GREEN BAY, Wis. – While there are approximately 69 million reasons to not sign one of the remaining veteran receivers, the need remains for the Green Bay Packers. So, maybe this really will be the year they use their first-round draft pick on a receiver.

In a new mock draft at Pro Football Focus, the Packers selected Ohio State star Emeka Egbuka.

“There seems to be some draft fatigue with Egbuka, who has been talked about as an NFL prospect for three years. Don’t fall for it,” PFF’s Josh Liskiewitz said. “He’s a high-floor, versatile and savvy receiver as a borderline WR1/WR2.”

Egbuka was part of some loaded receiver rooms at Ohio State, as he lined up with the likes of Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Jeremiah Smith. Still, Egbuka finished No. 1 in school history in receptions and No. 2 in yards.

“I love studying the art of the receiver, the art of route running, the cerebral part of it,” he said at the Scouting Combine.

In 2024, he caught 81 passes for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns. For his career, according to PFF, he caught 54.3 percent of his contested-catch opportunities, averaged 6.6 yards after the catch and fumbled only once.

Egbuka was the fourth and final receiver taken in the first round in this mock. The Vikings took a safety at No. 24 and the Lions took a guard at No. 28.

The hyped edge group was pretty well picked over, though Tennessee’s James Pearce was still available. He had a predraft visit with the Packers last week.

CBS: Iowa State WR Jayden Higgins

The Packers also took a receiver in Chris Trapasso’s latest mock at CBS. It wasn’t Ohio State’s Emeka Egbuka or Texas’ Matthew Golden, though. Rather, it was Iowa State’s Jayden Higgins, who has been viewed as mostly a second-round option.

“The Packers emphasize high-caliber athletes early in the draft, and Higgins is precisely that,” Trapasso wrote. “He can run the full route tree from the X position.”

Higgins would replace Christian Watson’s skill-set as the tall speedster. While not as fast as Watson, Higgins at the Scouting Combine measured 6-foot-4 1/8 and ran his 40 in 4.47 seconds. His Relative Athletic Score was 9.92 out of 10.

Higgins caught 87 passes for 1,185 yards (13.6 average) and nine touchdowns as a senior. He’s got some of the best hands in the class. In two years at Iowa State, he caught 140 passes with just three drops.

In a story featuring the best traits among this year’s receiver class, PFF said Higgins had the best releases.

NFL.com: Michigan CB Will Johnson

Arguably the best cornerback in the draft class fell into the Packers’ laps in Bucky Brooks’ third mock at NFL.com.

“If the Packers move on from CB Jaire Alexander, this Michigan product would give defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley a plug-and-play option on the perimeter,” Brooks wrote.

Johnson was the second of two corners who went in the first round in this simulation. Georgia defensive end Mykel Williams, Arizona receiver Tet McMillan and Texas receiver Matthew Golden were players who went after Green Bay’s spot at No. 23.

Pro Football Network: 3 Rounds

In a three-round mock by PFN, the Packers grabbed Georgia edge Mykel Williams at No. 23. He checks the boxes for what the Packers prefer at defensive end.

“Mykel Williams has the prototypical size and is an elite athlete,” Owain Jones wrote. “At 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, the Georgia defensive end is already a refined run defender. However, while his pass rush resume needs work, his gifted athletic ability, burst, agility, and bend show shoots of growth heading to the pros.”

Williams had five sacks in 2024 while playing through an ankle injury.

Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison was the pick in the second round and Ole Miss linebacker Chris Paul was the choice in the third.

Morrison would make a lot of sense; a linebacker wouldn’t make any sense at all. Morrison intercepted six passes as a freshman in 2022 and three more in 2023. He missed most of 2024 with an injury. He allowed sub-50 percent catch rates all three seasons, according to PFF.

What about a receiver? Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor and TCU’s Jack Bech would have been options in the second. No receivers were selected after Green Bay’s pick in the third; Colorado State’s Tory Horton was taken one spot before the Paul pick.