The Green Bay Packers drafted 10 players in the 2023 NFL Draft. As is the case for most draft picks, many of them are not expected to be immediate contributors to the team. Instead, they will develop and hone their skills for a year or two before taking a bigger role. However, given the state of the Packers’ roster and the quality players they drafted, there will be opportunities for more than one of them to make an impact right away. In fact, Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report predicts that two of the Packers’ draft picks will be huge contributors to the team in 2023.
Green Bay Packers Impact Rookie #1: Lukas Van Ness
While many fans wanted the Packers to finally take a wide receiver in the first round, general manager Brian Gutekunst stuck with his tendency and drafted a defensive player first. Lukas Van Ness, an edge rusher who can also play defensive line, was drafted to add depth to the Packers’ pass rush, a position that suffered terribly when Rashan Gary went down with a torn ACL last season.
Van Ness, who is also called Hercules, has been thought by many to be able to start right away alongside Preston Smith if Gary is not ready for Week One. Of his ability to contribute right away, Sobleski writes:
The fact that Lukas Van Ness didn’t start a single game last season may be the most misleading statistic to come out of this year’s draft class.
Technically, the 21-year-old didn’t start because of upperclassmen ahead of him on the depth chart. However, he found himself on the field more than any other Iowa defensive lineman.
“If you would have told me, and this just gives you how much of a surprise it was to me, if you would have told me that Lukas wasn’t going to be back, and I wasn’t going to coach him in 2023, he probably would have started a lot more,” Hawkeyes defensive line coach Kelvin Bell told reporters. “I probably would’ve gotten more out of him.”
The 6’5″, 272-pound defender actually started his career by working along the interior before finally bumping out onto the edge. As a result, his game is primarily based on power. His bull rush can be overwhelming, even against the best competition.
Yet Van Ness will need to develop his entire pass-rushing repertoire. Until then, his play-strength and versatility will allow him to have a vital role in the Packers’ rotation, with Rashan Gary still recovering from a torn ACL.
As Sobleski correctly points out, the fact that Van Ness did not start any games is a misleading stat. Coach Bell of Iowa is famous for starting upper classmen. However, if one were to look at the number of snaps played, one would see that Van Ness played more than the starters. Even if Gary is ready to go in Week One, fans can expect the first round pick to have a prominent role in the offense.
Green Bay Packers Impact Rookie #2: Luke Musgrave
Entering the 2023 NFL Draft, the Packers had two tight ends on their roster: Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis. Robert Tonyan signed with the Chicago Bears in free agency and Marcedes Lewis does not fit with the team’s youth movement. Obviously, tight end was a glaring need entering the draft, and many believed the Packers would draft one in the first round if they did not take a wide receiver. Instead, though, Gutekunst used his first second round pick on Luke Musgrave and his third round pick on Tucker Kraft to add depth to the tight end room.
Both Musgrave and Kraft are sure to see plenty of snaps in the Packers offense. However Sobleski believes it will be Musgrave who has the biggest impact:
With the first-round selection of Lukas Van Ness already included, it’s clear that this year’s group of Green Bay Packers prospects are packed full of potential.
The Packers chose Luke Musgrave with this year’s 42nd overall selection despite the fact that the tight end never started a full season in college or provided more than 22 catches in a single campaign.
So, how is the second-round rookie going to impact the Packers’ offense?
His size (6’6″, 253 lbs), speed and fluidity make him a natural target in the passing game. Also, the first-year target already caught the eye of his starting quarterback.
“He’s going to be a great player. He’s a lot faster than I think anybody thought,” Jordan Love told reporters. “He picked up the offense really fast. He’s getting a lot of reps right now, which is great for him. He’s making the most of it.”
Obviously, a transition will occur with Aaron Rodgers gone and Love now leading the way.
Considering the organization’s investments at tight end by also drafting Tucker Kraft in this year’s third round, a heavier reliance on 12 personnel (two tight end sets) could help the new starter ease into his position and provide the rookies with ample time to shine.
The reason why Musgrave could be considered a top contributor right away is that neither Deguara nor Davis have played huge roles in the Packers offense before. Davis is on the team solely for his special teams abilities and Deguara is more of an H-back than a typical tight end. That means that the majority of passing plays that include tight ends will have Musgrave and Kraft. Of the two rookies, Musgrave has the highest ceiling, so it makes sense that he would be predicted to contribute more right away.
A Sleeper Pick for High-Impact Rookie: Anthony Johnson
Sobleski is very logical to pick the Packers’ first two draft picks as rookies that will likely contribute right away. As mentioned, the state of the roster and the quality of those players made it a smart prediction. However, I believe another draft pick, a seventh rounder, could also end up playing a huge role on the team.
Anthony Johnson Jr. is one of the four players that the Packers drafted in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft. This year’s safety class was not particularly good, so many teams avoided the position altogether. It was very interesting that Johnson fell to the Packers in the seventh round as many had projected him as being a fifth round talent.
Now, the Packers’ safety room is quite easily the weakest on the team in terms of ability. Darnell Savage has had two bad seasons in a row. Adrian Amos is off to join Aaron Rodgers on the New York Jets, but even he had a terrible year last year. As it stands, Rudy Ford and Jonathan Owens could be considered candidates to start alongside Savage at safety, but Johnson could easily find his way into a starting role, too.
Last season, Ford allowed a 65% completion percentage and 106.9 passer rating when targeted. Owens played for the Texans last year and gave up a 66.7% completion percentage and 128.5 passer rating when targeted. In other words, the Packers have a ton safeties but not many who can be considered locks as a starter.
Last season, Johnson had a PFF defensive grade of 73.2 and coverage grade of 74.9. Do not be surprised if he ends up as a starting safety sooner rather than later.
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