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.
Indiana @ Notre Dame (Friday)
Indiana Top-100 Draft Prospects
- None
Notre Dame Top-100 Draft Prospects
- None
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 @ Penn State (Saturday)
SMU Draft Top-100 Prospects
- None
Penn State Top-100 Draft Prospects
- #4: EDGE Abdul Carter
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 (Tyler 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.
Clemson @ Texas (Saturday)
Clemson Top-100 Draft Prospects
- #86: LB Barrett Carter
- #95: DL DeMonte Capehart
Texas Top-100 Draft Prospects
- #9: OT Kelvin Banks
- #30: OT Cameron Williams
- #40: CB Jahdae Barron
- #89: DL Alfred Collins
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 the season with an ankle injury. Banks missed all of the SEC Championship after going down to Texas A&M in rivalry week. Not the longest offensive lineman out there, there’s potential for Banks to slide into guard at the next level.
Cameron Williams (30th) is Texas’ right tackle and is another potential first-round prospect. If you want the Packers to add a cornerback early on in the 2025 draft, keep your eye on Longhorn cornerback Jahdae Barron (40th), who is the only projected top-70 cornerback who will play in the first round of the playoff.
On Clemson’s side of things, linebacker Barrett Carter (86th) is a player to watch. Aside from Georgia’s Jalon Walker, who is part linebacker and part edge rusher, Carter is the top off-ball linebacker in the playoff. Last season, I thought Carter performed much better than his teammate Jeremiah Trotter Jr., who was taken in the 5th round. Carter has only continued that success in 2024.
Tennessee @ Ohio State (Saturday)
Tennessee Top-100 Draft Prospects
- #14: EDGE James Pearce Jr.
- #55: DL Omarr Norman-Lott
Ohio State Top-100 Draft Prospects
- #32: DL Tyleik Williams
- #41: EDGE J.T. Tuimoloau
- #44: EDGE Jack Sawyer
- #46: iOL Donovan Jackson
- #73: CB Denzel Burke
Ohio State’s top draft prospect this year is left tackle Josh Simmons (27th), who is out with a season-ending knee injury. Replacing Simmons is projected guard Donovan Jackson (46th), who is playing out of position at left tackle right now. Don’t judge Jackson too hard if he gets beat around the edge, something he’s been known to do, because he’s clearly a better guard than tackle. Ohio State just needs a body out there.
If you really want to see a lot of NFL talent in this game, keep your eyes fixed on both teams’ defensive lines. Ohio State has three projected top-50 draft picks on their four-man front while Tennessee edge defender James Pearce Jr. (14th) is considered to be the best overall prospect in this game. As a source who works for a playoff team put it to me this week, Tennessee has the deepest defensive line in football, which should help Pearce and defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott (55th) stay fresh.
Cornerback Denzel Burke (73rd) is looking for redemption. The former projected first-round pick has had a rough stretch as of late, including a particularly bad game in Ohio State’s loss to Oregon. This game is going to be cold, but not snowy like Indiana vs. Notre Dame and SMU vs. Penn State are projected to be. If Tennessee is able to throw the ball his way, even in these conditions, his stock might sink even more.