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14 projected top-100 picks at the Packers’ positions of need will play in the first four games
With college football expanding its playoff to 12 teams for the first time, we’ve decided to give you all a primer on the top draft prospects who will play in the first-round games. Here’s the slant, though: We’re doing it from a Green Bay Packers perspective.
The Packers’ top needs going into next year’s draft will likely be the offensive line, defensive line, linebacker unit and cornerback room, considering how young and deep they are at the other positions. So we can go ahead, cut the fat and focus on defenders (sans safeties) and offensive linemen.
With all that in mind, here’s what you need to know about these playoff teams’ prospects and who you might want to watch during Friday and Saturday’s action. All player rankings will be provided by the consensus draft board.
With Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison, a projected first-round pick, out with a season-ending hip injury, the top Packers-relevant prospects for each team in this matchup are Indiana edge defender Mikail Kamara (131st overall) and Notre Dame defensive lineman Howard Cross III (122nd overall). The only top-100 prospect in this game is going to be Notre Dame safety Xavier Watts (63rd), but it’s highly doubtful that Green Bay is going to be in the market for him after adding three starters at the position just last offseason.
SMU currently has zero expected draft picks, according to the consensus draft board. Penn State has three projected top-100 picks coming into this one, but two are at tight end (Kevin Warren, 19th) and safety (Kevin Winston Jr., 81st) — which aren’t relevant for the Packers’ 2025 needs. Keep your eye on Nittany Lions pass-rusher Abdul Carter, who has great explosion but lacks the ability to play through contact that you’d typically expect for a projected top-five pick. Don’t be surprised if he starts to slide down draft boards once people get to poke at his film, potentially moving him into the Packers’ draft range. Just last season, Carter was a true off-ball linebacker before moving the edge following the loss of Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac to the 2024 draft.
The biggest injury question in the first round of the playoff is whether or not Kelvin Banks (9th), Texas’ left tackle, will be able to suit up for the Longhorns after dropping out of the final regular season game of...
