5 sleepers for Packers in first-round of 2023 NFL Draft

Who knows what the Green Bay Packers will do in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft? Certainly not me.

There are loads of prospects they could consider drafting at 15th overall (if they stick there, as my colleague Paul Bretl appears to be leading a revolution for Green Bay to trade down from 15).

This article lays out five sleepers Green Bay could consider. These aren’t sleepers, as in prospects you may not know about (you are likely familiar with each of these guys). They are sleepers in the sense the national draft rankings have them cumulatively ranked lower than how Green Bay may perceive them.The Athletic has been compiling a consensus Big Board comprised of “a wide range of draft experts to identify how the top prospects are viewed relative to the rest of this class.” I compared those rankings with general views on Packers’ draft prospects to identify five players who are ranked lower overall than initially projected.

These five prospects are sleepers for the Green Bay Packers to consider selecting in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Nolan Smith, Edge, Georgia

Smith hasn’t garnered as much attention in Packers’ circles as a potential draft pick, as some of the other guys on this list. However, outside linebacker is a real position the Packers could target with their top pick. He ranks 23rd on the consensus Big Board, but other sites, like The Ringer, have him as high as 12.

Darnell Wright, OT, Tennessee

Wright has been building momentum as a likely Packers’ draft pick, but the wide-ranging draft experts see him much lower. He’s the 25th ranked prospect on the consensus Big Board, indicating he’d be a huge reach if Green Bay used their 15th overall pick on him. He projects as a right tackle long term, which could be the biggest cause for concern in Green Bay.

Lukas Van Ness, Edge, Iowa

Versatility is the name of the game and that’s exactly what Van Ness brings. He can either line up on the outside or slide to the inside along the defensive line. That would fill two needs Green Bay currently has. However, he’s way down at 27 in the consensus big board.

Zay Flowers, WR, Boston College

The Packers could very well be in the market for a wide receiver on Day 1 or 2 of the draft. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is this year’s draft’s preferred target and clear top wideout. However, it’s looking more and more likely he’ll go before the Packers are on the clock at 15. Quintin Johnson and Jordan Addison are also ahead of Flowers in this class, but Flowers comes in as the fourth wide receiver and 28th overall prospect.

Dalton Kincaid, TE, Utah

I hope the Packers don’t use a first-round pick on a tight end, especially considering the depth of this year’s class. If they do, Kincaid could be one of their first-round targets. He’s been rising up draft boards recently but is still somewhat low on the consensus one we’re using (24th overall).