2023 Packers draft discussion

[HarryDoyle]

8 hours ago, homer said:

As is my custom, I want GB to trade down from 13 and accumulate picks. Some goober (cough McCarthy cough) really wants Bijan Robinson. I can feel it.

How about with the Jets at 15???

[MrTPlush]

6 minutes ago, HarryDoyle said:

How about with the Jets at 15???

Imagine some dude the Jets want shockingly falls and they trade up to have #13 back. lol

[Joseph Zarr]

1 hour ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

I think adding JSN would open up the game for the other receivers.

That theory would've been alot easier to know for sure had JSN actually played meaningful snaps last season without Olave and Wilson in the same receiving corps as him and Harrison, Jr., too.  I think the counter argument to this is it's tough to tell how much of JSN's 2021 production was a direct result of being the possession receiver in an absolutely loaded receiver room at OSU with top 10 first round talents like Olave/Wilson/Harrison Jr. occupying all sorts of coverage on the outside, and a quarterback with the potential to be a #1 overall pick throwing them the ball.

Very fair comments. Nothing to disagree with here.

[HarryDoyle]

2 hours ago, MrTPlush said:

Imagine some dude the Jets want shockingly falls and they trade up to have #13 back. lol

And remember, the Pats have the #14 pick.

[LouisEly]

3 hours ago, Fear The Chorizo said:

I've got a ton of hesitancy using a mid-1st rounder on a guy with average measurables who had a monster Rose Bowl game (not a CFP game, so in essence meaningless) in early 2022 because the #1 and #2 receivers on that team opted out of that game to prepare for last season's draft and Stroud just fed him the ball all game long against soft zone coverages by inferior defenders.  Then, he plays in just 3 games last season while dealing with a lingering hamstring injury.

To me Smith-Njigba profiles as a 2nd round pick that will get overdrafted in a thin year.  I'd rather go different position at #13 and then see if a WR like Johnston is available late round 1 or early round 2 and try to use available draft capital to pick him to fill out the WR room.

 

Yes and no.  In 2021 JS-N actually had a lot more receiving yards (~1600) than either Wilson or Olave (~1,000 each), but the latter two missed two games each and were a little dinged up (Wilson missed the Nebraska game and JS-N had 240 receiving yards that game).  Those three all benefited each other though because which one are you going to double-cover?  They all opened up holes for each other.

The Rose Bowl is what gives me a lot of hesitation for JS-N, though, but it's not because of it being a non-CFP game.  It was because of the post-game interview.  He struggled to form complete sentences.  Sounded like Mushmouth from Fat Albert.  Add that to the rumors that he opted out of the playoffs this past season because of academic eligibility reasons - he did opt out so that's not a good look any way you look at it - and I think he's a guy who might struggle to learn an NFL playbook.  And that's not uncommon to begin with for WRs who come from a hurry-up, check the cards being held up on the sideline for your route type of offenses.

[brewcrewdue80]

Just isn't a reason to draft a WR with 13th pick after trading up and getting Watson in 2nd last season.  I'm looking for Edge or OL with 13. 

Skoronski or Paris Johnson. I wonder on this draft if 1 of the 2 fall down to 13 you the one who did.

Otherwise the writeups on Edges seem to have mix on being an edge or adding weight to be a DT.  The defensive fronts we run, the hybrid version sounds like a winning add to me either way. Our secondary may produce more turnovers with a QB more under duress or having better 3down distance to go situations stopping the run.

Of course there's the dire need on a TE. I keep seeing Kincaid in that 9-13 range. Doesn't read to me like he or a bunch of these 1st rd/early 2nd TEs  really belong there. Just seems to show how weak the draft class is by projecting them that high.  Maybe I'm missing something with Kincaid being that high but if he's around when 13 comes and GB selects him, hope he turns out to value there. We need one. I've hated the last decade of TEs with 0 downfield threat. 0 Red zone threat. Just always felt Rodgers found TEs on defensive breakdowns coving them. It wasn't that they beat a guy 1-on-1.

[LouisEly]

There's this school of thought that TEs aren't a valuable position and rarely exceed expectations as a 1st round pick.  I don't necessarily buy that.  If that's the case, then how come so many teams run 2-3 TE sets?  Pro-style offenses use multiple TEs because they create extra gaps that the defense needs to cover.  And how do you quantify a TE who's a good blocker?  If a good blocking TE helps create extra yardage on rushing plays and is effective at blocking blitzing OLBs, how do you quantify that?

[yourout]

If some miracle Brian Branch the safety from Alabama is available at 13 they had better not pass on him.

[homer]

I don't think "slot receiver" is the pejorative it once was. Cooper Kupp is a slot receiver. Amon Ra St Brown is a slot receiver. 

[MVP2110]

7 hours ago, yourout said:

If some miracle Brian Branch the safety from Alabama is available at 13 they had better not pass on him.

Some miracle? I don't think I've seen a single mock or top 100 board that has Branch before 13

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

10 hours ago, brewcrewdue80 said:

Just isn't a reason to draft a WR with 13th pick after trading up and getting Watson in 2nd last season.  I'm looking for Edge or OL with 13. 

