Packers Rookie Power Rankings

Here is a ranking of the Packers’ 13 draft picks and their top four undrafted free agents headed into the final week of the preseason.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Aug 22, 2023 10:41 AM EDT

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Bookended by Lukas Van Ness in the first round and Grant DuBose in the seventh, the Green Bay Packers selected 13 players in the 2023 NFL Draft.

While the Packers finished only 8-9 last season, a strong overall roster was coming back for this season. Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority of those draft picks have earned a spot on the 53-man roster and should have some sort of role when the season kicks off at the Bears on Sept. 10.

Along with the top undrafted free agents, here is our ranking of the Packers’ top 17 rookies.

No. 17: RB Lew Nichols, seventh round

Nichols led the nation in rushing yards and scrimmage yards in 2021 but wasn’t as productive in 2022 and hasn’t done much to distinguish himself with the Packers. His hands, in particular, have been a disappointment. Missing time with a shoulder injury, obviously, hasn’t helped.

No. 16: OLB Keshawn Banks, undrafted

Lacking the fanfare of the next outside linebacker on the list, Banks was the underrated standout of the undrafted class as a four-time all-Mountain West selection at San Diego State. It’s too bad his first headline with the Packers was getting tossed from Thursday’s practice against the Patriots.

Afterward, he said: “I’m talented. I’m reliable. My effort is, I think, it’s close to none as far as anybody you could pull up on tape throughout the league, not just rookies. I’m able to make plays, as well, and be a factor on every level of the game, whether that be defense, special teams. I think I’m a jack of all trades who can play this game at this level and be useful to a team, whoever that may be, but obviously I want it to be here.”

No. 15: WR Grant DuBose, seventh round

DuBose missed rookie camp, OTAs, minicamp and the start of training camp with a back injury. While out of action, undrafted rookie Malik Heath took advantage of all the additional snaps. DuBose has been on the rise, though. Literally. He had a leaping, 21-yard catch against New England on Saturday and made a similar play at Thursday’s joint practice.

“Definitely has aggressive hands, so we’re excited about him,” coach Matt LaFleur said.

No. 14: OLB Brenton Cox, undrafted

There have been moments when Cox has looked downright dominant. He had three pressures and forced an interception against Cincinnati last week and had a strong first day of joint practices against the Patriots. The numbers at the position, however, might be too much to overcome in the race for a spot on the 53.

No. 13: RB Emanuel Wilson, undrafted

A Division II All-American, Wilson leads the NFL in preseason rushing. That, of course, doesn’t mean he should earn a spot on the 53 but it does show he’s got NFL talent. Anybody can run through a hole. How about the ability to turn something into something more? We’ve got him with eight missed tackles on 21 carries; PFF has him with a league-high seven.

If a spot on the 53 came down to just running ability, he might be a lock, but special teams, pass catching and pass protection will be the determining factors.

No. 12: S Anthony Johnson, seventh round

Johnson spent the first half of training camp running exclusively with the third-string defense before sliding in with the starters one day and seeing regular action with the No. 2s. In two preseason games, he’s shown a nose for the ball and sound tackling. He’s not going to start Week 1 but it wouldn’t be a shock if he worked his way into a role.

No. 11: TE Tucker Kraft, third round

Kraft has had a quiet training summer. Part of that is due to Luke Musgrave’s breakout camp and a few nagging injuries. Musgrave is going to be the tight end targeted most of the time in the passing game. It will be up to Kraft to show he can regularly move defenders in the run game. If he can’t, the Packers will spend the season in ‘11’ personnel.

No. 10: WR Dontayvion Wicks, fifth round

Who did the Packers draft? The Wicks who dominated at Virginia in 2021 or the Wicks who struggled through his final collegiate season? So far, closer to the 2021 vintage. Wicks caught 3-of-4 targets for 68 yards with an explosive catch-and-run gain 47 in the preseason opener but sat out most of the New England game due to injury. With some explosive ability and a willingness to block, the arrow is pointed up.

No. 9: K Anders Carlson, sixth round

While he’s made less than three-quarters of his attempts during training camp, Carlson’s had more good days than bad. After a bad stretch at practice, he made just about everything at Family Night. After missing two extra points at Cincinnati, he made all three attempts – including a 52-yard field goal – against New England. The bounce-back ability and powerful leg are winning assets.

