Packers Draft Trey Smack: Reach or Steal to Add Kicker in Sixth Round?

GREEN BAY – In the 2023 draft as part of the Aaron Rodgers trade, the Green Bay Packers selected Auburn kicker Anders Carlson with the 207th overall pick in the sixth round.

He was a colossal bust.

On Saturday, the Packers traded both of their seventh-round picks to move up to the 216th and final pick of the third round for Florida kicker Trey Smack.

“It really does mean a lot,” he said in his Zoom call with reporters. “It’s a surreal feeling. I still got the shakes a little bit. I’m like, ‘Wow, is this really happening right now?, It’s an amazing feeling.”

Smack was the first and only kicker drafted. Was it a reach or a steal to draft Smack and create a three-man kicking competition with Brandon McManus and Lucas Havrisik?

Where Is Trey Smack Ranked by Experts?

For what it’s worth, here is where he ranked on various media big boards.

NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah: Not in Top 150 but No. 1 kicker.

“Smack has a strong leg and can deliver beyond 50 yards at a high rate without having to drive balls with a lower trajectory,” wrote NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein as part of his scouting report. “His repeatable process and consistent placement give him an above-average chance of making it in the league.”

ESPN.com’s Mel Kiper: Not in Top 150 but No. 1 kicker.

Pro Football Focus: No. 442 but No. 1 kicker.

The Athletic’s Dane Brugler: Not in Top 100 but No. 1 kicker.

Consensus Big Board: No. 348 and No. 2 kicker.

Bleacher Report: No. 216 and No. 1 kicker.

ESPN.com’s Jordan Reid: No. 266 and No. 1 kicker.

CBS Sports: No. 480 and No. 2 kicker.

Pro Football Network: No. 396 but No. 1 kicker.

The Verdict: Reach or Steal?

Of the draft boards used above, six had Smack in their rankings. His average spot was No. 358, which mathematically means this was an enormous reach. However, most media analysts aren’t spending their time studying kickers. And, really, how do you put Smack into a big board including players from other positions? It’s trying to fit a square peg into hundreds of round holes.

Asked if it was worth the price to trade up, general manager Brian Gutekunst said:

“I think it was the way the board fell, quite frankly, more than anything. Obviously, we liked him quite a bit and think he has a good chance to be a good kicker in the National Football League, but the way the board was falling, where we were sitting in the seventh round I didn’t feel great about what we were going to have to select during those two picks and didn’t feel great that he would be there then, so we made the decision to do that.”

Smack had an excellent career. He made better than 80 percent of his field goals all three seasons. He was 10-of-13 from 50-plus yards. The 10 makes set a school record, and the 76.9 percent accuracy is exceptional. He missed only one extra-point attempt.

He made a 65-yarder at pro day. What is his range?

“I’m not sure,” he said. “If Coach wants to send me out there for a 63-yarder, I’m not going to back down and be like ‘No, I can’t make that.’ We’ll be realistic. There will be some days where there’s a heavy wind and I’ll have to say, ‘Hey, I’m good from 55 here.’ There’s some days where I’ll just be like, ‘Hey, I think I’m good from 60-plus.’”

Was Smack a reach? The only thing that will matter is making kicks. If Smack is consistently clutch, he would be a steal whether he was picked 216th or 116th. Similarly, he would be a bust at No. 216 or as Mr. Irrelevant.

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