We’ve sorted through dozens of articles about the Packers’ latest news, game results, rosters, rumors and other info that’s important to the team and to you. Check it out! By PACKERSWIRE Zach Kruse, Brandon Carwile, paulbretl and Brennen Rupp The Green Bay Packers selected 13 players during the 2023 NFL draft, including first-round pick Lukas Van Ness, two tight ends, three wide receivers and two defensive linemen. It’s now time to dig into the draft class and find out what the Packers added to their roster during the year’s biggest roster-building event. In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the entire draft class, providing breakdowns, player profiles, scouting reports from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler and comments from the Packers on all 13 selections. Breakdown: Played in 27 games at Iowa, producing 19.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks. Played mostly inside in 2021 and moved outside in 2022. The Packers think he can do both at the next level and expect him to contribute right away. Should get development time behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith before becoming full-time player. Game is mostly power. One of the most athletic edge rushers in the class overall. Brugler’s scouting report: “Coming off the bench at Iowa, Van Ness was primarily an edge rusher in defensive coordinator Phil Parker’s four-man front, but he also saw significant snaps inside over the B-gap. The Iowa coaches reward seniority, so John Waggoner and Joe Evans started at defensive end last season, but Van Ness had more defensive snaps than either and led the Hawkeyes in tackles for loss and sacks. Regardless of alignment, Van Ness has high-end tools with his length and play strength, which allow him to wear down blockers as a pass rusher or stack, locate and play off blocks in the run game. A hockey player most of his life, he credits his time on the ice for developing his balance, urgent play style and competitive toughness. Overall, Van Ness needs coached up with his pass-rush construction and overall pacing, but he is an ascending player and competes like a grizzly bear with his fierce power and explosive twitch. He has the upside of an impactful NFL starter with inside/outside versatility, regardless of scheme.” They said it: “Big man. Powerful. Fast. Explosive. Really big upside…The physical traits are all there for him to grow, so there’s no real limitation on him. But also, the versatility to win outside with speed and inside with power. There’s so much in front of him, and that’s where his best football will be.” — GM Brian Gutekunst Breakdown: Tall, fast and hyper-athletic tight end with enormous potential as a pass-catcher. Experienced blocking inline, stretching the seam and running routes detached from the line of scrimmage. Caught 11 passes over two games before injury ended breakout 2022 season. Had some early-career drop issues and wasn’t elusive after the catch during final season. Size/athleticism profile almost identical to Travis Kelce. Think of him as the tight end version of Christian Watson; not many built like him, and he’ll be special if it all comes together. Brugler’s scouting report: “A two-year starter at Oregon State, Musgrave was a Y tight end in offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren’s run-heavy scheme, lining up both inline and in the slot. After two seasons as a backup behind two future NFL players Noah Togiai (Philadelphia Eagles) and Teagan Quitoriano (Houston Texans), he became a starter as a junior, but his targets were limited in the Beavers’ run-first offense and he missed almost all his senior year because of injury. An impressive size/speed athlete, Musgrave runs like a gazelle (elite high school track numbers for his size), and his lacrosse and skiing backgrounds translate to football with his core strength and hip fluidity as both a pass catcher and blocker. He blocks with outstanding body control and leverage to be a physical edge setter and engage defenders at the second and third levels, although he still needs to improve his sustain skills and steadiness as a pass blocker (only 5.9 percent of his career snaps on offense came in pass protection). Overall, Musgrave must continue to build up his football resume and overall consistency, but he is a high-level athlete with the route running and blocking talent to be a productive starting combo tight end in the NFL. He should be the first-ever Oregon State tight end drafted in the top 100 picks.” They said it: “Big, fast physical tight end that can stretch the field. Good wiring, good kid, comes from a football family…a lot of upside there. He’s got a legitimate trait where he can stretch the field and run by linebackers. If you put a safety on him, he’ll have a chance to body those guys up. We think his skill set to win as a pass-catcher was significant, and we like him as an inline blocker as well. ” — VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan Breakdown: Thin but dynamic and ultra-competitive receiver who can line up at any spot out wide and also return punts and kicks. Consistently plays bigger than his size; goes and gets the ball in traffic and 50/50 opportunities. Elusive with the ball in his hands. Terrific 10-yard split, Packers say they clocked him at 4.37 in the 40-yard dash. Wins on back-shoulder throws. Excelled at the Senior Bowl. Should complement Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs well as a versatile receiver who can play in the slot. Caught over 200 career passes and returned three punts for scores. Brugler’s scouting report: “A three-year starter at Michigan State, Reed was a perimeter receiver in offensive coordinator Jay Johnson’s offense. Although his senior year fell short of expectations because of injuries and the Spartans’ offensive struggles, he accounted for 46 explosive plays (20-plus yards) over the past two seasons and became just the third player in school history with multiple punt return touchdowns in the same season. Reed has outstanding foot quickness and skillfully throttles his route speed to separate from coverage. Despite dropping too many easy ones, his focus is heightened on contested windows, and he shows a knack for timing his leaps and snatching the football off the helmets of defensive backs. Overall, Reed will have a tougher time overcoming his slight size vs. NFL defensive backs, but his speed, route tempo and downfield ball skills are the ingredients of a potential NFL playmaker. With a few technical tweaks to his game, he has NFL starting ability (slot and outside) and adds value as a return man.” They said it: “Jayden is a very versatile player. He can return punts, play inside in the slot, play outside the numbers. He’s fast, quick in and out of his breaks. He’s strong for his size. We like him with the ball in his hands. Another kid who is wired right. He’s going to bring a dog mentality to this locker room.” — VP of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan Breakdown: Dual-threat pass-catcher and blocker who did a little bit of everything at SDSU. Looks the part at 6-5 and over 250 pounds. Nearly as athletic as Musgrave. Caught 99 passes and was a two-time All-American. Tough, aggressive player whether he’s blocking or running after the catch. Legitimate Y tight end potential at the next level. Brugler’s scouting report: “A three-year starter at South Dakota State, Kraft was a hybrid tight end (inline, wing and slot) in the Jackrabbits’ balanced offense. After passing on lucrative NIL offers from programs like Alabama, he returned to Brookings in 2022 for what NFL scouts expected to be his breakout season, but an ankle injury in the first quarter of the opener vs. Iowa curtailed that plan (he still returned and helped the program win the 2022 FCS National Championship). As a pass catcher, Kraft is an outstanding catch-and-go creator with fluid adjustment skills and balanced feet. As a blocker, he might not be polished, but he gets after it with the body control and desire to sustain and finish blocks. Since 1976, South Dakota State has only produced two top-100 draft picks and both were tight ends (Dallas Goedert No. 49 overall in 2018 and Steve Heiden No. 69 in 1999) – Kraft should be the third. Overall, Kraft needs development time to refine his route running and blocking techniques, but he is big, strong and athletic with the ball skills and blocking tenacity to evolve into an NFL starter. His play style and talent are reminiscent of Foster Moreau.” They said it: “Tucker is very good with the ball in his hands after the catch…I think he has really good balance and strength to break tackles and keep himself alive. I think these guys can do everything you ask a tight end to do in the NFL.” — GM Brian Gutekunst Breakdown: Versatile defensive front player who played some on the edge and inside for Auburn but was disruptive everywhere he lined up. Tallied 30 tackles for loss and 15 sacks over three seasons. Packers want him to bulk up and play primarily inside. Physical, up-field player with good get off the ball and an impressive motor. Durability is a plus (played in every game over last three seasons). Could play Kingsley Keke-like role in Green Bay. Brugler’s scouting report: “A three-year starter at Auburn, Wooden was the starting defensive end in former defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding’s four-man front, although most of his snaps came inside the offensive tackle as 4i or 3-technique. His production improved each of the last three seasons and he is one of only nine Tigers to reach 30 career tackles for loss over the last 25 years. Wooden is very active off the ball with the lower-body agility and limb quickness to play in gaps. However, his block destruction is undeveloped and he must do a better job staying on schedule to make a living battling NFL blockers. Wooden isn’t consistently disruptive when rushing from the outside, but he can set the edge or reduce down where his rush skills are more effective on the interior. He offers position flexibility as a rotational base end or 3-technique as an NFL rookie capable of ascending to starter.” They said it: “He’s a defensive tackle, big end type player. Athletic. Inside pass-rush guy. Can set the edge. Play inside. Quick. Powerful. Good football player. Really adds a lot of versatility to our defensive line.” — assistant director of college scouting Patrick Moore Breakdown: Four-time captain and three-time All-Big Ten pick who set school records at Penn State for passing yards and passing touchdowns. Produced 101 total touchdowns (86 passing, 15 rushing) in 51 games and 48 starts. Packers love his combination of intelligence, moxie, athleticism and toughness. Top-30 visit sold the team on his football acumen. Turns 25 in July. Likely long-term backup option behind Jordan Love. Brugler’s scouting report: “Sean Clifford, who has a younger brother (Liam) on the Penn State roster, was a three-year starter at St. Xavier High School and led the Bombers to the Division I state championship in 2016. A four-star recruit, he committed to Penn State over several SEC offers and became the Nittany Lions’ all-time leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns and completion percentage. Clifford was the first player in his high school’s history to be a two-time captain and was only the second fourtime captain in Penn State history. He was effective in a college RPO-based system, and his willingness to hang tough in the pocket or utilize his mobility helped keep drives alive. However, he needs to get through his progressions quicker and make things easier on his receivers to finish catches. Overall, Clifford throws well on the move and NFL teams love his toughness and smarts, but his current decision-making and ball placement are too inconsistent for what is required at the next level.” They said it: “Sean is a guy who is really intelligent. He’s played a lot of games. He’s got some athleticism. He’s a natural thrower. All the things we look for in quarterbacks, he possesses. We had him up here on a 30 visit and went through the meetings with himand were impressed by his football acument and overall intelligence.” — Head coach Matt LaFleur Breakdown: Big-play threat with ideal size (6-1, 206) who dominated in 2021 but took a big step back in 2022. Averaged 21.1 yards per catch created 27 plays of 20 or more yards and set a school record for receiving yards (1,203) as a junior but struggled during a scheme change as a senior. Although not a straight-line speedster, he’s an explosive mover with excellent body control and the ability to go up and get the ball in traffic. Wins with releases. Drops can be an issue. Lacks experience in the slot. Likely X receiver. Brugler’s scouting report: “A two-year starter at Virginia, Wicks was the X receiver in head coach Tony Elliott’s pro-style spread offense. He put his name on the early-round NFL Draft radar as a junior with a school-record 1,203 receiving yards, including 27 plays of 20-plus yards. But his senior year was the opposite in terms of production as he struggled to match his junior year success while learning the new offense under Elliott. Wicks’ basketball background shows on the football field with his athletic movements, body length and ability to elevate and out-rebound the football. However, the concentration drops are a glaring issue, and he must buckle down on the finer points of the position to maximize his talent. Overall, Wicks’ evaluation is complicated because of the night-and-day difference between his 2021 and 2022 performances, but the raw talent is there for him to continue ascending as he polishes his game. His development potential will understandably capture the interest from NFL teams in the top four rounds.” They said it: “Ton of production in 2021. A lot of upside. Athletic complement that goes along with his skill set that we really liked…When you watch the 21 tape, there’s a significant difference. That’s what we’re hanging our hat on.” — Director of football ops Milt Hendrickson Breakdown: Dominant MAC edge rusher at 296 pounds who will move inside and play on the interior for Green Bay. Proven disruptor; led Bowling Green in sacks all five seasons. Made 48 starts and tallied 46 tackles for loss, 27.5 sacks and six forced fumbles. Strong, powerful, contact-seeker who did 28 reps on the bench. Versatile but has tweener traits and needs to find a home along the defensive line. Two-time team captain. Brugler’s scouting report: “A five-year starter at Bowling Green, Brooks was primarily a defensive end in former defensive coordinator Eric Lewis’ 3-4 base, lining up outside as a 7-technique, head up over the tackle or inside as a 3-technique. Very few college players can say they led their team in sacks five straight seasons, but Brooks is one of them, including a prolific senior campaign as one of only six FBS players to finished with 18-plus tackles for loss and 10-plus sacks. With his initial