The Green Bay Packers currently have three picks within the top 100 of the 2023 NFL Draft. It is possible, however, that they end up with as many as five. There is a scenario in which the Packers trade Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets for their two second round picks (numbers 42 and 43 overall). Such a deal would give Green Bay a great deal of flexibility to take multiple players to fill their wide variety of positional needs. A recent three-round mock draft on PFF saw the Packers address four of these needs in the first two round before drafting a quarterback in the third round.
The Green Bay Packers Draft a Tight End First; Take Stanford’s Tanner McKee in the Third Round
Here are the Packers’ five draft picks in the 2023 NFL Draft’s top 100 picks per the PFF mock draft:
First Round
- Dalton Kincaid: Tight end (Utah)
Second Round
- Will McDonald IV: Edge (Iowa State)
- Mazi Smith: Defensive Lineman (Michigan)
- Nathaniel Dell: Wide Receiver (Houston)
Third Round
- Tanner McKee: Quarterback (Stanford)
As mentioned previously, the first four picks in this draft address some immediate positional needs for the Packers. The pick of McKee in the third round is certainly an interesting one. To be certain, Green Bay does need a backup to Jordan Love. It would not be a surprise to see them take a quarterback sometime after the first round. They did this numerous times early in Rodgers’ time as the starter.
In 2008, the exact year Rodgers took over, Green Bay selected TWO quarterbacks in the draft. They used a second round pick on Brian Brohm and a seventh round pick on Matt Flynn. In 2012, the Packers used their second seventh round pick on BJ Coleman. Finally, in 2015, they used a fifth round pick on Brett Hundley.
In other words, fans should not see the Packers drafting a quarterback as a vote of no confidence in Jordan Love. If the organization did not think Love could play well, we would not be in this situation to begin with. Instead, the organization would be smart to draft a quality backup in case of injury.
Analyzing the First Four Picks of PFF’s Mock Draft
As I stated in this earlier article, I do not believe that the Packers will draft Dalton Kincaid (or any tight end, for that matter) in the first round. There is no doubt that Kincaid is a phenomenal receiving tight end. However, he lacks blocking ability in both the passing and rushing games, making him an imperfect fit for Matt LaFleur’s offense.
The second round picks, however, do make a great deal of sense for the Packers. Edge, interior defensive line, and wide receiver are all positions that Green Bay values in the early rounds (with wide receiver being the exception in the first round). Each position is in dire need of depth heading into the 2023 season, and each of the players drafted could make an impact.
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