Packers 2023 Mock Draft Roundup & Takeaways 1.0
By Paul Bretl
Well, it’s officially NFL mock draft season, with the Green Bay Packers missing out on the playoffs. It will be an interesting offseason for Green Bay once again, as Aaron Rodgers decides on his future and the Packers find themselves stuck between trying to compete and perhaps looking to reload after a disappointing 8-9 season.
As the roster currently stands, some of the big positions of need that will have to be addressed, whether through the draft or free agency, are safety, tight end, edge rusher, interior defensive lineman, and wide receiver, among others.
With the draft a few months out yet, predicting who the Packers will take is still a tall task, but these mock drafts will provide us with some names to watch as the pre-draft process unfolds.
Ian Cummings – Pro Football Network
Pick 15: Anton Harrison, OT, Oklahoma
Takeaway: I don’t expect David Bakhtiari to be going anywhere in 2023, which leaves the Packers’ tackle room in pretty good shape with Yosh Nijman, Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker, Caleb Jones, and Elgton Jenkins as other options. However, tackle is a premier position, and Bakhtiari could be gone after 2023 and we don’t know what the future holds for Nijman in free agency in 2024. Also, who knows if Walker or Jones can become starting-caliber players.
Harrison has taken the bulk of his 1,789 career snaps at left tackle. In two seasons as a starter, he has given up only three sacks and 26 pressures, with just nine coming in 2022, while ranking 12th among all tackles in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric. Harrison has good size, standing 6’5″ and weighing 315 pounds.
Dane Brugler – The Athletic
TRADE Pick 18: Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa
Takeaway: Edge rusher depth was a major concern before the 2022 season and still is today. Preston Smith is no longer a long-term solution, as 2023 could be his final year. Kingsley Enagbare was able to flash but still may be best suited in a rotational role. At one of the game’s most important positions, the Packers lacked impact plays without Rashan Gary.
Van Ness was a rotational player at Iowa, with 846 career snaps in two seasons. In addition to lining up as a traditional edge rusher, about half of his snaps came as an inside B-gap defender. He finished the 2022 season with 43 pressures and eight sacks.
Sports Illustrated
Pick 15: Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
Takeaway: Get used to this selection for the Packers this Spring. Tight end is a major need with only Josiah Deguara under contract and Green Bay needing more playmaking, and Mayer is considered by many the top tight end in this draft class. Mayer was versatile, being utilized all over the Notre Dame formation, and he was effective as both a pass-catcher and a blocker.
Keith Sanchez – The Draft Network
Pick 15: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State
Takeaway: It’s not officially a mock draft roundup without at least one first-round wide receiver selection. Addressing receiver will again be on the Packers’ to-do list, and I certainly expect them to do so in the draft. But with that said, with three young receivers under contract and no one else at the moment, I think there is more value in adding a veteran to the mix at this time, which means adding to the receiver room on Day 2 of the draft.
At 6’0″ – 198, Smith-Njigba just meets the Packers’ usually strict receiver thresholds. He played in just three games this season, but in 2021, he caught 80 of his 96 targets at 15.7 yards per catch with six touchdowns. The bulk of his snaps came from the slot, and he was often targeted within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.
My own mock draft from PFN simulator
Pick 15: Bryan Bresee, IDL, Clemson
Thoughts: The interior defensive line play struggled for much of the year, both in getting after the quarterback and against the run. But during the final five games, a big part of the defense’s success was the improved play in the middle. I wanted that to be a point of emphasis, so I selected Bresee. On top of that, with both Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry as free agents, the room is a bit thing as well. Bresee has just 790 career snaps in three seasons, with the majority coming lined up in the B-gap. He finished 2022 with 16 pressures and eight stops.