Green Bay Packers 2023 NFL Combine Meeting Tracker

The 2023 NFL Combine is set to begin on February 28th and runs through March 6th. Not only is this an opportunity for the Green Bay Packers and the rest of the NFL to see how this year’s draft prospects test in on-the-field drills, but it also provides Brian Gutekunst and Co. with the opportunity to sit down with prospects to meet face-to-face.

Unlike in previous years, Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay coaching staff will not be in attendance. Instead, they will be back at Lambeau Field to work on scheme and player evaluation. This is becoming an increasingly common trend around the NFL. However, although LaFleur won’t be in Indianapolis, Gutey and the Packers’ scouts will be.

As reports of these meetings between the Packers and potential draft prospects come out, it is important to keep in mind that in the grand scheme of the NFL draft evaluation process, Green Bay is going to meet with hundreds of draft-eligible players and in no way does one meeting mean that Gutekunst is going to select that player. But with that said, it does give us a brief peek behind the curtain at who the Packers may have on their radar.

Although the 2023 NFL Combine is just getting underway, the Packers have reportedly already met with a few players during the College Football All-Star games following the regular season. Undoubtedly, Green Bay’s scouts have met with more than these four players, but below, you can find profiles for each.

Desjuan Johnson, Edge rusher, Toledo

Justin Broiles, DB, Oklahoma

Andrew Farmer, Edge rusher, Lane College

Holton Ahlers, QB, ECU

As the combine unfolds over the next week, stay up to date with all reported meetings between the Green Bay Packers and draft prospects right here.

Quentin Johnston, WR, TCU

Reported by Aaron Wilson

Johnston checks the physical boxes that the Packers covet at the receiver position, standing 6’4,” weighing 215 pounds, and he’s expected to perform very well at the combine. During his time at TCU, Johnston lined up mostly on the boundary and was targeted in all areas of the field, but oftentimes 15-plus yards downfield. In 2022, he caught 49 passes for 764 yards at 15.6 yards per catch with five touchdowns.

Mazi Smith, IDL, Michigan

Reported by MJ Hurley

Smith measures in at 6’3” and weighs 337 pound. He has 1,037 career snaps, 521 of which came this past season with the majority coming lined up in the B-gap. He finished the 2022 season with 20 pressures, one sack, and 28 stops, per PFF. Among all interior defensive linemen, Smith ranked tied for eighth in total run stops. He is the fifth ranked interior defensive lineman by The Draft Network. 

Jordan Battle, S, Alabama

Reported by MJ Hurley

Although not the highest-rated safety, Battle fits what the Packers need as a true deep safety. Of his 2,615 career snaps, 1,279 have come as a free safety. He also has another 703 in the box and 594 from the slot. In 2022 specifically, Battle logged 53 tackles, recorded eight stops, and allowed 7.7 yards per catch with a pass breakup. His coverage grade from PFF ranked 27th among eligible safeties. Battle is The Draft Network’s fourth highest rated safety and number 57 overall.

Brian Branch, DB, Alabama

Reported by Kassidy Hill

Branch is listed as a safety but can do it all defensively. He spent most of his snaps lined up in the slot but also has 236 as a box defender, 96 as a free safety, and 51 along the defensive front. He’s been a solid tackler with only three misses on 80 attempts in 2022 and a willing run defender, ranking 16th among safeties in run-stop rate. In coverage, Branch held pass catchers to 6.6 yards per catch with six pass breakups and an interception. He also tallied six pressures and is The Draft Network’s top rated safety in this class.

JL Skinner, S, Boise State

Reported by uStadium

Skinner measures in at 6’4″ and weighs 220 pounds, according to PFF. He was moved all around the field in college, playing 758 snaps in the box, another 578 as a free safety, and 300 in the slot. In 2022, he missed eight tackles on 68 attempts and allowed 11.0 yards per catch, along with tallying two pass breakups and an interception. Skinner is NFL.com’s fifth-ranked safety.

Rejzohn Wright, CB, Oregon State

Reported by MJ Hurley

Wright is listed at 6’2” – 200 pounds. He was primarily a boundary cornerback at Oregon State and allowed a completion rate of just 47% in 53 targets last season at 12.1 yards per catch. Wright also came away with six pass breakups, two interceptions, and made 38 of his 47 tackle attempts. He is the 122nd-ranked player overall by The Draft Network and the 17th-rated cornerback in what is a very deep class.

