The Green Bay Packers made some interesting decisions when deciding the final 53-man roster for the upcoming 2023 regular season. Green Bay has been known for using the NFL Draft to find gems rather than signing players in free agency. This season, the Packers kept 14 total rookies on the roster. Eleven of them were drafted and three of them were undrafted free agents.
The two Packers rookies that were drafted and released were both seventh-round selections running back Lew Nichols (who was waived due to a shoulder injury) and wide receiver Grant DuBose, who missed most of training camp due to a back injury. Nichols was the 235th overall selection and DuBose was the 256th overall selection.
As for the undrafted free agents that made the 2023 roster, they were wide receiver Malik Heath from Ole Miss, edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr. from Florida, and running back Emanuel Wilson from Fort Valley State. They all stood out in the preseason for the Green Bay Packers.
Wilson was one of only three running backs to make the roster along with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. Heath was one of six receivers that the Packers kept on the roster and Cox Jr. was one of six outside linebackers they kept on the roster also.
Green Bay Packers Draft Picks Who Can Make An Impact
The Green Bay Packers are going through a youth movement with their roster keeping 14 rookies on the roster for the 2023 season. They hope they will grow up together potentially beyond this season for potential future success.
Green Bay’s first three draft picks in 2023 were outside linebacker Luke Van Ness from Iowa, tight end Luke Musgrave from Oregon State, and wide receiver Jayden Reed from Michigan State should make an immediate impact for this football team.
Van Ness will be a rotational player for the Packers, Reed will be a slot receiver, and Musgrave will be the starting tight end for this football team.
The other rookies to make this roster for Green Bay are tight end Tucker Kraft from South Dakota State, defensive lineman Colby Wooden from Auburn, quarterback Sean Clifford from Penn State, wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks from Virginia, defensive lineman Karl Brooks from Bowling Green, kicker Anders Carlson from Auburn, cornerback Carrington Valentine from Kentucky, and safety Anthony Johnson Jr. from Iowa State.
It isn’t a bad thing to carry this many rookies on the roster. The Green Bay Packers will have to have rookies making an impact in 2023 if they want to have success for this season or in years to come also.