Donald Driver Among 10 Packers in SI’s Ultimate All-Time NFL Mock Draft

There’s been a million mock drafts. On this site alone. Sports Illustrated’s Matt Verderame put together the “Ultimate” mock draft.

Starting with the 1967 draft, the first common draft involving the merging NFL and AFL, Verderame assembled an all-time mock draft. Who was the best No. 1 pick ever? The best No. 23 pick? The best 100th pick? The best 224th pick?

With 32 picks in each of seven rounds, that’s a total of 224 selections. The Green Bay Packers dominated with 10 players. Oddly, none of those players came in the Top 100. Receivers James Lofton and Sterling Sharpe were honorable mentions at Nos. 6 and 7, respectively.

The first Packers player on the list is David Bakhtiari, who was the 109th pick in 2013. No. 109 has produced only two players who were first-team All-Pros. Bakhtiari did it twice (and was a second-team All-Pro for three more seasons). The other was a punter, Dave Lewis.

Running back Dorsey Levens, the 149th pick in 1994, and tight end Mark Chmura, the 157th pick in 1992, were stalwarts on the Packers’ Super Bowl teams of 1996 and 1997.

Levens finished with 7,289 yards from scrimmage and 53 total touchdowns. That’s almost 3,000 more yards and 19 more touchdowns than the runner-up, Tim Hightower. The spot has produced five one-time Pro Bowlers, with Levens joined by another former Packers player, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila.

At No. 157, Chmura ranks second all-time with 2,253 yards from scrimmage. The spot has produced only two Pro Bowlers, with Chmura leading the way as a three-time all-star.

Donald Driver, the 213th pick in 1999, made the list. In NFL history, that spot has produced only six Pro Bowl seasons. Driver was responsible for four.

That’s nothing. Driver produced 10,541 total yards. That’s almost 10,000 more yards than anyone else; Lee Rouson, a 1985 pick by the Giants, was a distant second with 868 yards from scrimmage. Driver scored 62 touchdowns. No other player scored more than five.

Kicker Mason Crosby, the 193rd pick in 2007 who is the franchise’s runaway career scoring leader, is one of four kickers. Crosby retired with 1,939 points, which ranks 11th in NFL history. He was 61 points shy of becoming the eighth player to reach 2,000 points.

The Packers’ rich quarterback history is well represented. Brett Favre made it as the “easy” choice among No. 33 selections, but he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons. Matt Hasselbeck and Mark Brunell, who were drafted by the Packers but found acclaim after being traded, also were picked in this mock. 

Aaron Rodgers was an honorable mention at No. 24. Bart Starr would have been the runaway winner as the best No. 200 pick but was ineligible because he was drafted in 1956.

In next week’s 2025 NFL Draft, the Packers are scheduled to make eight selections. Here are the best picks at those spots.

No. 23: Browns tight end Ozzie Newsome (1978) caught 662 passes on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

No. 54: Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin (2003) had seven 1,000-yard seasons and finished his career with 13,779 receiving yards.

No. 87: 49ers running back/returner Vic Washington (1970) had one Pro Bowl season. No player started more games at this spot than cornerback Mike McKenzie, who was drafted by the Packers in 1999.

No. 124: Patriots tight end Ben Coates (1991) was a five-time Pro Bowler.

No. 159: Dolphins safety Jake Scott (1970) was a “borderline Hall of Famer,” Verderame wrote. Scott leads with five Pro Bowlers. Bryce Paup, who was drafted by the Packers in 1990, was next with four.

No. 198: Patriots receiver Troy Brown (1993) was a primary receiver for Tom Brady, who was the obvious best-ever pick at No. 199.

Verderame’s mock runs through pick No. 224. So, we’ll make the last two picks.

No. 237: Falcons center Todd McClure (1999) started 195 games, of 142 more than anyone else.