Nos. 7-8: DT Colby Wooden, fourth round, and DT Karl Brooks, sixth round

Let’s lump the Day 3 defensive line draft picks into one note because they’ve had similar training camps. Their explosive ability has gotten them into the backfield with frequency, whether it’s stopping the run or harassing the quarterback. By beating backup offensive linemen, they’ve shown they’re good enough to make the roster. Now, are they strong enough and explosive enough to make plays against starting offensive lines on Sundays?

No. 6: QB Sean Clifford, fifth round

Clifford has been tremendous. At the start of camp, the questions were whether Clifford was good enough to make the roster and if the Packers could go into the season with a rookie quarterback serving as backup for a first-year starter. Those answers have been answered resoundingly by Clifford.

Matt Flynn was drafted by the Packers in the seventh round in 2008, Aaron Rodgers’ first year as the starter, and had a long career. Clifford could chart the same sort of career behind Jordan Love.

No. 5: WR Malik Heath, undrafted

“He’s a stud,” one NFL source said, unsolicited, about Heath this week. Heath had some character red flags and ran a slow 40 at the Scouting Combine, which pushed him out of the draft.

“Whenever you come in as a late draft pick or a UDFA, those opportunities that are given to you, if you don’t capitalize on them, you’re not going to get more,” Gutekunst said last week. “You have to capitalize early and you’ve got to create more opportunities for yourself.”

That’s exactly what Heath has done. “They can’t cover me,” Heath said after catching all five targets against New England. With strong hands to catch the ball and overpower defenders as a blocker, Heath seems destined to do more than just make the 53.

No. 4: OLB Lukas Van Ness, first round

Could Van Ness be Rashan Gary 2.0? Gary was a tools-based first-round pick by the Packers in 2019. With a jogjam on the depth chart, Gary didn’t play much as a rookie and, when he did, he didn’t provide a lot of impact. Van Ness was a tools-based first-round pick by the Packers in this year’s draft. His strength and effort are obvious, but the impact plays have been few and far between.

According to PFF, Van Ness in 26 pass-rushing opportunities has two pressures. Facing basically the same caliber of competition, Kingsley Enagbare has two sacks and five pressures in 23 pass-rushing snaps and Justin Hollins has three pressures in 12 pass-rushing chances.

No. 3: CB Carrington Valentine, seventh round

Who leads the NFL in passes defensed this preseason? Valentine, who has five in two starts. According to PFF and its best guess at coverage responsibilities, he’s allowed just 4-of-12 passing in the two games. That means Valentine has broken up more passes than he’s given up completions.

While he was penalized twice against the Patriots, LaFleur appreciated the aggressiveness.

“I thought CV did a lot of great things in the game,” he said on Sunday. “I do like his mindset in terms of challenging and being aggressive. And sometimes, that’s the price of doing business.”

Valentine has been one of the best players on the practice field – regardless of experience – all summer. But how on earth does he get on the field without a shuffling of the secondary?

No. 2: TE Luke Musgrave, second round

You want a bold statement? Musgrave is going to be a star. It might take some time because he missed almost all of his senior season at Oregon State, but Musgrave is too tall, too fast and too talented. He might be a top-10 player at his position by the end of the season.

While he’s dropped too many passes, that’s not unusual for a young player who is learning the playbook while adjusting to the speed of the game.

The top two rookie tight ends in franchise history, Bubba Franks and Andrew Quarless, combined to catch 55 passes during their rookie seasons. That seems like an approachable number for Musgrave. Even if he’s not getting the ball, defenses will have to account for his speed.

“Luke, he presents a lot of problems for defenses down the field, which has been pretty cool,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said.

No. 1: WR Jayden Reed, second round

Reed might not be tall but he’s shown a terrific all-around skill-set. On a third down against Cincinnati, he showed his explosiveness with an impressive leaping catch. On a touchdown against New England, he showed his speed by getting open and his determination by getting into the end zone.

Reed’s consistent production has led to LaFleur putting in some top-secret wrinkles to get him the ball.

“Really, it’s just gaining confidence through the playbook,” Reed said. “It’s me knowing what to do and being able to play fast. In OTAs, I was a little hesitant. I didn’t know the playbook and played a little tense.

“Now, I’ve learned the playbook and I’m confident in it and I’m able to play fast (snaps fingers) and how I usually play. I’m excited to know the playbook like the back of my hand and be able to attack the defenses instead of wondering what I’m supposed to do on the play. Knowing what to do is very exciting for me.”