Skoronski or Paris Johnson. I wonder on this draft if 1 of the 2 fall down to 13 you the one who did.

Otherwise the writeups on Edges seem to have mix on being an edge or adding weight to be a DT.  The defensive fronts we run, the hybrid version sounds like a winning add to me either way. Our secondary may produce more turnovers with a QB more under duress or having better 3down distance to go situations stopping the run.

Of course there's the dire need on a TE. I keep seeing Kincaid in that 9-13 range. Doesn't read to me like he or a bunch of these 1st rd/early 2nd TEs  really belong there. Just seems to show how weak the draft class is by projecting them that high.  Maybe I'm missing something with Kincaid being that high but if he's around when 13 comes and GB selects him, hope he turns out to value there. We need one. I've hated the last decade of TEs with 0 downfield threat. 0 Red zone threat. Just always felt Rodgers found TEs on defensive breakdowns coving them. It wasn't that they beat a guy 1-on-1.

I personally think Skoronski is going to be the pick. Start him at guard this year, then kick him out to LT in 2024 when Bahk is gone. You have a top notch LT for the next decade.

[LouisEly]

Skoronski doesn't have the length that the Packers typically like at tackle.  Bakh wasn't big, but has 34" arms.  Tom is 33 1/4".  Skoronski is 32 1/4".  The tackles that the Packers have been bringing in and talking to this year all have long arms.  I'd be really surprised if he's high on the Packers board, especially at #13 overall.

On his NFL.com draft profile, a NFC team executive was quoted as saying, "He’s a Pro Bowler at guard but just an average tackle if a team keeps him there.”  That's why I like NFL.com for draft evaluations - they have more access to team scouts and executives than any other draft site.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

42 minutes ago, LouisEly said:

Skoronski doesn't have the length that the Packers typically like at tackle.  Bakh wasn't big, but has 34" arms.  Tom is 33 1/4".  Skoronski is 32 1/4".  The tackles that the Packers have been bringing in and talking to this year all have long arms.  I'd be really surprised if he's high on the Packers board, especially at #13 overall.

On his NFL.com draft profile, a NFC team executive was quoted as saying, "He’s a Pro Bowler at guard but just an average tackle if a team keeps him there.”  That's why I like NFL.com for draft evaluations - they have more access to team scouts and executives than any other draft site.

All good points. I don't know, though. He just "seems" like a Packers-type pick, especially in a draft where it seems more and more fans have fallen in love with the idea of drafting JSN. If one of the top Edge guys like Anderson or Wilson, or a stud like Jalen Carter inexplicably falls out of the top 10, I could see the Packers grabbing one of those guys too.

Personally, JSN would be really fun. I'd love it. But taking him at #13 is not the Packers' M.O. That's why I don't see it happening.

[brewcrewdue80]

1 hour ago, LouisEly said:

Skoronski doesn't have the length that the Packers typically like at tackle.  Bakh wasn't big, but has 34" arms.  Tom is 33 1/4".  Skoronski is 32 1/4".  The tackles that the Packers have been bringing in and talking to this year all have long arms.  I'd be really surprised if he's high on the Packers board, especially at #13 overall.

On his NFL.com draft profile, a NFC team executive was quoted as saying, "He’s a Pro Bowler at guard but just an average tackle if a team keeps him there.”  That's why I like NFL.com for draft evaluations - they have more access to team scouts and executives than any other draft site.

Could who they brought in be an effect the belief Skoronski is picked well before 15, now 13?  

How was Jenkins talked about pre-draft? Wouldn't  Pro-Bowler at guard who can kick out to average Tackle be a good fit with the OL makeup right now? I imagine guard is quicker to get going over a tackle? So he gets seasoning in game experience while grasping the Tackle position as time goes?

[MVP2110]

I think if they go the tackle route then Broderick Jones or Darnell Wright are more likely than Skoronski 

[SeaBass]

Prefacing my comment by saying I don't know anything when it comes to talent evaluation and I don't follow college football so my views lean more to the average fan. All to say that my knowledge is dependent on what publications and other people have to say about players and I'm not scouring the internet to try to divine my own evaluations based on public info.

I'd describe myself as having a seat on the JSN hype train though some of the things I've read that have been shared on here and on some other websites have tempered that feeling to a point where I don't think I'd be enraged if the Packers don't select him if he makes it to pick 13. Still would be pretty happy to get him though.

What hasn't really changed is my fervent hope that the Packers do not select a TE in the first round. This only because it feels like there are enough quality options at TE that waiting until day 2 to select one seems like the right play. If they trade down from 13 and take one that would be a little better but I'd still rather address other positions first.

If the pick is not a WR then OL, Edge/DL or Safety are the areas I'd prefer to see. OL seems like it's good quality in the early going and in my opinion you can't have too many talented offensive linemen. Pass rushers are also welcome. Not sure on the safety quality or depth, it feels like there is more prime talent at CB early on but not opposed to a swing in the defensive backfield. Maybe one of the other WRs if they trade down or miss on JSN.

