Shortlist of Day 2 prospects for Packers at positions of need
By Paul Bretl
The Green Bay Packers selected Iowa edge rusher Lukas Van Ness with the 13th pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. This pick shouldn’t have come as a surprise either, with Van Ness checking just about every box that the Packers look at when it comes to first-round prospects.
But now, as we enter Day 2, which prospects could be on the Packers’ radar? Before the first round took place, I put together a shortlist of options for Green Bay – which included Van Ness – and set out to do something similar for rounds two and three of the draft and did so by positions that we could see the Packers address.
My ultimate goal with this list was to keep it small, which meant being strict when sticking to thresholds and measurables. There are certain measurements specific to position groups that I adhered to and mentioned within each section. In general, having a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of at least 8.0 was the first requirement to be met since 30 of Brian Gutekusnt’s 42 previous RAS draft picks hit that mark.
Unlike when picking at 13 overall, the line between who is a third-round prospect and a fourth-round prospect can be a bit blurred. So to draw a line in the sand, I used PFF’s top-150 overall prospects and then cross-referenced the players who fit the Packers’ typical mold with Lance Zierlein’s draft projections.
In total, I went through six position groups and listed 27 prospects that could be of interest to the Packers.
Wide Receiver
The Packers passed on Jaxon Smith-Njigba at pick 13, but although four receivers would be selected in the first round, he was likely the only one of the group that was on Brian Gutekunst’s radar at that stage of the draft. It would have been too early to draft Quentin Johnston, while Zay Flowers and Jordan Addison don’t meet the usual height and weight thresholds that the Packers have.
Day 2, however, will provide the Packers with plenty of options at this position. While Green Bay may have a solid foundation at the position with Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson, they are still in need of more depth, with just five receivers on the roster and more consistent playmaking. Although, in part, that hopefully comes from Watson and Doubs taking Year 2 leaps.
As we all know, the Packers love their big-bodied pass catchers, frequently standing at least 6’0″ and weighing 195 pounds or more.
Rashee Rice, SMU
Jonathan Mingo, Ole Miss
AT Perry, Wake Forest
Michael Wilson, Stanford
Cedric Tillman, Tennessee
Tight End
The Packers hold picks 42 and 45 in the second round, with presumably one going to the tight end position. The good news is that only Dalton Kincaid has been selected from this position group, however, if we begin to see a run on this position like we did with receivers on Day 1, Gutekunst might have to get aggressive and move up.
You name it from a skill-set standpoint, and the Packers need it at tight end. Green Bay is in need of a more dynamic pass-catching presence, the more traditional Y-tight end plays a key role in Matt LaFleur’s offense, and someone who can impact both the blocking and passing games would add some unpredictability to the position, something that was missing in 2022.
Luke Musgrave, Oregon State
Sam LaPorta, Iowa
Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
Darnell Washington, Georgia
Tucker Kraft, SDSU
Luke Schoonmaker, Michigan
Interior Defensive Lineman
Similarly to the tight end position, the Packers are short on experience and depth along the interior defensive line, with only five players on the roster, three of which have any sort of NFL experience. It’s also worth noting that this is a heavily rotated position, with four or even sometimes five players seeing regular playing time.
With more consistent play up front, the entire defense can benefit from stout interior defensive line play. A quick push from the interior is the best way to slow just about any offensive play. When this takes place, edge rushers and linebackers are kept clean to make plays, while the secondary doesn’t have to defend as long. When the Green Bay defense was playing its best football at the end of 2022, the interior defensive line was a big reason why.
Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
Gervon Dexter, Florida
Zaccah Pickens, South Carolina
Byron Young, Alabama
Note: Keion White and Adetomiwa Adebawore were edge rushers in college but with their size, some teams could move them inside. After taking Van Ness, if the Packers view either as more of an edge rusher, I don’t see Green Bay selecting them. If they view them more as interior defenders, it’s worth mentioning that while both are big edge rushers, they would be smaller interior defenders than what the Packers have preferred.
Offensive Tackle
This is still early enough in the draft that if the Packers do want to take an offensive tackle, they could find someone who could compete at right tackle for playing time with Yosh Nijman. This would then give the Packers added flexibility to move Zach Tom inside to compete with either Josh Myers or Jon Runyan. But perhaps a tackle pick at this point of the draft would be more about the future, with Nijman and David Bakhtiair both possibly playing elsewhere in 2024.
If the Packers were going to take an offensive tackle, doing so in the first round felt like a must because the talent after the top three prospects do drop off.
In addition to posting a RAS of 8.0 or higher, having arms of at least 33-inches is a threshold that the Packers’ have often stuck to going back to the Ted Thompson days.
Matthew Bergeron, Syracuse
Blake Freeland, BYU
Safety
The Packers could use reinforcements at safety, but as I’ve written previously, doing so with a top-100 pick isn’t a must. For one, this draft class provides few prospects in that range with it being a down year, and two, the Packers, at the very least, have options on the roster. This is also a safety class with a lot of prospects who have been more slot defenders than true safeties, and what the Packers need is someone who can play the more traditional safety role.
Jartavius Martin, Illinois
Sydney Brown, Illinois
Ji’Ayir Brown, Penn State
Cornerback
This is not a major need by any means, but this is a deep draft class with a lot of talent, and adding an early-round cornerback to the mix could allow the Packers to better address safety by moving Rasul Douglas there.
While the Packers prefer both, typically, their cornerbacks have had some size to them, whether that be in height, standing 5’11” tall or in weight, and over 190 pounds.
Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
Julius Brents, Kansas State
Tyrique Stevenson, Miami
Cam Smith, South Carolina
DJ Turner, Michigan
Kelee Ringo, Georgia (could be moved to safety)
Darius Rush, South Carolina