Acme Packing Company - 2023 NFL Draft: The latest news, rumors updates, and analysisWhere "Draft and Develop" isn't just a philosophy...it's a way of life.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46645/acmepackingco_fave.png2023-05-12T10:54:43-05:00http://www.acmepackingcompany.com/rss/stream/234612622023-05-12T10:54:43-05:002023-05-12T10:54:43-05:00Packers Rookie Preview: TE Tucker Kraft
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<figcaption>Photo by Bailey Hillesheim/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>An All-22 film breakdown on Green Bay’s exciting new tight end</p> <p id="b07Zgd">The <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a> brought in a ton of pass catchers for Jordan Love in the 2023 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a>, but none of the incoming rookies have a story quite as interesting as former South Dakota State tight end Tucker Kraft.</p>
<p id="OHggdL">The two-time FCS All-American has had a long journey to the NFL. From a <a href="https://www.siouxfallslive.com/sports/from-timber-lake-to-titletown-tucker-krafts-long-road-from-9-man-superstar-to-green-bay-packer">difficult and tragic upbringing</a> to NIL offers from top college programs like Alabama, Kraft has gone through enormous ups and downs prior to his pro career.</p>
<p id="MSKEPY">Now, after bringing the Jackrabbits their first FCS national title in program history, Kraft is ready for his next challenge after being taken by the Packers with the 78th overall pick in this year’s draft.</p>
<p id="BZ802I">In this week’s Packers Rookie Preview, Acme Packing Company’s Tyler Brooke dives into the film to take a look at what makes Kraft such an exciting prospect and potential playmaker in Green Bay’s offense.</p>
<p id="Cufm30">If you enjoy the video, make sure to subscribe to Tyler’s YouTube channel for more Packers-focused content going forward.</p>
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<p id="xuhFFf"><strong>0:15 - </strong>Intro</p>
<p id="aKxuoi"><strong>0:38 - </strong>Tucker Kraft Background/Pro Comparisons</p>
<p id="FxEFg9"><strong>2:20 - </strong>Middle of Field concepts</p>
<p id="4SoVXo"><strong>4:20 </strong>- YAC ability</p>
<p id="mKquUL"><strong>8:15 - </strong>QB sneaks?!</p>
<p id="SjtCn9"><strong>9:30 </strong>- Route running ability</p>
<p id="qZmorH"><strong>10:10 </strong>- Blocking ability</p>
<p id="B2t5et"><strong>14:09 - </strong>Outro</p>
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<p id="rQFkHc">The biggest takeaway from Kraft’s film is his ability to make plays after the catch. Given his frame at outstanding athleticism (9.68), the Packers rookie is a dominant player with the ball in his hands. His time as a running back in high school consistently shows up on tape, showcasing the vision to utilize his blockers along with the contact balance to stay upright through tackle attempts to generate serious yards after contact.</p>
<p id="Ik828O">His technique will need to improve at the NFL level. Kraft didn’t need to rely as much on the nuances of his game playing against FCS competition, but that will change drastically once he hits the field as a pro. That being said, he has legitimate play strength that will help him early on as he gets comfortable with his technique, particularly as a blocker.</p>
<p id="SM12Ck">Stay tuned next week when Tyler will be breaking down the film on Day 3 picks Colby Wooden and (do I have to?) Sean Clifford.</p>
https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/5/12/23721221/green-bay-packers-rookie-preview-tucker-kraft-south-dakota-state-2023-nfl-draft-luke-musgraveTyler D. Brooke2023-05-09T20:41:20-05:002023-05-09T20:41:20-05:00Robert Saleh says pick swap with Packers didn’t impact the Jets’ draft
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<figcaption>Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>New York selected pass-rusher Will McDonald IV with the 15th selection</p> <p id="M1eGWs">As part of the Aaron Rodgers trade with the <a href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/">New York Jets</a>, the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a> received the Jets’ 13th overall pick in the draft — which turned into Iowa pass-rusher Lukas Van Ness — in exchange for the Packers’ 15th overall pick — which turned into <a href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com">Iowa State</a> pass-rusher Will McDonald IV. It has been speculated that this was a strategic move by the Packers, as the <a href="https://www.patspulpit.com/">New England Patriots</a>, who were sitting in the 14th spot in the draft, brought Van Ness in for an official visit. At the time that the trade terms had leaked but before the trade was official, Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst stated that he would only make the move if he thought it was “important” to do so.</p>
