Top 2023 Draft Prospects at 6 Positions of Need for Packers
By Paul Bretl
It’s November 10th, and here we are talking about the 2023 NFL Draft. At 3-6 and with a tough schedule ahead, an early elimination from the playoffs seems inevitable for the Green Bay Packers.
As of now, the Packers hold the ninth pick in next year’s draft, and with their next three games against teams with a combined record of 19-5, not to mention Dallas, Tennessee, and Philadelphia all have top-10 scoring defenses, Green Bay’s draft position is likely going to be on the rise over the next few weeks. Unfortunately, a five or six-win season is not out of the question.
If that’s the case, there will be a lot of difficult questions for this Green Bay Packers team in the offseason–most notably being whether they try once again to run things back with Aaron Rodgers or finally embrace that they need to begin rebuilding.
Either way, there will be some key positions that the Packers will have to address. Here is the current state of those positions, along with an early look ahead at some of the top draft prospects at each.
(All prospect rankings from The Draft Network)
Safety
The safety position has been a major weakness for the Green Bay Packers this season, and despite having nine safeties on the team between the 53-man roster and the practice squad, this position is very much in-flux this upcoming offseason. At the moment, Darnell Savage, who is far from a long-term solution at the position, and Tariq Carpenter are the only players under contract next season. Because of the outlook of this position, I certainly thought that safety would be addressed somewhat early on in this past draft.
Brian Branch, Alabama
Jordan Battle, Alabama
Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
Christopher Smith, Georgia
Brandon Joseph, Notre Dame
JL Skinner, Boise State
Tight End
The tight end position is similar to safety in that I thought the Packers would address it in the 2022 draft, especially since a majority of rookie tight ends are unproductive, and only Josiah Deguara is under contract beyond 2022. With Deguara primarily used as a blocker, the Packers should prioritize a pass-catching threat at the position, but adding a traditional Y-tight end would be beneficial as well.
Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
Darnell Washington, Georgia
Tucker Kraft, South Dakota State
Jaheim Bell, South Carolina
Sam LaPorta, Iowa
Offensive Tackle
The Green Bay Packers have their share of options at this position already on the roster, but the position feels much more unstable than what it may appear on paper. The only certainty right now is that Yosh Nijman will be back as a restricted free agent. After him, it looks like the Packers prefer Elgton Jenkins at guard, while many believe Zach Tom will be better as an interior player than a tackle. Then there is David Bakhtiari, who if released in 2023, has a dead cap hit of $23.1 million, according to Over the Cap. However, that still saves Green Bay nearly $6 million in cap space next offseason.
Broderick Jones, Georgia
Jaelyn Duncan, Maryland
Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State
Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
Dawand Jones, Ohio State
Edge Rusher
Receiver drew much of the attention this offseason, but the lack of depth at edge rusher was also a major concern for Green Bay, and it still remains that way. Long-term, the only certainty is Rashan Gary. Hopefully, Kingsley Enagbare continues to develop, but you never truly know with a fifth-round pick. Meanwhile, the Packers can get out of Preston Smith’s contract as early as next season, while Jonathan Garvin has been a healthy scratch twice this season, and Tipa Galeai is a special teams player.
Will Anderson, Alabama
Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
Derick Hall, Auburn
Nolan Smith, Georgia
Colby Wooden, Auburn
Wide Receiver
Of course, we can’t talk about an upcoming draft for the Green Bay Packers and not mention the receiver position. As of now, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, and Samori Toure will all be under contract for the next few years, as will Amari Rodgers, for what that’s worth. Adding more high-end talent to this position certainly isn’t a bad idea, but this is a room that could also use the steady presence of a veteran or two. Perhaps if Rodgers is back under center in 2023, the Packers go the veteran route. However, if it’s Jordan Love, or another quarterback, then maybe the Packers will choose to continue trying to add more young talent, knowing there will be more growing pains.
Jordan Addison, USC
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
Quentin Johnston
Kayshon Boutte, LSU
Josh Downs, North Carolina
Zay Flowers, Boston College
Quarterback (maybe)
Yes, there is a world out there where Aaron Rodgers is no longer the Green Bay Packers quarterback in 2023. From a cap perspective, there is really no good way to go about this-the situations are either bad or slightly less bad. With the Packers’ offense looking beyond repair and lacking the cap space to make any significant additions in the upcoming offseason, Rodgers could choose to retire, or maybe Green Bay would still try to workout a trade to get something in return. Spending an early pick on the quarterback position also means that the Packers do not have much faith in Jordan Love, who may not even be on the team come draft time.
CJ Stroud, Ohio State
Will Levis, Kentucky
Bryce Young, Alabama
Cameron Ward, Washington State
Anthony Richardson, Florida
Hendon Hooker, Tennessee