quickness and effort, Brooks should be Bowling Green’s first defensive draft pick since 2013. His hands are active, but not always efficient and his sawed-off frame makes it difficult for him to control blockers or stay square. Brooks has a unique package of tools, which creates questions about his ideal position fit, but he has the light feet and urgent hands to be a gap disruptor. He projects best as a 3-technique who can be flexed up/down the line.” They said it: “What he was able to display, even against the MAC, you turn on the tape and he was a man amongst boys. When you see players from non-Power 5 or FCS schools, you want to see them dominate, and you can put on the tape and see that kid dominate for stretches.” — director of football ops Milt Hendrickson Breakdown: Brother of All-Pro kicker Daniel Carlson, who kicked for Rich Bisaccia in Las Vegas. Five years of kicking experience at Auburn. Consistent inside 35 yards but had issues in deeper range, especially over 50. Had injuries in 2021 (ACL) and 2022 (shoulder). Packers think he’s ascending and will improve drastically once injuries are in the rear-view mirror. Handled kickoffs at Auburn. Stands 6-5. Bisaccia’s belief in the player fascilitated pick. Can he beat out Parker White? Brugler’s scouting report: Scouting reports not supplied for specialists. They said it: “He was a kicker that Rich has an extensive experience with…Struggled with some injuries over the last few years after a very promising start, but we felt really good about where he’s headed and I think the relationship there with Rich was a positive factor in picking him there.” — GM Brian Gutekunst Breakdown: Ascending, aggressive corner with length who is still learning how to play the positon. Led Kentucky in pass breakups in 2022. Tons of special teams snaps over three seasons. Explosive jumper (39″ vertical, 10-8 broad). Likely perimeter cornerback who needs development pathway before seeing the field. Brugler’s scouting report: “A two-year starter at Kentucky, Valentine was the boundary cornerback in defensive coordinator Brad White’s zone-heavy scheme. Still relatively new to the position after moving to corner as a junior in high school, his 2022 tape was a tad volatile, with plenty of flashes mixed in with some mistake-filled games. Valentine has an enticing blend of physical tools and physicality that fits the mold of what NFL teams want at the position. But he will lose route phase/positioning because of his lack of refinement (allowed eight completions of 25-plus yards in 2022), and his one career interception is a troubling stat. Overall, Valentine is long, aggressive and athletic and has yet to reach his ceiling as a cover man, but his ball instincts and technique are underdeveloped, making his draft grade much more of a projection than others. He projects best as a long-limbed press corner.” Breakdown: Big, thick running back with power, quick feet and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Rushed for over 3,000 yards and caught 71 passes at CMU. Led the FBS in rushing and all-purpose yards in 2021. Excellent contact balance. Brugler’s scouting report: “A two-year starter at Central Michigan, Nichols was the bell-cow back in offensive coordinator Paul Petrino’s multiple run scheme. He earned MAC Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 with an FBS-best 2,186 all-purpose yards and 1,848 rushing yards, but his rushing yards per game dropped from 142.2 to only 68.4 in 2022 as he battled injury. With his blend of quickness and power, Nichols can be a tackle breaker and won’t need gaping holes to reach the second level. But he can be methodical at times as he follows his blocks and needs to better anticipate openings before they present themselves. Overall, Nichols is a productive, determined runner with solid feel between the tackles, but his next-level potential will be capped by a lack of creativity with the ball in his hands and inconsistent passing-down skills. His workhorse approach could get him on the field in the right situation.” Breakdown: Highly experienced, versatile defensive back who started four seasons at corner before switching to safety in 2022 and excelling on the backend. Can cover, tackle in space and fill against the run but still learning to do all three from the safety spot. Good range. One of the most experienced special teamers in the class. Made 54 total starts. Team captain, four-time All-Big 12. Played snaps out wide, in the slot, in the box and as a deep split safety. Produced first two picks as a safey in 2022. Brugler’s scouting report: “A five-year starter at Iowa State, Johnson played free safety in defensive coordinator Jon Heacock’s 3-3-5 base scheme, lining up mostly as a nickel in the slot. After four years at cornerback, he transitioned to a hybrid safety-nickel role as a super senior and passed former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy in the record books for the most career starts (54) in Big 12 history. Johnson plays with mirroring range in man coverage and against the run and reads concepts well in zone coverage to fluidly work his area. The ball seems to find him more than he finds the ball, and he is still learning the ins and outs as a true safety. Overall, Johnson might not have a sky-high ceiling at the next level, but his character, experience and functional size/speed traits raise his floor and will keep him earning an NFL paycheck. His game and journey are reminiscent of Rams’ 2019 seventh-rounder Nick Scott.” They said it: “Go back to the versatility we’re talking about. The one thing that sold us on him was, he was the top of football character as you can possibly get, the way they talk about him there. That was one of those fun calls to make because the wiring was exactly what we were looking for.” — GM Brian Gutekunst Breakdown: Well-built, smooth-moving receiver who caught 126 passes and 16 touchdowns over two seasons at Charlotte. Checks all the boxes for the Packers in terms of size, athleticism and collegiate production. Inspiring story to the NFL (DII, lost COVID season, try-out player at Charlotte). Senior Bowl participant. Long arms who makes plays away from his frame. Can return punts and cover punts on special teams. Likely X receiver in the NFL. Brugler’s scouting report: “A two-year starter at Charlotte, DuBose was a perimeter receiver in former offensive coordinator Mark Carney’s balanced scheme. After his career was in limbo during the pandemic, he found a home in Charlotte and led the 49ers in receiving both of his seasons with the program (only the fourth player in school history to surpass 1,500 career receiving yards). DuBose owns a good-sized frame and plays even bigger with his natural ball skills and mid-air adjustments, regardless of the coverage. But even with hesitation routes or double moves, he will struggle to create early or vertical spacing against NFL-level cornerbacks. Overall, DuBose plays with the body fluidity and catch point talent that increase his chances of finding a permanent home in the NFL, although he has work to do to be considered more than just a jump-ball weapon or zone beater. He has rotational value as an NFL rookie.” They said it: “I like Davante Adams, our 40 times our pretty similar. I’ve taken things from his game. I like the big guys, like A.J. Brown and DK (Metcalf).” – Grant Dubose Follow all of your favorite Wisconsin teams at Packers Wire, Badgers Wireand the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel!
