. Seems like a stretch of a prediction when most mock drafts have Williams still available at pick 23. The GM could make that move if he gets word Williams will get drafted before the Packers’ turn and Gute ambitiously believes “that is our guy”.

40% of mock drafts have the Packers selecting a defensive tackle or edger rusher. The defensive line is the Packers most glaring need for improvement, so it is not surprising that this is the majority consensus. Four different names were mentioned including Texas A&M DE Shemar Stewart who got 3 guesses while Georgia DL Williams also had 3 guesses. The other two names mentioned were Ole Miss DT Walter Nolen and Michigan DT Kenneth Grant.

25% of mock drafts have the Packers selecting a wide receiver. If we are referring back to recent history, this is alarming on the prediction scale of false hope. Maybe this will be the year they do draft an outstanding receiver in the first-round, but the odds are unlikely the top receivers will still be available at pick 23. Arizona WR Tetairo McMillan and Texas WR Matthew Golden were tied with the most guesses. The other receiver who received a mention was Missouri WR Luther Burden III. There could be more of a valuable pick available here for the Packers if none of these are on the board at selection time. Another player to keep an eye out for is Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka. 

20% of mock drafts have the Packers selecting a cornerback. If CB Jaire Alexander is still on the roster, why would the Packers draft a corner with their first pick? Would that be a sign of confirmation that the writing is on the wall of Alexander’s departure? It is still a complex situation that does not have precise clarity. East Carolina CB Shavon Revel Jr. got two guesses while Kentucky CB Maxwell Hairston and Michigan CB Will Johnson each received one. If Ole Miss CB Trey Amos falls to 23, that is the only corner I see the Packers selecting in the first-round. Otherwise, I do not see this happening with the Alexander situation still unresolved. 

15% of mock drafts have the Packers selecting an offensive lineman. It is never a wrong decision to beef up the offensive line, but considering Green Bay picked OL Jordan Morgan last year in the first-round it is difficult to foresee Gutekunst doing this back-to-back years. However, do not be surprised if this is what happens. Three different names were mentioned including North Dakota St OL Gray Zabel, Texas OT Kevin Banks Jr, and Ohio St OT Josh Simmons.

I bet Green Bay selects a defensive lineman at pick 23. What position would you bet on the Packers drafting with their first-round pick?