Green Bay Packers Specific 2023 Pre-NFL Draft Superlatives

The 2023 NFL Draft is now just a few days away, so it is time for one of my favorite articles–Green Bay Packers draft superlatives.

A superlative is defined as an exaggerated or hyperbolical expression of praise. What I enjoy about this exercise is the wide variety of responses that each phrase can elicit. So be sure to share your thoughts either in the comments below or find me on Twitter.

I’ve selected nine different superlative phrases that cover a variety of NFL draft topics and answer them from the perspective of the Green Bay Packers.

Biggest need: Tight End

Receiver and safety may not be too far behind, but tight end is easily the biggest need for the Packers. At this moment, Josiah Deguara, who is an H-back, is the only player on the roster with somewhat significant playing time of over 500 snaps. Tyler Davis has seen snaps here and there but has never been relied upon heavily, while Austin Allen and Nick Guggemos have been practice squad players.

In terms of specific roles at the position that have to be filled, the Packers need more playmaking in the passing game–in 2022, Robert Tonyan averaged just 8.9 yards per catch. There was also some predictability with the tight end unit in 2022, given the defined skill sets within this position group, so adding a well-rounded prospect who can impact both the running and passing games would help Matt LaFleur achieve that illusion of complexity he often refers to. Also, the more traditional Y-tight end plays an important role in Matt LaFleur’s offense as well.

The good news is that this is a very deep draft class, and on Days 1, 2, and 3, there will be options for the Packers to add to this room.

The Packers shouldn’t: take a tight end in Round 1

I go into greater detail here, but ultimately, this thought comes down to value. Historically, rookie tight ends, even those taken in the first round, do not contribute in a significant way during their first season. For reference, only three tight ends have surpassed the 600-yard receiving mark as rookies. It can take two or even three years before a tight end hits their stride–it’s just a very difficult position to play and to transition to at the NFL level.

There also isn’t an overly strong connection between the top tight ends in football and where they were selected in the draft. Ultimatley, teams spend early-round picks on a player or a position because of the impact they believe they can have, but at tight end, that correlation often isn’t there, so waiting until Day 2, in order to get more value on Day 1, would be the prudent move.

The Packers must: draft two tight ends and two wide receivers

When Aaron Rodgers was entering his first season as a starter in 2008, he had Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, James Jones, and Jordy Nelson at receiver, along with Donald Lee and young Jermichael Finley at tight end. Love currently has a bare tight end room, and although Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs provide a strong foundation at receiver, the Packers need more at that position. At the top of the to-do list in this draft should be putting more talent around Love, and that means spending four picks on pass catchers.

Don’t forget about: the interior defensive line

Understandably so, getting Jordan Love help at tight end and wide receiver has been the center of a lot of conversations this offseason. However, one other position that is in a similar spot as the two just mentioned is the interior defensive line. There are currently only five players on the roster at this position, and only three of them have any NFL experience. This is also a position that rotates often, with four or five players seeing steady playing time in each game.

One quick way that the Packers’ defense can take a step forward is with more consistent play in the trenches. The interior defensive line was a key contributor to the defense’s late-season surge in 2022, and when there is a steady push up front, it’s the best way to slow an offense down, and there isn’t a player on the defensive side of the ball who doesn’t benefit from it.

Don’t be surprised when: the Packers take a cornerback at 15

Cornerback is far from the Green Bay Packers’ biggest need. However, it is considered a premier position and is perhaps the deepest position group in this year’s class, loaded with talented and top athletes. All of this is a recipe for Brian Gutekunst to make that selection at 15, as there will likely be some talented options on the board when the Packers are selecting.

With an early-round cornerback selection, it could also help the Packers temporarily solve their safety problem by moving Rasul Douglas there, something Gutekunst did talk about this offseason. This is another position in need of upgrades, but this is also a draft class short on top talent.

Although there are bigger needs than cornerback, given the strengths of this draft class, Day 2 will still provide the Packers with options at receiver, tight end, edge rusher, and interior defensive linemen, giving Gutekunst the flexibility to go off-script in the first round.

Most likely pick at 15: Lukas Van Ness, Deonte Banks, Joey Porter, Broderick Jones, and Darnell Wright

I recently created my shortlist of first-round targets for the Packers, and you can read more here to learn how I arrived at those five players. In short, I used past draft tendencies under Brian Gutekunst, which included prospects with a RAS of 9.0 or higher. They also have to play premier positions (although I made an exception for tight end, given the need) and have to be under 23 years old.

There was a little guesswork as well in surmising who would be gone before pick 15 and who might not be in play at that stage of the draft. After starting with around 40 prospects, that process got me down to the five listed above.

This prospect screams Green Bay Packer: Josh Whyle, TE, Cincinnati

There are several answers that work here, but I’ll go with Whyle, who has the skill set that the Packers desire at the tight end position. He tested well athletically. During his career at Cincinnati, Whyle was a reliable pass catcher and graded out as one of the best blocking tight ends in football by PFF’s metrics two seasons in a row. He also has over 400 special teams snaps. The Packers would meet with Whyle at the Senior Bowl, at the NFL Combine, and they hosted him on an official pre-draft visit. 

If this prospect is available, draft them no matter what: Paris Johnson, OT, Ohio State

Johnson is considered by many to be the best offensive tackle prospect in this class. I’m not sure if he makes it to pick 15, but if he does, the Packers shouldn’t overthink selecting him. In 2023, he could start at right tackle immediately or at least compete with Yosh Nijman, which would allow Zach Tom to then compete at center — his best position coming out of the 2022 draft, according to Gutekunst — with Josh Myers, who had an up-and-down second season. In 2024, with David Bakhtiari and Nijman both potentially playing elsewhere, Johnson could either be the starter at right or left tackle.

Any success that Love is going to have in his first season starts up front, so the Packers shouldn’t hesitate adding to the offensive line if given the opportunity.

Under the radar need: Interior offensive line

Not that I see the Packers adding to this position early on, but there is uncertainty at this position, especially beyond 2023. As of now, we can only count on Elgton Jenkins being a multi-year starter along the interior moving forward. As already mentioned, Myers has been inconsistent, Jon Runyan is in the final year of his rookie deal, Tom may end up at tackle, and other options include Jake Hanson, Sean Rhyan, and Royce Newman.

Gutekunst has drafted three offensive linemen in each of the last three years, so I expect him to again add to this position group at some point, even with more pressing needs. After all, the draft is about planning ahead.