Every general manager and team will go into the NFL draft with specific goals that need to be accomplished. Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers are no different. In a transition year, the to-do list is a long one.
So, what’s one thing the Packers must do in the 2023 draft?
Our staff at Packers Wire made their picks:
Zach Kruse
Invest heavily in the offense. Tons and tons of resources, including high draft picks and free-agent dollars, have been spent on building the defense. Amazingly, the same could be said for the special teams over the last two years. Now, it’s time for the Packers to invest heavily on the offensive side. Jordan Love is taking over as a first-year starter, and there are major question marks at both receiver and tight end, plus the long-term stability at running back and offensive tackle could be issues. Will the Packers be contenders in 2023? Who knows, but a new era is beginning at quarterback and the Packers must prioritize building back the offense after two departure-filled offseasons. Invest in the offense and let a bunch of young players grow with Love over the 2-3 years.
Brandon Carwile
Provide long-term stability for the offensive line. We know the Packers have to start surrounding Jordan Love with weapons if they want him to be successful, but they must also consider the uncertainty that faces their offensive line. Outside of Elgton Jenkins, who do we know will be starters for the next 2-3 years? 2023 could very well be David Bakhtiari’s last season in Green Bay when his cap hit skyrockets to $40 million in 2024. Then, along the interior, how confidence is the team in Josh Meyers and Jon Runyan Jr. as long-term starters at center and guard? And finally, there is Yosh Nijman, who could become a free agent after his one-year deal is up. Taking all of that into consideration, Brian Gutekunst has taken three offensive linemen in three out of five drafts, and could justify adding multiple again this year.
Paul Bretl
Add two tight ends and two wide receivers. When Aaron Rodgers took over as the starting quarterback in 2008, he had Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and James Jones at wide receiver. He also had Donald Lee and a young Jermichael Finley at tight end. Currently, Green Bay has a solid foundation at receiver in Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, but they need more. The tight end position, meanwhile, is short on both depth and talent. As of now, the Packers have 10 draft picks, and at least four of them have to be devoted to the receiver and tight end positions. In order for Green Bay to best evaluate whether or not Jordan Love can be their quarterback for the next decade-plus, they need to put a key pieces around him, and that means adding more playmakers to the passing game. Even with Aaron Rodgers at quarterback, a lot of the Packers early season struggles in 2022 stemmed from a passing game that defenses weren’t fearful of. That then has a negative trickle-down effect to the rest of the offense.
Brennen Rupp
The Packers must get their hands on one of the “Top Six” tight ends. The group includes Michael Mayer, Dalton Kincaid, Darnell Washington, Tucker Kraft, Sam LaPorta, and Luke Musgrave. Brian Gutekunst needs to get Jordan Love a difference-maker at tight end. It’s been 23 years since the Packers selected a tight end in the first round. Mayer and Kincaid could be options at 15 or targets in a trade-down. If the Packers miss out on one of those two, Washington, Kraft, LaPorta, and Musgrave could all be targets early in the second round. While there will be talented options later in the draft, none of them offer the TE1 upside that these six players offer. It would be a major letdown if the Packers exit draft weekend without one of those “Top Six” tight ends.