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Closer look at the Green Bay Packers’ 2023 draft picks
1.13: OLB Lukas Van Ness
2.42: TE Luke Musgrave
2.50: WR Jayden Reed
3.78: TE Tucker Kraft
4.116: DL Colby Wooden
5.149: QB Sean Clifford
5.159: WR Dontayvion Wicks
6.179: DL Karl Brooks
6.207: K Anders Carlson
7.232: CB Carrington Valentine
7.235: RB Lew Nichols III
7.242: S Anthony Johnson Jr.
7.256: WR Grant DuBose
What’s the Green Bay Packers’ biggest need entering 2023 NFL draft?
We’ve sorted through dozens of articles about the Packers’ latest news, game results, rosters, rumors and other info that’s important to the team and to you. Check it out! By PACKERSWIRE Zach Kruse, Brandon Carwile, paulbretl and Brennen Rupp Ten picks in the 2023 draft will provide Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst a real opportunity to address his roster’s most immediate needs and continue building out the foundation of the depth chart as his team makes the transition from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love this season. So, what’s the biggest need for the Packers entering the 2023 NFL draft? The staff at Packers Wire made their picks (and it’s a consensus): There isn’t a position on the roster more depleted of talent than tight end. Josiah Deguara is currently TE1 despite being more of an H-back, while Tyler Davis is still primarily a special teamer until he proves himself on offense. However, for as bad as the depth chart looks today, the Packers picked a good year to need a tight end. The 2023 draft class is loaded with possibilities, whether you are looking for capable blockers or receiving threats. Ideally, Green Bay should try to target one of the more well-rounded prospects early in the draft and add another developmental tight end (or two) on Day 3. There’s no shame in augmenting the position with as much young talent as possible to increase your chances of hitting on someone. There are just four tight ends on the Packers roster currently. Josiah Deguara, an H-back, has 681 career snaps and 39 receptions, while Tyler Davis has 347 snaps and eight catches. Austin Allen and Nick Guggemos have been practice squad players. With a depth chart this thin and inexperienced, the Packers need a little bit of everything from a pass-catching presence, to a more traditional blocking tight end. It also wouldn’t hurt to find those abilities rolled into one prospect who could add some needed unpredictability to the tight end position within this offense. The good news, however, is that this is one of the deeper and more talented tight end classes we have seen in sometime. Addressing this need somewhat early on and spending at least two draft picks on it over the seven round draft will be a must. Given the state of this position and the depth of this draft class, I wouldn’t rule out Brian Gutekunst spending three picks on tight ends, something we’ve seen him do in previous drafts at other positions. As it stands right now, Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis sit atop the tight end depth chart. It’s a duo that has combined for 48 career receptions. It’s imperative that Brian Gutekunst gets his hands on one of the top six tight ends in this class. Adding one of Michael Mayer, Dalton Kincaid, Darnell Washington, Tucker Kraft, Sam LaPorta or Luke Musgrave would go a long way in improving the long-term outlook of that room. Add one or two of those two tight ends and add another on day three. Gutekunst needs to add weapons for Jordan Love and this tight end class will give the Packers general manager ample opportunity to upgrade the tight end room. Defensive line: Losing Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry robbed the Packers of depth and experience up front on defense. Wide receiver: The top four players on the depth chart are 2022 draft picks, and three were Day 3 picks. Safety: Adrian Amos remains unsigned, and Darnell Savage is coming off a season in which he was benched and later changed positions (slot). Kicker: Parker White, the only kicker on the roster, has never kicked in a regular season game. Mason Crosby is unsigned. Follow all of your favorite Wisconsin teams at Packers Wire, Badgers Wireand the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel!
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What’s the Green Bay Packers’ biggest need entering 2023 NFL draft?
Zach Kruse: Tight end
Safety, defensive line and wide receiver were all strongly considered here, but the Packers actually have capable NFL players with legitimate starting experience at all three positions. The same can’t be said about tight end. This might be the worst collection of tight ends in the NFL entering the draft. Can Josiah Deguara, who has made six career starts, become something more than an H-back in his fourth season? Is Tyler Davis ready to take over more blocking snaps and receiving responsibilities after struggling last summer? It’s still possible the Packers could bring back Marcedes Lewis, but the tight end position needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. The good news: the Packers’ gigantic need at tight end is about to meet a great draft class of tight ends.
Brandon Carwile: Tight end
Paul Bretl: Tight end
Brennen Rupp: Tight end
Other needs
What Did the Experts Think About Jordan Love Before the 2020 NFL Draft?
