Packers winners and losers from first two days of 2023 NFL Draft
The vision for the Green Bay Packers is beginning to come together. After the first two days of the 2023 NFL Draft, we have a much clearer picture. And it’s shaping up to be a good one.
Gutekunst swung for the fences with his picks in the first two days–four selections in all–and is clearly targeting high-risk, high-reward players. Here’s who the Packers have drafted so far (if you click on the link, you can review the good, the bad, and the grade for each player):
- Round 1, Pick 13: Lukas Van Ness, outside linebacker
- Round 2, Pick 42: Luke Musgrave, tight end
- Round 2, Pick 50: Jayden Reed, wide receiver
- Round 3, Pick 78: Tucker Kraft, tight end
We won’t know how the players actually turn out for years to come, but we can draw some conclusions at this time. Here are the Packers’ winners and losers from Day 1 and 2.
After four total selections, here are the Green Bay Packers winners and losers during the first two days of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Winner: Jordan Love
The Packers didn’t select a wide receiver or tight end in the first round, but they tripled-down on playmakers on Day 2. Musgrave has some big-time potential as a pass-catcher and should give Jordan Love a safety valve at tight end. Tucker Kraft is a bit of a better blocker, but has the potential to turn into a legit Pro Bowl tight end in his career.
The addidition of Jayden Reed was a nice acquisition for a thin and inexperienced wide receiver room. There are question marks about his game, but he’s versatile and can be used in many different ways.
Loser: Josiah Deguara
Deguara plays a bit of a different position than Kraft or Musgrave, but it’s hard to imagine the Packers using a ton of two or three tight end sets. And if they do go with two, Kraft and Musgrave might be those two. Deguara, a former third-round pick, has never shown consistency in the NFL, and this could be the beginning of the end for him.
Winner: Matt LaFleur
Head coach Matt LaFleur has a lot more weapons to build his offense around now. He won’t have a stubborn quarterback at the helm, allowing him to run the offense the way he wants to. He’ll also have a trio of playmakers at wide receivers, two legitimate running backs and versatility at tight end. We’ll see what he can cook up this season.
Winner: Long-term roster building
The Packers have a ton of holes to fill on their roster and plenty of draft ammunition to address them all. We already saw them add Lukas Van Ness, a long-term project at outside linebacker, in the first round and three more picks on Day 2.
Thanks to not one, but two trade backs in the second round, they own nine selections on Day 3, the second-most. Here are all their picks:
- Round 4, Pick 116
- Round 5, Pick 149
- Round 5, Pick 159 (via Detroit)
- Round 6, Pick 179 (via Tampa Bay)
- Round 6, Pick 207 (via New York)
- Round 7, Pick 232
- Round 7, Pick 235 (via Los Angeles)
- Round 7, Pick 242 (via Jacksonville
- Round 7, Pick 256 (compensatory pick)
Packers draft Kraft 78th: The good, bad, grade. dark. Next
Loser: Packers’ third-round curse
Green Bay has been awful at selecting third-round picks since what seems like forever. They’ve had several players flame out of the entire NFL before their rookie contract even expires. Obviously, each player is different and struggles due to their own, unique set of circumstances. Hopefully, this spells the end of that curse with the selection of Kraft.