2023 NFL Draft: Best players remaining on Day 2

According to Pro Football Network’s Industry Consensus Draft Board, there are three players who were considered “top-20” prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft that remain undrafted as we enter the second round of the draft. Two of those players, Alabama safety Brian Branch and Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer, were frequently mocked to the Green Bay Packers during the offseason, so Packers fans should be familiar with their names.

With two picks in the first half of the second round, as Green Bay owns the 42nd and 45th selects in the draft, the Packers finally look primed to address their pass-catcher need on Friday after picking up Iowa pass-rusher Lukas Van Ness on Thursday. Among the “Top-50” prospects still on the board, two are wide receivers and three are tight ends. The biggest upset of the draft so far is that only one tight end — Utah’s Dalton Kincaid — was selected in a first round that was expected to see two to four come off the board.

Notable names to highlight for the Packers, outside of Branch and Mayer, are Georgia tight end Darnell Washington (official visit), Tennessee receiver Jalin Hyatt (general manager Brian Gutekunst was at his pro day), Georgia Tech hybrid defensive lineman/edge defender Keion White (official visit) and Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave. Who knows if White — who is more of an interior defensive lineman than Van Ness — is even in consideration on Day 2 after the Packers already added an edge defender in the first round, though?

Top 50 players remaining

• #12 Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State
• #16 Brian Branch, SAF/CB, Alabama
• #19 Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
• #26 Will Levis, QB, Kentucky
• #30 O’Cyrus Torrence, OG/OT, Florida
• #31 Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia (Packers visit)
• #34 Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina
• #35 Cam Smith, CB, South Carolina
• #37 Drew Sanders, LB, Arkansas
• #38 Kelee Ringo, CB/SAF, Georgia
• #39 John Michael Schmitz, OC, Minnesota
• #40 Dawand Jones, OT, Ohio State
• #41 B.J. Ojulari, EDGE, LSU
• #42 Jalin Hyatt, WR, Tennessee
• #43 Trenton Simpson, LB, Clemson
• #45 Keion White, EDGE/DL, Georgia Tech (Packers visit)
• #47 Luke Musgrave, TE, Oregon State
• #48 Steve Avila, OC, TCU
• #50 Cody Mauch, OG/OT, North Dakota State

Aside from the players projected to go in the top 50 selections of the draft, Packers fans should pay attention to players who were brought in on visits by the team and are expected to be selected on Friday. Last year, six of Green Bay’s 11 draft choices were brought in on visits and more were signed as undrafted free agents and waiver pickups throughout the 2022 season.

Here are some players outside of the consensus board’s top 50 that the Packers reportedly had visits with and are likely to be drafted on Day 2:

• Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee
• Adetomiwa Adebawore, EDGE/DL, Northwestern
• Tyrique Stevenson, CB/nickel, Miami
• Rashee Rice, WR, SMU
• Jartavius (Quan) Martin, SAF/nickel/CB, Illinois
• Jammie Robinson, SAF/nickel, Florida State

Last week, Acme Packing Company put together a Packers-specific big board that shaved off 54 players in the consensus top 100 based on the team’s positions of need and historical preferences. Van Ness, the team’s first selection in the draft, was the second-ranked player on the board. Check that out if you want a wider scope of potential Green Bay selections on Day 2.