Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire recently put together his pre-NFL Scouting Combine top-50 big board. The good news for the Green Bay Packers is that at several of their biggest positions of need, they should have some prospects to choose from when they are on the clock in the early rounds.
On Farrar’s big board, he has 10 edge rushers listed. The depth of the edge rusher position for the Packers was a concern last offseason, and it remains one. Without Rashan Gary during the latter half of last season, Green Bay struggled to generate regular pressure. This is also a position that is heavily rotated, with OLB Coach Jason Rebrovich saying that he wants a four-man rotation each week. However, as of now, we don’t know when Gary will return, and behind Preston Smith and JJ Enagbare on the depth chart are the inexperienced La’Darius Hamilton and Jonathan Garvin, who was often inactive in 2022.
(4) Will Anderson, Alabama
(8) Myles Murphy, Clemson
(10) Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech
(14) Keion White, Georgia Tech
(31) Nolan Smith, Georgia
(33) Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
(38) Derick Hall, Auburn
(40) Will McDonald, Iowa State
(44) Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
(48) Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
Receiver is again another position of need for the Packers. Christian Watson looks like a true No. 1 threat, while Romeo Doubs can be a reliable third option, but this unit as a whole still needs more playmaking, with the only other options on the roster currently being Samori Toure, Bo Melton and Jeff Cotton. Green Bay should absolutely look to add a veteran to the mix in free agency since this is such a young room, but that shouldn’t in any way impact how they approach the draft at receiver.
(12) Quentin Johnston, TCU
(15) Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
(18) Jordan Addison, USC
(26) Jalen Hyatt, Tennessee
(32) Zay Flowers, Boston Colleg
(47) Josh Downs, UNC
Tight end and safety round out what I would consider the four biggest needs that the Packers have to address this offseason, and both have similar requirements. The only experienced players on the roster at either position are Josiah Deguara, who is more of an H-back, and Darnell Savage, who was benched at one point last season–so depth is a must. On top of that, both positions need more playmaking. Robert Tonyan was the only pass-catching threat at the position in 2022; however, he averaged less than nine yards per catch. The safety position, meanwhile, was responsible for too many broken plays and missed tackles.
The good news is that the Packers should have the opportunity within the first two rounds to address tight end, with four players in Farrar’s top 50. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com has six tight ends in his top 50 prospects.
(16) Michael Mayer, Notre Dame
(22) Dalton Kincaid, Utah
(37) Darnell Washington, Georgia
(39) Luke Musgrave Oregon State
On the flip side, the safety position is lacking that high-end depth at the top of the draft class. Only two safeties made Farrar’s initial top 50, and both Brian Branch and Antonio Johnson played more of a slot cornerback role than a traditional safety, which is what the Packers really need.
(24) Brian Branch, Alabama
(29) Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
Two other positions worth noting are offensive tackle and the interior defensive line. As we look at the Packers’ offensive tackle depth for 2023, it appears to be in pretty good shape. However, the draft is about planning ahead, and this is a position group that could be very thin by 2024. A year from now, there is the potential that David Bakhtiari could be a salary cap casualty while Yosh Nijman will be an unrestricted free agent. Although Caleb Jones and Rasheed Walker have shown a lot of promise, we have no clue if either can become a starting-caliber player.
(7) Paris Johnson, Ohio State
(13) Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
(17) Broderick Jones, Georgia
(21) Anton Harrison, Oklahoma
(42) Darnell Wright, Tennessee
Lastly, the Packers need to find a fourth member for their interior defensive line rotation to join Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, and TJ Slaton. The play from this group was largely inconsistent in 2022, but a key contributor to the defense’s late-season success was the improved player up front that included more steady pressure and better play against the run. The best way to wreck an offensive game plan is through interior pressure. One surefire way for this Green Bay defense to play better football in 2023 is by having a greater impact from the interior defensive line unit.
(1) Jalen Carter, Georgia
(19) Bryan Bersee, Clemson
(41) Jiaki Ika, Baylor
(45) Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
(46) Calijah Kancey, Pitt
Another loaded position in this year’s draft class is cornerback, with seven players making Farrar’s top 50. However, in terms of need for the Packers, cornerback is likely low on the list.