We’ve sorted through dozens of articles about the Packers’ latest news, game results, rosters, rumors and other info that’s important to the team and to you. Check it out! By CHEESEHEAD TV The three-year anniversary of the Packers drafting Jordan Love is approaching, and after a long wait for his opportunity, he will soon collect the baton from Aaron Rodgers and become the team’s starting quarterback. Due to mostly being out of sight and out of mind since entering the league, it’s easy to forget what the sentiment was around the former Utah State QB back in 2020. So, let’s take a trip down memory lane and revisit what the experts thought about Green Bay’s new starter when he was drafted. Daniel Jeremiah – NFL Network Jeremiah was a fan of Love and ranked him 20th overall player in his initial top 50, one spot above Justin Herbert. For NFL.com, he wrote: “Love has ideal size, arm strength and athletic ability. He operates in the gun and he’s very fluid and smooth in his setup. “He throws from a variety of platforms and arm angles. The ball jumps out of his hand. He is at his best on skinny post drive throws and over the top deep balls. “His decision making was very concerning this season. He forces too many balls into crowds and he doesn’t ever give up on a play — to a fault. His supporting cast isn’t very good, but he still fell into too many bad habits. “He uses his athletic ability to escape and extend plays, but there are occasions when he fails to climb and reset his feet. “Overall, Love is a raw prospect who will need some time to develop. There is risk with him, but the payoff could be huge.” After the Packers selected Love, ‘DJ’ reiterated his concerns over Love’s 2019 season at Utah State, in which his play declined significantly, but doubled down on his potential upside. On the 2020 NFL Draft ESPN/NFL Network simulcast, Jeremiah said: “When you talk about the decision-making being concerning, that is absolutely true, but when you go look at the video and study this kid, he’s got more talent than any other passer in this entire draft”. That draft included Joe Burrow, Tua Tagovailoa and Herbert. Matt Miller – Bleacher Report (Now ESPN) Miller echoed Jeremiah’s opinion on Love’s upside, but voiced strong concerns over his potential flaws. “Love is a case study in traits vs. production. He has the traits scouts love (arm strength, mobility, big-play mentality), but he threw 17 interceptions in 2019. No matter which team drafts him, Love is a sit-and-develop type quarterback, not a rookie starter. “He must work on cleaning up his decision-making while also growing into a professional quarterback after coming from a conference where his arm strength and athleticism were good enough to win. “Love is a major boom-bust prospect who could end up being the best quarterback from the class or a journeyman backup.” PFF The team at PFF were hard on Love for how he handled the more challenging 2019 season at Utah State. “It’s difficult to blame Love too much for taking a step backward in 2019. “He lost his coaching staff and much of his offensive personnel. We’ve seen time and time again how important situation is for the quarterback position, so expecting him to have better numbers than in 2018 was outrageous. “What we can blame him for, though, was how precipitously he fell off. Love very much compounded his bad situation by pressing and trying to do too much within the Utah State offense. “While we here at PFF care about on-field performance a ton, the NFL is more lenient, which means Love is still a candidate to go first round.” Eric Edholm – Yahoo Sports (Now NFL.com) Edholm summarised the feeling around Love nicely with his ‘TL;DR scouting report’, which simply read: “Extremely gifted but flawed passer whose spectrum is wide: He could develop into the best QB in this class — or a major bust”. Overall, the consensus was that Love had supreme talent and the potential to become a top NFL starter, but he wasn’t ready and had some issues to clean up before that could become a realistic possibility. In that sense, the Packers have stuck to the script perfectly. Love has been put on the path which was believed to be best for him. He has been allowed to mature and learn behind one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever do it. Now, it’s his turn to make good on the second part of his projection. There will be no excuses for Love, given the time he has been afforded to prepare for this moment. Of course, there will be bumps in the road, but Love clearly has the talent and has done all the preparation he can before taking the reins. If he can’t succeed in the NFL now, he was never going to. ——————————————————- Mark Oldacres is a sports writer from Birmingham, England and a Green Bay Packers fan. You can follow him on twitter at @Marko7LW.
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What Did the Experts Think About Jordan Love Before the 2020 NFL Draft?
Green Bay Football News of the Week
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2023 NFL Draft
With the 88th NFL draft kicking off on April 27th in Kansas City, the Packers will potentially have 11 total selections! Who will they take first?
Tune in to see if your pick is the same as the teams!
