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The Green Bay Packers hold four selections in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and the picks are starting to come in. The team has picks 232, 235, 242, and 256, and those picks should come fast and furious.
The first of these picks comes on defense, where the team has finally selected a defensive back for the first time all weekend.
We’ll break down each of those picks here and update as the four picks come in.
Pick #232
CB Carrington Valentine, Kentucky
With the first of these picks, the Packers found a speedy, explosive cornerback to help their secondary. Valentine runs a 4.44 40 and posted an elite 39-inch vertical jump with an above-average short shuttle time of 4.15 seconds. That gave him an elite RAS of 9.29. A two-year starter for the Wildcats, Valentine broke ten passes in 2022 and intercepted one pass while posting 48 total tackles.
Pick #235
RB Lew Nichols III, Central Michigan
The Packers brought Nichols in for a top-30 visit prior to the draft. A 5-foot-10, 222-pound bowling ball of a running back, Nichols was the 2021 MAC running back of the year, putting up an incredible stat line of 1,848 yards and 16 touchdowns. Nichols also can be a receiving option out of the backfield, as he caught 71 passes for 575 yards and three scores over just 28 games over the last three years.
Pick #242
SAF Anthony Johnson, Jr., Iowa State
Johnson is a converted cornerback who moved from the boundary to safety for his senior year. He’s one of only a handful of safeties who put up an excellent RAS this year (8.13), with excellent explosiveness and a solid enough 40 time at 4.54. He’s still learning the safety position, but projects as a deep safety who can drop down into the slot while contributing early on special teams.
Johnson recorded the only two interceptions of his career in 2022, but he went through six defensive coordinators in his career in Ames.
Additionally, Johnson is an extremely high-character individual. He earned the Jack Trice Scholarship in 2021, which is awarded to the Cyclones player who best exemplifies the legacy of the legendary Iowa State player. Johnson was also named to the AFCA Good Works team for his charitable efforts.
Pick #256
WR Grant DuBose, Charlotte
Another ideal Packers fit, much like 5th-round pick Dontayvion Wicks, DuBose has been a frequent mock draft pick for Green Bay in round seven. A bigger body for the position (at just over 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds), DuBose has great explosiveness and is a willing blocker. Playing for just two years at Charlotte, DuBose posted back-to-back 60-catch seasons, going 62-892-6 in 2021 and 64-792-9 in 2022. He also put up a RAS of 8.79, continuing the team’s string of excellent athletes.
DuBose started his college career in Division II football before working his way up to Charlotte for those final two seasons. His selection also makes 2023 the second straight year in which the Packers have drafted three receivers — one on day two and two on day three of the draft, following the trend of the 2022 draft.
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