Christian Gonzalez, CB, Oregon

Reported by MJ Hurley

Gonzalez is considered by many to be the top cornerback in this year’s draft and is rated as the fifth-best overall prospect by The Draft Network. Gonzalez has 1,847 career snaps, with most coming on the boundary. He has been a reliable tackler, missing only three of his 61 attempts in 2022, and came away with four interceptions and six pass breakups while holding pass catchers to 12.7 yards per catch.

Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia

Reported by Jared Tokarz

Ringo spent 1,115 of his total 1,220 career snaps lined up on the boundary. Last season specifically, he made 33 of his 38 tackle attempts, and for what it’s worth, he graded out well against the run by PFF’s metrics. In coverage, Ringo allowed 30 completions on 53 targets at 13.6 yards per catch. He also logged two interceptions and three pass breakups. Ringo is The Draft Network’s fifth-best cornerback and the 25th-best player overall.

Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa

Reported by Gery Woelfel

In a loaded edge rusher class, Van Ness is TDN’s sixth-ranked edge rusher but still the 32nd-best player overall. He doesn’t have much experience in terms of snaps with fewer than 850, but he’s versatile, playing edge along with lining up in the B-gap frequently. In 2022, Van Ness ranked 11th among edge rushers in PFF’s pass rush productivity and had 43 pressures and eight sacks. At 6’5” – 269 pounds, he has that big frame that the Packers like at edge rusher.

Eli Ricks, CB, Alabama

Reported by Andrew Wilbar

Listed at 6’2” – 190 pounds, Ricks spent the 2022 season at Alabama after playing his first two years at LSU. Of his 1,140 career snaps, 1,022 came lined up outside. He played just 307 snaps for the Crimson Tide and made seven tackles while allowing just four receptions on 17 targets with five pass breakups. He also had 34 special teams snaps in 2022 as well.

Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State

Reported by Tyler Brooke

Reed measures in at 6’0″ – 185, a little bit on the lighter side compared to what the Packers typically look for at receiver. He was heavily targeted over his career, with 310 targets, and played a fair amount both from the slot and on the boundary. Reed would catch 64% of those career passes at 14.1 yards per catch with 24 touchdowns. He is also an experienced return man with 43 kick return attempts that averaged 19.6 yards per return and 37 punt returns that averaged an impressive 15 yards per attempt.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State

Reported by Gery Woelfel

Smith-Njigba only played in three games this past season with Ohio State due to injury. In 2021, however, he caught 80 of his 96 targets at 15.7 yards per catch with six touchdowns. He ranked eighth among all receivers in average YAC and third in yards per route run–an efficiency metric. Smith-Njigba is The Draft Network’s third-ranked receiver and 22nd-ranked player overall.

Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

Reported by MJ Hurley

Kincaid is considered by many the top tight end prospect in this class, and the most dynamic pass catcher, something the Packers need. This past season, he caught 66 of the 87 passes thrown his way at 12.9 yards per catch with eight touchdowns. 54% of his career snaps came from the slot, and he ranked first among tight ends in both YAC and yards per route run. Kincaid also ranked 38th out of 100 eligible tight ends in PFF’s run-blocking grade.

Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State

Reported by Evan Western

Musgrave measures in at 6’6″ – 250 pounds and was looking primed for a breakout season in 2022 before suffering a season-ending injury early on. In limited action, he had 11 receptions and averaged over 15 yards per catch with a touchdown. Musgrave was a Senior Bowl invitee and was clocked at over 20 mph while there. He is expected to test very well at the NFL Combine and also comes with ample run-blocking experience with over 500 career snaps in Oregon State’s zone-blocking scheme, which the Packers run as well.

Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame

Reported by Gery Woelfel

Far from surprising given the need, but another meeting for the Packers with a top tight end in this draft class. Mayer was a big part of the Irish offense in 2022, with 101 targets. He would catch 67 of those passes and average 12.1 yards per catch — which is slightly above his career average — and haul in nine touchdowns. Mayer ranked fifth among tight ends in total YAC, although 16th in average YAC — he isn’t expected to test as well as Kincaid or Musgrave — and ranked second in yards per route run. Mayer also ranked fourth in PFF’s run-blocking grade.

Jaren Hall, QB, BYU

Reported by MJ Hurley

The bulk of Hall’s playing time came over the last two seasons. In 2022 specifically, he completed 66% of his passes and averaged 8.4 yards per attempt with 31 touchdowns to six interceptions. He also logged 403 rushing yards as well. Hall was an effective downfield passer, ranking 17th among all college quarterbacks in total yards on downfield passes. He is The Draft Network’s fifth-ranked quarterback in this class.