Rodgers confirms his return no sure thing
By Chris Havel Special to EVENT USA GREEN BAY, Wis. – Aaron Rodgers really might be a genius. After all, he made me look smart following last Monday’s column in which I noted the QB’s self-indulgent, diva approach to this offseason. On Tuesday, Rodgers confirmed on The Pat McAfee Show that he doesn’t intend to play for a team that’s in rebuild mode. He added that bringing back select veterans such as Marcedes Lewis and Randall Cobb would signal to him that Green Bay isn’t in rebuild mode. “If there’s a rebuild going on, I won’t be a part of that,” he said. “A guy like Marcedes Lewis, he’s an important cog in the wheel of the locker room and the momentum of the team. That’s a guy I want to finish my career with. If I’m playing, I want that guy next to me. I want the Randall Cobbs of the world – if he wants to keep playing – in my locker room. (I want) guys you can win it (with).” Rodgers added that he would be open to a trade. What planet is he living on? Of course, Rodgers would love to swap huddles with Brock Purdy so he could lead the 49ers into the NFC Championship against Philadelphia. But would he be willing to swap paychecks with Purdy? Doubtful. Rodgers’ self-view doesn’t line up with the reality that Father Time, disguised as every NFL pass rusher, is perpetually gaining on him. When Rodgers signed his three-year, $150 million contract last spring, which included a cap-busting $50 million guaranteed, the purpose was presumably to have him commit to the team for three years. Now, Rodgers isn’t sure he wants to play for the Packers in 2023. Does that mean he is hinting at retirement? Not likely that will happen considering he’d be leaving about $60 million guaranteed on the table. Is he suggesting that he wants to be traded? The Packers’ salary cap is about $20 million in the hole. Trading Rodgers would increase it by another $8.7 million. But the good news is, if that is what he really wants, it would mean more draft picks this spring, although a high first-round pick seems unlikely. It also means passing the baton to Jordan Love, who just wants to play, rebuild be damned. Here’s the difference between Rodgers and Love: Rodgers wants to play “in the right situation”, although there is no crystal clarity as to what that would be. Love wants to play in the NFL in order to “make that situation right” and then deal with whatever comes his way. Rodgers told McAfee that it’s possible the Packers would prefer to go with Love instead of him. He called it “just a feeling.” “If they want to go younger and think Jordan (Love) is ready to go, then that might be the way they want to go,” he said. “I think to assume it’s a foregone conclusion (his return) would be probably slightly egotistical, so I’m going to be a realist here and understand that there’s a lot of different parts to this. Like I’ve said, I was aware of the possibility of them going young if we had gotten to the point where we were out of it,” he continued. “I’m aware of that possibility as well. It wouldn’t be the best reality but I know that it’s a possibility.” It’s likely the Packers also had a hunch Rodgers would vacillate at the end of the season. As mentioned in my last column, they do have some experience with that situation with Mr. Favre’s years ago. When the Packers drafted Love, a majority of fans viewed it as a disaster. The fact is it could be their salvation. Anybody notice how the younger quarterbacks in the NFL are doing these days? Case in point: Joe Burrow. Is Love another Burrow? That would be amazing. Not likely, but who knows? Maybe it’s time to find out. Rodgers helped the Packers reach back-to-back NFC Championship games with Love as his backup. But Green Bay lost both games to drop Rodgers’ win-loss record in NFC Championships to 1-4. Here is Rodgers’ combined stat line in those games: On average, he completed 25 of 39 passes (65%) for 276 yards, 1.8 TDs and 1.6 INTs with 12 sacks for an 83.7 passer rating. That is scarcely average. The teams’ recent postseason record has been disappointing at best and many of the heartbreaking losses have occurred in the so-called friendly confines of Lambeau field, in the cold, and to warm-weather and/or dome teams. Something seems quite wrong with that. No, that’s not all on Aaron Rodgers, but the record speaks for itself. His performance has not been outstanding in those games. I don’t subscribe to the theory that Aaron Rodgers put the team on his shoulder pads and carried it to the NFC Championship five times, but lost four times because the supporting cast wasn’t strong enough. There are those that say that the greatest quarterbacks elevate their teams’ level of play against the best teams and in the most important games. Aaron Rodgers is a sure fire, first ballot, NFL Hall of Famer. His career statistics are otherworldly but, in terms of leading the Packers to championships, there’s just that one magical season of 2010. And that was a long, long time ago. If Aaron truly wants out of Green Bay, and that means some sort of a trade, I think he should be accommodated, and the Packers move on.
Super Bowl LVII – Tickets & More!
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Super Bowl LVII Sunday, February 12th, 2023
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2023 Opponents Announced!
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Aaron Rodgers and the Future
By Chris Havel Special to EVENT USA GREEN BAY, Wis. – Early last year, Green Bay Packers President, Mark Murphy, used the word “complicated” to describe Aaron Rodgers. In the wake of recent developments, that description seems quite adept. Aaron Rodgers the “GM” seems to want input on personnel decisions. As an example, one condition of his returning to the Packers was that the Packers trade for Randall Cobb. Of course, the biggest input he had was the brilliant use of leverage to negotiate an NFL historic high contract, guaranteeing him untold millions of dollars. Rodgers the “coach” wants play-calling autonomy. He also reserves the right after games to point out when he made the proper check, and when the head coach, Matt LaFleur, selected the plays that failed. After four seasons together, LaFleur and Rodgers were still at odds over the play-calling on the final drive in the 20-16 loss to Detroit last week. If they haven’t gotten on the same page by now, is it going to happen? As a “player”, Rodgers is in decline. Still a great skill set, but not the player he used to be nor will he ever be. Father time is asserting himself. Undefeated, as they say. While the hounds of retirement snap at his heels, he tries to sidestep the inevitable. We’ve seen other great quarterbacks continue to be effective in their declining years, winning championships because they were willing to adapt, recognize their limitations, and become more “game managers”. Look at Peyton Manning, look at Tom Brady, or John Elway, the list goes on and on. Rodgers claims he hasn’t decided if he wants to play this season. That’s puzzling given his three-year “commitment” in return for guaranteed millions, almost $60 million in guarantees for 2023 for example. Now, less than a year later, he isn’t sure he wants to play in 2023? Seems curious. Fritz Shurmur, the salty coordinator of the Packers’ great defenses in the 