It would be interesting if one of the top 4 QBs fell to 13, I could almost hear every Packers fan holding their breath if that happens LOL

 

[LouisEly]

46 minutes ago, brewcrewdue80 said:

Could who they brought in be an effect the belief Skoronski is picked well before 15, now 13?  

How was Jenkins talked about pre-draft? Wouldn't  Pro-Bowler at guard who can kick out to average Tackle be a good fit with the OL makeup right now? I imagine guard is quicker to get going over a tackle? So he gets seasoning in game experience while grasping the Tackle position as time goes?

It would be a good fit, but Jenkins was a 2nd round pick, not 1st.  I could see it in the 2nd with two 2nd round picks, but not in the 1st at #13 overall, and not with that lack of length.  Jenkins also has 34" arms.

[CheezWizHed]

20 hours ago, MrTPlush said:

Imagine some dude the Jets want shockingly falls and they trade up to have #13 back. lol

And they draft a QB with it!

[CheezWizHed]

11 hours ago, homer said:

I don't think "slot receiver" is the pejorative it once was. Cooper Kupp is a slot receiver. Amon Ra St Brown is a slot receiver. 

That was the knock on Justin Jefferson in the draft too. 

I'm not "all in" on JSN because he isn't the athletic all-around type.  He is simply the best WR in the draft.  He will be very good and Jennings is probably a great comparison.  In last year's draft, he probably goes in the late 1st round.  But I can see the logic and the fit for him on the team too. 

Likewise with Branch.  I get why we want him and how he fits, but he is simply the best S in the draft...not really someone worthy of the 13th pick, IMO.  

[bjkrautk]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/peter-skoronski-honors-grandfather-packers-165057709.html

Skoronski's Grandfather played for Lombardi, for what it's worth.  I would have zero qualms with the Packers drafting him if he falls to 13.

 

I'm not a huge JSN fan myself.  For a guy reported to not run a 4.4 40 (he did agility drills during the combine, but not the 40), I think he's at best a 2nd round guy who's being elevated by the not-great draft class at the position.  His productivity has largely been a function of playing alongside Wilson and Olave in '22, and Harrison Jr. this year; he's the guy who gets open because teams try to take away the other guys.  I don't think he's ever been the best WR on his own team, which makes it touch to see him as the top WR in the class.  I was very high on Olave last year, having seen him play over the years....and I never got that same sense from JSN, despite them being on the same team.

If there's a guy they like at 13, preferably an Edge or OT, I'm fine with them making the pick.  My preference would be to trade down into the high 20s, accumulate additional picks in the 2nd/3rd/4th rounds, looking to fill holes in the roster (TE, Safety, WR depth, and OL / OLB if not addressed in R1).

[Joseph Zarr]

So, do we have a @LouisEly Packers Draft Master list yet? I need my fix. 

[bjkrautk]

12 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

So, do we have a @LouisEly Packers Draft Master list yet? I need my fix. 

It's on page 6 of the thread; here's a direct link to the post.

[Joseph Zarr]

4 minutes ago, bjkrautk said:

It's on page 6 of the thread; here's a direct link to the post.

Thank you! Awesome sauce!

[Joseph Zarr]

Good god I love the @LouisElywrite-ups. It's like the gentle breeze I need before the madness of the draft. Let's go!

[Joseph Zarr]

Just watched the PFN pre-draft discussion amongst Tony Pauline, Trey Wingo, and Adam Caplan. Highlights regarding the top of the draft:

• Near certain Carolina is going Bryce Young 
• Texans seem to be leaning Will Anderson or Tyree Wilson
• Arizona appears to be leaning Paris Johnson (and it is rumored Kyler Murray - who lobbied for the Cardinals to take Creed Humphrey - might be lobbying here) Jr. here and they have been discussing a swap with the Colts.
• The Colts are actually rumored to be zeroing in on QB Will Levis (which I found stunning but, given the weird Vegas odds flip I guess not that surprising?)
• There is chatter Minnesota is leaning QB Hendon Hooker and he is potentially arriving in the perfect situation if that happens
• It would appear, according to League sources, Jalen Carter is the Seahawks selction at 5 but there is debate in the War Room re: Anthony Richardson
• Tony is hearing it's all CB in Detroit - Witherspoon appears to be their guy and he confirmed it this afternoon yet again.
• Raiders: they're going defense. Personnel people say the knock on Gonzalez is it gets hazy in Zone. People love him in bump-and-run but isn't as well-rounded as Witherspoon. Regardless, Gonzalez appears to be their guy.
• Bijan Robinson starts to get discussed around the Falcons. They need defense, tho. Rumors are they aren't considering Jalen Carter (if he should fall) because of his off field issues and the proximity to UGA. Names being whispered are Robinson and Van Ness at present
• When we get to the 10th pick, it depends who falls. Tyree Wilson's injury history concerns some teams but if you take this draft as a 4-5 year plan, he may end up the best player in this draft. Jalen Carter remains the most polarizing prospect because of his weird behavior off the field (walking away from the accident incident and then changing his story multiple times with the police)
• They're hearing more trades are likely 11-21 than 1-10.

If you're curious yourself, here's the link to the hour long video HERE