Nathaniel “Tank” Dell, WR, Houston

Reported by MJ Hurley

Dell is below the usual 6’0″ – 200 pound frames that the Packers covet at receiver, being listed at 5’10” – 165 pounds. So drafting him would go against what has become the norm at receiver in Green Bay. Dell was a major part of the Houston offense, with 141 targets this past season, most of which came from the slot, although he does have boundary experience. Dell caught 102 passes at 13.3 yards per catch with 15 touchdowns. He was targeted at all levels of the field and ranked sixth in total YAC last season.

Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee

Reported by Evan Western

Hyatt is a big play just waiting to happen. He measures in at 6’1″ – 180 pounds and took most of his career snaps from the slot. Last season, he averaged a whopping 18.1 yards per catch on 67 receptions and was perhaps the most explosive receiver in football. Hyatt ranked seventh in average YAC, first in yards per route run, and he had the most deep receiving yards, which are yards gained on receptions where the ball travels at least 20 yards.

Luke Schoonmaker, TE, Michigan

Reported by Tom Downey

Listed at 6’6″ – 250 pounds, the bulk of Schoonmaker’s playing time has come in the last two seasons. In 2022 specifically, he caught 31 of 41 passes at 10.6 yards per catch with two touchdowns. 70% of his offensive snaps came lined up in-line, and he ranked 37th out of 100 tight ends in PFF’s run-blocking grade. He is The Draft Network’s 11th-ranked tight end.

Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

Reported by MJ Hurley

At 6’7″ – 270 pounds, Washington fits that mold of the more traditional Y-tight end, who lines up in-line and is known for his blocking abilities. He would finish the 2022 season ranked fifth in run-blocking grade but still put up an impressive 16.1 yards per catch on 25 receptions while ranking 14th out of all tight ends in average YAC. In addition to lining up mostly in-line, Washington still had 29% of his total snaps come from the slot. On Daniel Jeremiah’s big board, he is the third tight end and 24th-ranked player overall.

Evan Hull, RB, Northwestern

Reported by MJ Hurley

Hull led all running backs in 2022 in receiving yards. He was targeted heavily, catching 54 of his 66 targets, and averaged 9.9 yards per catch with two touchdowns. Over his career, he averaged 5.0 yards per carry on the ground. In 2022, Hull averaged 4.2 yards per rush with five touchdowns while ranking 27th in missed tackles forced. He also ranked in the top 50 of all running backs in yards after contact, according to PFF.

Cody Mauch, OL, NDSU

Reported by MJ Hurley

Mauch is an experienced player with over 2,000 career snaps; 1,803 have come at left tackle. This past season, he was dominant at the FCS level, allowing only one sack and six pressures while posting a run-blocking grade from PFF of 91.5, one of the best in college football. Mauch was a Senior Bowl invitee, and for what it’s worth, The Draft Network has him ranked with the interior offensive linemen rather than at tackle. He is their 59th-ranked player overall and fifth interior lineman.

Paris Johnston, OT, Ohio State

Reported by MJ Hurley

Johnson is The Draft Network’s top offensive tackle in this class. He stands 6’6,” weighs 310 pounds, and has played 1,463 career snaps, with 757 coming at left tackle in 2022 and 699 at right guard in 2021. This season, Johnson allowed only one sack and 10 pressures while being the 12th-ranked run-blocking offensive tackle by PFF’s grading system.

Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State

Reported by MJ Hurley

The Buckeyes’ right tackle, Jones is The Draft Networks’ fourth-ranked tackle prospect. Listed at 6’8″ – 350 pounds, just about all of Jones’ 1,584 career snaps have come at right tackle. In 2022, he allowed no sacks and four pressures in 372 pass-blocking snaps and ranked 11th in PFF’s run-blocking grade.

Riley Moss, CB, Iowa

Reported by MJ Hurley

Moss has impressed at the Combine, posting a RAS of 9.89 out of 10. He’s a very experienced player, with nearly 2,400 career snaps, the bulk of which have come lined up on the boundary. In the most recent 2022 season, Moss made 50 of his 56 tackle attempts and allowed a completion rate of only 50% on 60 targets. He also came away with seven pass breakups, an interception, and allowed 11.4 yards per catch. Moss also has 516 special teams snaps over his career as well, according to PFF and is NFL.com’s 13th-ranked cornerback in what is a loaded draft class.

Please note that this article will be updated as reports of meetings come in