The 2023 NFL Draft is the first shot that the Green Bay Packers have to build around Jordan Love, and with the pending Aaron Rodgers potentially giving them more draft picks to use, GM Brian Gutekunst will need every resource he has.
The following seven-round mock draft includes no trades, and there is a ton of value at each of these selections for Green Bay.
1.15 – Jaxson Smith-Njiba
WR – Ohio State
The crown jewel at wide receiver in the draft is Ohio State’s Jaxson Smith-Njiba, and the irony of Gutekunst taking a first-round WR for Love is just too fun of a route to take. Pairing JSN with Christian Watson is a fantastic 1-2 group and would immediately inject more talent into this group.
2.45 – Keion White
EDGE – Georgia Tech
One of the more questionable invitees to the green room for the draft was Georgia Tech’s Keion White, and he looks to be the most likely player to be left on the board when the first round ends. Needing a stud to pair with Rashan Gary to rush the QB, White has a great motor and a toolbox of sound pass-rush moves to be a mainstay in the backfield for a long time.
3.78 – Sydney Brown
S – Illinois
Safety depth is probably the second-biggest need for Green Bay in the draft (behind WR), and adding a mid-round option like Sydney Brown is a significant step to take.
Brown has solid coverage skills but also has the ability to play down in the box, the two most prominent elements to be a successful safety in the NFL.
4.116 – Moro Ojomo
DL – Texas
Labeled as a lineman and not as an edge rusher, Moro Ojomo would be another body in the DT room behind Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt. Needing to add some more talent here, this can also help give Wyatt some competition and get him to be even better heading into his second season.
5.149 – Xavier Hutchinson
WR – Iowa State
JSN is not the only WR talent that Packers fans should be excited about – Xavier Hutchinson is a 6’2 threat that can go up and get the ball in the end zone. Heavily used at Iowa State, Hutchinson has some parts of his game he still needs to work on, but there are plenty of buildable skills that make him a solid addition.
5. 170 – K.J. Henry
EDGE – Clemson
With a Year 3 starter profile written all over him, K.J. Henry is a depth piece at the edge rusher position, an area the Packers can never have too much of. Slick pass-rush moves and a good motor make him an upside prospect, even if he does need to work on his hand usage.
7.232 – Juice Scruggs
iOL – Penn State
Having met virtually with the Packers, Penn State offensive lineman Juice Scruggs profiles as a good depth option at either guard position or center. More set at tackle than on the inside, the Packers should look into a late option like Scruggs to try and mold into a swing guy in a year or two.
7.235 – Payne Durham
TE – Purdue
Tight end is a position that the Packers will likely either use an early pick on or punt until the end and based on how the board fell, Green Bay decided to wait until late to find one. Payne Durham played some physical football at Purdue, and he is both average at both catching the ball and blocking.
7.242 – Dylan Horton
EDGE – TCU
The final selection for the Packers in the 2023 NFL Draft is their third edge rusher of the draft, TCU’s Dylan Horton. Good up-field movements in his pass-rush game translate into living in the backfield, but being below-average in stopping the run limits Horton’s impact in Year 1.
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Mike Johrendt has been an avid fan of the Packers ever since he can remember. He is now a writer at PackersTalk and you can follow him on Twitter at @MJohrendt23
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