Instant Takeaways: Packers select Charlotte WR Grant DuBose at pick 256
By Paul Bretl
With thier 13th and final selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected Charlotte wide receiver Grant Dubose. Here is what you need to know and my instant takeaways following the selection.
– This is the third time in the Brian Gutekunst era, and the second time in two years, that he has taken three wide receivers in one draft. With only five receivers on the roster prior to the draft, triple-dipping felt pretty close to a must.
– In terms of experience, Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson are the “veterans” in the Green Bay wide receiver room. Without question, there will be ups and downs with all of the youth at this position, and who knows if it will translate to wins or not, but you can’t deny the juice that Gutekunst has added to the receiver room over the last two drafts.
– With that said, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bring in a veteran presence for some stability. Although keep in mind, the free agency pool has been picked through, and the Packers are low on spending power.
– Similarly to the Packers’ previous receiver selection in Round 5 when they took Virginia’s Dontayvion Wicks, Grant DuBose checks a lot of those Packers-specific boxes as well. Dubose has a larger frame at 6’2″ – 201 pounds. He also posted a Relative Athletic Score of 8.79, with a 4.57-second 40-yard dash.
– The bulk of DuBose’s playing time came on the boundary (88% of his snaps), and the majority of his production came in the last two seasons. During that span, he was targeted a whopping 208 times, catching 124 of those passes at 13.6 yards per catch with 15 touchdowns. Being able to move around the formation is a key aspect for receivers in this Packers offense, it will be interesting to see if they have DuBose taking any slot snaps this summer.
– This past season, 45 of DuBose’s targets came within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. Another 39 in the 10 to 20-yard range. He was rarely targeted more than 20 yards downfield.
– DuBose totaled 548 career run-blocking snaps, and for what it’s worth, posted a decent grade from PFF of 69.7. As we all know, that is a very important aspect to playing wide receiver in the LaFleur offense.
– DuBose has upside but needs refinement as well. Between the Green Bay running backs, Watson, Doubs, Toure or Wicks as the vertical threat, Reed, and the tight ends, my guess is that there aren’t going to be many other snaps to go around this season.
– He had 10 career punt return attempts and averaged a solid 8.9 yards per return.
– For more on DuBose and what he brings to the Packers, Lance Zierlein had this to say in his pre-draft report:
"“Raw receiving prospect with just two years of major college experience under his belt. DuBose possesses NFL size with an expansive catch radius. He’s talented at winning fade routes and jump balls, but he struggles to win in the early stages of the route against press and tight man coverage. DuBose is still in the learning stages but already displays some route talent. A lack of separation quickness could make his battle for a roster spot more challenging.”"