The Green Bay Packers are in a period of transition. For the first time in over 30 seasons, Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers will not be the primary starter. How will the Packers set Jordan Love up for long-term success? This Packers NFL mock draft could be one answer to that question.
Latest Green Bay Packers 2023 NFL Mock Draft
When it comes to making a young quarterback successful, surrounding him with outstanding receiving weapons and a solid pass-protecting offensive line is imperative. The latter is solid, but the former needs some work.
We used user data from PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to decide the first four rounds of the Packers draft. Only fan favorites of Green Bay mock drafters appear here.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State | Round 1, Pick 15
Overall, the most mocked player to the Packers is Georgia tight end Darnell Washington, but his average draft position is 42. Luke Musgrave and Michael Mayer all rank in the top four, a nod to Green Bay’s need for a tight end and the fans’ thirst for it.
But Jaxon Smith-Njigba ranks third overall and is the most-drafted player in one-round mock drafts. A wide receiver of Smith-Njigba’s ilk would be an incredible fit in Green Bay alongside Love. He’s a natural separator as a route runner but also possesses elite change of direction.
Brian Hartline is the best in the business among college receiver coaches and recruiters in the country. It’s no shock that he did such an outstanding job molding the receiver from North Texas.
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Lukas Van Ness is another popular name in first-round mock drafts. He’d be an interesting fit for Green Bay. He possesses outstanding size and athleticism that realistically makes him a versatile piece for them either as a 4i defensive end or as a standup rusher at outside linebacker.
However, that need is not as significant. The Packers’ defensive line has talent and contractual control on their side. Additionally, it doesn’t help the quarterback’s evaluation directly. But the biggest reason why Smith-Njigba should be the pick is that he’s simply the far superior prospect.
Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State | Round 2, Pick 45
If your tight end isn’t a freak athlete, he’s probably not worth drafting. Musgrave has big hands, an explosive lower half, and good speed overall. Although there aren’t a ton of reps from him in line at Oregon State, Musgrave has the frame and power to survive there. But his size and athleticism as a pass catcher are why you draft him so high.
Musgrave is explosive, springy, and not a completely blank slate as a route runner. The rub is that he’s only played in 20 games over four college seasons and has been unlucky with injuries in that time. Hurt guys tend to stay hurt, but the coin flip with Musgrave is worth it if he can somehow stay healthy.
Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin | Round 3, Pick 78
Keeanu Benton has everything the Packers tend to look for from their defensive linemen. Joe Barry utilized a lot of three-down fronts utilizing bigger defenders playing as 4i or 5-techniques.
Although Benton was mostly a B-gap player at Wisconsin, his skill set allows for him to play up and down the defensive line. Benton could realistically play anywhere from a true nose to head-up on an offensive tackle.
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He possesses more than enough explosiveness to be a problem as a pass rusher if he can become more consistent with his plan and overall use of hands. Benton has powerful but inaccurate hands, although he should still be able to win early on with a heavy club and swim move that he utilizes well.
Benton is a Packer in 1.1% of user mock drafts. Mazi Smith and Calijah Kancey show up at around the same frequency, but both have ADPs under 50, and Kancey doesn’t have the type of length that Green Bay tends to prefer.
Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Penn State | Round 4, Pick 116
Everybody wants the freak athlete, and rightly so. Having a Relative Athletic Score of over nine sure makes playing football easier. However, it means more at some positions than others. Safety is one position that one can get away with not being a freak, as long as they’re often playing on the back end and not having to play a bulk of the snaps in the slot.
Ji’Ayir Brown played all over the field for Penn State over the past two seasons, and no player in college football intercepted more passes than him in 2021 and 2022. A 4.65 40-yard dash is a worry, particularly because his 10-yard split fell in the 86th percentile.
But Brown is an intelligent coverage defender who can survive in split-field instances and plays with enough physicality to come down into the box and be an active participant in the run fit.