1990s, would say, “You only get what you demand.” Perhaps the Packers haven’t been nearly demanding enough of Rodgers? That much became obvious during “Super wild-card weekend.” The 49ers’ Brock Purdy, the Seahawks’ Geno Smith, the Dolphins’ Skylar Thompson and the Ravens’ Tyler Huntley don’t reside in Rodgers’ stratosphere of greatness. Nevertheless, they were in the playoffs. Rodgers wasn’t. They also gave their teams a chance to win, and in Purdy’s case, the very real prospect of Mr. Irrelevant leading the 49ers to a Super Bowl. That would be the Sports story of the year. And it’s very very possible. Most Super Bowl participants feature a top 10 quarterback, a top 10 defense or both. Regrettably, the Packers have neither. And that is despite having one of the highest salaries for player personnel in the league. And strapping the salary cap for years to come. The Giants’ Daniel Jones was the 6th pick in the 2019 draft. It was a pleasure watching Jones carve up the Vikings’ defense by running, throwing and relying on players both great (Saquon Barkley) and unheralded (Isaiah Hodgins) to get it done. But it wasn’t a Daniel Jones victory. It was a Giants victory. The fact is the Giants are a better, more complete team than Green Bay. If you didn’t believe it after 27-22 in London, you can believe it now. The point is this: Great teams don’t kneel before any player, no matter how good that player is or is perceived to be. It’s bad business. Nevertheless, it seemed that Packers GM Brian Gutekunst played “tiptoe around the quarterback” at his season-ending news conference Friday. He said the team will give Rodgers the time and space to figure out what’s next. I’d rate Gutekunst an “A” for agility but a more dubious grade for assertiveness. “I really respect the process that he goes through after the season,” Gutekunst said. “He’s done this for a long time. What he goes through during the offseason to be prepared for a season is significant, and I understand the decision he has to make and whether he wants to go through that. So, I’ve always tried to give him that time.” Let’s hope the clock’s ticking. “We made a really big commitment to him last offseason, so I think as we did that it wasn’t certainly for just this year,” Gutekunst said. The Packers’ GM added that it was a tough season for all the players. True enough, except most other players’ response is a vow to rededicate and recommit to being better, and being a champion, in 2023. Rodgers’ response is I am not sure what I want to do. It’s pretty clear what Jordan Love would like to do. He would like to take every snap for the Packers in OTAs, minicamps, training camp, the preseason games, the regular season and the playoffs. He’d like to quarterback his team in the postseason and give it a terrific chance to win, the same as Jones, Smith, Purdy and the rest. It seems Gutekunst is inclined to believe Love can handle the job. It’s just that No. 12 is standing in the way … well sort of. “We really like the development of where Jordan is,” Gutekunst said. “I think he’s ready to play. I think that’s the next step in his development. Those guys work well together in the (QB) room.” The questions about Love won’t be answered until he plays. “We are very excited about Jordan and where he’s at, there’s no doubt about that,” Gutekunst said. “But Jordan’s never played a 16-, 17-game season and gone through all that stuff. So, it’s no different than when we moved from Brett (Favre) to Aaron, right? “When they haven’t done it, you go into that and there are some unknowns,” he continued. “They’ve got to handle a lot of different things, see a lot of different things, before they can get to a point where they can win games in this league.” Surely Gutekunst was referring to quarterbacks like Purdy, the final pick of the 2022 draft, who didn’t play meaningful snaps until a month ago? Now, with the aid of a strong supporting cast, Purdy is producing four-touchdown games and playoff victories. If Purdy can figure it out in nine months, I’ve got to believe Love could get it down in three-plus seasons. I propose that the Packers’ best option would be to trade Rodgers, get what they can get, shed as much of the salary cap problem they put them self into, name Love the starter and enable the team to rally around him. The next-best option would be Rodgers retiring and Love taking over. Retirement however is very unlikely given the the 1/20 of $1 billion that Rogers is due this year provided he agrees to play. Regardless of his performance. Frankly, it appears the third-best option – Rodgers returning – is the most likely to occur. I can’t see Rodgers walking away from the money, so I’d expect him to be back. The problem is this: How truly committed is a player if he’s unsure he wants to play again? Furthermore, the Packers have no choice but to exercise the fifth-year option on Love’s contract. To choose a 39-year-old who is less than exuberant about playing over a 24-year-old whose greatest shortcoming is a lack of experience would be unforgivable. But to keep both of them is going to create a financial hellstorm for the team, this year and into the future years. Almost $80 million is a lot to have two quarterbacks on the roster. At best, Love’s time is now. At worst, it’ll be in 2024, and hopefully with enough salary cap space after Rodgers’ exit to build a strong supporting cast. Imagine what Love could do surrounded by the 49ers’ current coach and roster? Oh, wait, you don’t have to imagine it. San Francisco is doing it. As a fan of the Green Bay Packers, is anybody else out there as jealous as I am of that?
Packers’ playoff run derailed by Detroit
By Chris Havel Special to EVENT USA GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Packers’ past three seasons have ended with disappointing Lambeau Field losses in the NFC championship game, the NFC divisional round and Sunday night’s regular-season finale. The Detroit Lions (9-8) were eliminated from playoff contention by Seattle’s win earlier Sunday, but it was the Packers (8-9) who played like they had been out of contention for a post-season spot. The loss gives rise to some concern that the Packers of late cannot measure up when it comes time to big games at the end of the season or in the postseason. Despite their glitzy regular season record during coach Matt LaFleur’s first three seasons, they seem to come down to earth at crunch time, unfortunately. The Packers were plagued by questionable coaching decisions, execution screw ups, and unforgivable penalties. All of these things combined, conspiring to result in the four-point loss to the Lions, a dome-team playing in the cold atmosphere at Lambeau Field. It does give pause to wonder whatever happened to the frigid “frozen tundra” advantage the Packers used to have in the good old days. The Packers enjoyed a three point lead, but we’re on the cusp of the Lions, at a minimum, tying that up late in the fourth quarter. Then Quay Walker commits an unforgivable, what was in his head, penalty by shoving a Lions medical staffer on the way to assist an injured player. The result? First and goal from the 5 yard line. The lions run three plays, taking more time off the clock and score a go-ahead touchdown. I don’t want to say that Walker single-handedly lost the game for the Packers, obviously, but