Packers draft Colby Wooden 116th: The good, bad and grade
The Green Bay Packers are on the board on Day 3 of the NFL Draft, using the 116th overall pick in the fourth round to select defensive lineman Colby Wooden out of Auburn.
Green Bay needed to re-tool their defensive line after allowing Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed to leave in free agency. Wooden will join Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt and TJ Slaton as the primary players in the defensive line rotation.
Here are the Packers’ picks so far:
- Round 1, Pick 13: Lukas Van Ness, outside linebacker
- Round 2, Pick 42: Luke Musgrave, tight end
- Round 3, Pick 50: Jayden Reed, wide receiver
- Round 4, Pick 78: Tucker Kraft, tight end
The Green Bay Packers used the 116th overall draft pick to select defensive lineman Colby Wooden in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Good
Quickness, quickness, quickness. Wooden is one of the quickest defensive linemen in this draft, showing it on the tape and in his athletic testing. He can use the burst to slice through the interior line and get pressure on the quarterback. He also has long arms that allow him to keep offensive linemen at a distance.
He can also play inside or outside on the defensive line. This positional versatility will be helpful for Green Bay, as Wooden joins first-round pick Lukas Van Ness as two guys who can line up all over the place.
The Bad
The biggest question mark about Wooden is his weight and lack of strength. He’s one of the lightest defensive tackles in the draft and we’ll see if this affects his play. It is important to note he put on a lot of good weight in college, even if he still has a ways to go.
Wooden showed more burst from the inside, as he wasn’t able to consistently create separation when lined up on the outside. This led to average sack numbers in college.
The Grade
Green Bay addressed a position of need by drafting a defensive lineman in the fourth round. Clark is he only sure thing on the line. Wyatt was a first-round pick last year and should be ready for an expanded role. Slaton showed promise as well. Now, Wooden gives them another option.
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His quickness gives them another type of player to line up along the defensive line, ensuring opposing offenses have to prepare for several different types of players. He has the potential to continue growing and should become a solid contributor.
Grade: B