his brain cramp on that play sure didn’t help. Question: “Why call a jet sweep on fourth-and-1 just a few plays after running the same play?” Coach LaFleur will have time to contemplate this and other nagging questions while his 39-year-old quarterback considers the question, “Should I retire or give it one more try?” But it is unlikely that Mr. Rogers will retire, considering he’s guaranteed approximately $59 million if he comes back next year. He is an above-average NFL starter, but in decline. That is a fact. But it’s also a fact that he has the largest quarterback salary in the NFL and the Packers have no realistic escape strategy from that. The diminished play doesn’t mean Rodgers should retire, even if he were so inclined. It means if he continues to play don’t expect him to rekindle his MVP level. Those days are over. Unfortunately, so is a Packers’ season that held so much promise. It’s hard to say this, but the not-so-loveable Lions outplayed and outcoached the home team. Losing to the Detroit Lions twice in one year? That’s a hard one to digest. “To not get it done at your home stadium with the support of your fans certainly is, like I’ve said it a million times … the overall theme is just disappointing,” LaFleur said after the Lions’ loss. “I’m disappointed in myself and just the fact that we couldn’t get it done.” The Lions weren’t spectacular, but they were steadfast. They seemed more motivated than fazed by their pre-kickoff elimination. Lions head coach Dan Campbell brought his team to Green Bay to cap (or continue) a fairly successful turnaround season. They took the bad news of Seattle’s win in stride, and then they made the Packers pay. Aaron Jones’ fumble late in the first half is considered the turning point. I’d say it was one of several missed opportunities that proved costly. A cursory review of the some of the Packers’ other miscues is revealing in that it includes most, if not all, of the team’s earlier season shortfalls. ** The Packers’ opening drive conjured up three points, but it also conjured memories of past red-zone failures. ** LaFleur’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the Green Bay 32 on his second drive was just plain ridiculous. The only thing worse than the decision was the play call: A jet sweep – or rather a “truck sweep” when Allen Lazard gets the football – after running the identical play with Christian Watson on the opening drive. The reason for running it early is to make the Lions honor it, and then run something off it to make them pay. Instead, the Lions’ defense couldn’t have been more prepared if it was going against its own scout team. ** Rasul Douglas’ decision to intervene on the center snap with the Lions in field-goal formation is difficult to defend. Whatever he was trying to accomplish – even if it was preventing them from a practice kick – demands the straightforward rebuke: Don’t ever do that again! It turned a difficult 48-yard field goal try into a 33-yard layup and three points. ** Walker’s unfortunate and undisciplined decision to push a member of the Lions’ medical staff contributed directly to the Lions’ game-winning touchdown. It was the second time Walker has been ejected this season. That hasn’t happened to the an NFL player since 2015. Apparently LaFleur wasn’t emphatic enough after the Buffalo debacle. LaFleur’s response to Walker’s and Douglas’ lack of discipline didn’t seem quite as stern as you might expect: “That is unacceptable,” he began by stating the obvious. “I’ve got a much higher standard for our players than to do silly things like that. We’ve got to be much more mentally tough. Any time our guys commit personal fouls I take that very personally because I think that’s always a reflection of myself and the standards that we set for our players.” I’d buy it except this wasn’t Walker’s first such offense. ** Rodgers’ “what the heck heave” on the final possession to a blanketed Christian Watson that was easily intercepted by Kerby Joseph was reminiscent of another legendary quarterback’s final heave ho. Hall of Famer Brett Favre threw up a similar prayer that was picked off by the Giants’ Corey Webster in the NFC championship game at Lambeau Field, concluding the 2007 season. It was Favre’s final pass in a Packers’ uniform. Could that ill-advised lollipop be Rodgers’ final pass in green and gold? ** The Lions’ special teams outplayed the Packers’ units. Keisean Nixon was limited to 74 yards on four kick returns. The Lions netted 94 on their four returns. Mason “crossbar” Crosby scarcely missed from 53 yards (a doink off the crossbar), but the play-caller might’ve helped by running it or calling a high-percentage pass to get their legendary kicker a bit closer in those frigid conditions. ** Toss in a number of poorly thrown passes and a gaggle of dropped throws and you get the picture. Any one of the above things could be singled out as the reason for a loss in this game. Combine them all and you have a formula for defeat – a most disappointing loss. The Lions were only 2-for-5 in the red zone, but the revealing thing there is that they reached it five times. They were living in the red zone and Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry couldn’t prevent it. “Ultimately we dug ourselves too big of a hole and the margin for error in this league is so small,” LaFleur said. “If you don’t capitalize on opportunities and you make mistakes, then you’re going to lose, especially against quality football teams.” Other mistakes included starting Yosh Nijman at right tackle despite concerns about his shoulder. Then that was magnified the miscue by waiting two series to pull Nijman for Zach Tom. The fact is Tom should’ve been the starting right tackle. It became clear that he is a better tackle – left or right – than Nijman in the past few weeks. And that’s not a knock on Nijman, but rather praise for Tom. Then again, it took the Packers forever to replace Amari Rodgers with Nixon so it’s not exactly an unexpected oversight. The Packers’ loss left a lot to be desired, and much to think about: Will Barry be back? Any chance that Aaron Jones will be back? Will Nathaniel Hackett return in a coaching capacity, after his one year hiatus as the unsuccessful Denver Broncos head coach? Will Rodgers return? Will LaFleur learn? The list of intriguing questions goes on and on. On a positive note: we do know that rookies such as Romeo Doubs, Devonte Wyatt, Watson, Wyatt, Tom and the rest have bright futures. We also know Jordan Love has progressed while being the QB-in-waiting, and that the defensive talent is decent when deployed properly. Post-game, Rodgers seemed reflective, sentimental and like a quarterback who just might have one cleat out the door. Then again, trying to predict what Rodgers will do this offseason is as impossible as having predicted the Packers would start 3-1, finish 4-1 and miss the playoffs. And that’s with a loss to the Lions in the regular-season finale no less. Say it ain’t so! It’s difficult to believe. It’s even more difficult to stomach. So in a season where virtually everything that could go wrong, did, maybe the Packers will get that out of their system and everything will go right in 2023. The foundation is there. With or without Aaron Rodgers behind center, it’s going to be a very interesting year.