<p id="uHHVjd">The Patriots ended up trading out of the 14th pick, which led to the <a href="https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.com/">Pittsburgh Steelers</a> taking tackle Broderick Jones — a popular mock draft selection for the tackle-needy Jets. The Jets then turned in the card for McDonald, who was viewed as one of the biggest reaches in the draft. <a href="https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/big-boards/2023/consensus-big-board-2023?pos=EDGE">According to the consensus draft board</a>, McDonald — the soon-to-be-24-year-old 239-pounder — was the 34th overall rated prospect in the draft.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Biggest Round 1 reaches according to <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> media consensus board:<br><br>2023<br>Jack Campbell<br>Will McDonald<br><br>2022<br>Quay Walker<br>Cole Strange<br><br>2021<br>Payton Turner<br>Alex Leatherwood<br>Jamin Davis<br><br>2020<br>Jordyn Brooks<br>Damon Arnette<br>Isaiah Wilson</p>— Austin Gayle (@austingayle_) <a href="https://twitter.com/austingayle_/status/1651802158025838593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2023</a>
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<p id="YiQnWx">The timeline of the Rodgers trade, including the first-round pick swap, <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2023/05/08/aaron-rodgers-trade-packers-jets-negotiation-daily-cover">was covered by <em>Sports Illustrated</em>’s Albert Breer earlier this week</a> — in which he stated that the value of the swap was roughly equal to a mid-round draft choice.</p>
<blockquote><p id="bTCmUh">The two settled at 65%, and, to get the Packers to agree to come off the hard first-round pick, the Jets agreed to switch spots in the first round this year, with Green Bay jumping from No. 15 to 13 and New York going down two slots (which equated to giving up a low-third- or high-fourth-round pick on the teams’ draft-value charts). Gutekunst then agreed to send his fifth-round pick (No. 170) to the Jets for their sixth-rounder (No. 207) to give Douglas another win to take back to his owner.</p></blockquote>
<p id="jUgMM7">Still, Jets head coach Robert Saleh swore to television host Rich Eisen that the swap of first-round selections didn’t impact the Jets in the 15th slot, after Eisen brought up the missed opportunity of Jones going one selection before them. In the interview, Saleh claimed, “The difference between #13 and #15, in the way everything shook out, made no difference to us”</p>
<p id="z6mOg9">I’m not sure I believe him, but what else is the coach supposed to say? I don’t think any coach in the history of the league has ever admitted, “Yeah, that one got away from us,” about a first-round draft choice.</p>
<p id="ubW5eC">If you’d like to listen to the full interview, which includes Saleh’s early thoughts about Rodgers, you can find it linked below.</p>
<div id="TVxbBM"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gfa_-1VNDfg?rel=0" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="accelerometer; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share;"></iframe></div></div>
https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/5/9/23717776/new-york-jets-robert-saleh-pick-swap-green-bay-packers-2023-nfl-draft-lukas-van-ness-will-mcdonaldJustis Mosqueda2023-05-08T11:30:00-05:002023-05-08T11:30:00-05:00Packers 2023 Rookie Preview: WR Jayden Reed
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<figcaption>Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption>
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<p>Tyler breaks down the All-22 film on WR Jayden Reed for Packers Rookie Preview.</p> <p id="YwPgZQ"><a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a> fans lost their minds when the team didn’t take a wide receiver in the first round, opting to take Iowa pass-rusher Lukas Van Ness instead. However, the Packers found an exciting slot receiver in the second round of the 2023 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a> that will bring plenty of value to the offense and special teams in <a href="https://www.theonlycolors.com">Michigan State</a>’s Jayden Reed.</p>
<p id="l3kvnX">In this week’s edition of Packers Rookie Preview, Tyler breaks down the film on Reed and what he can bring to the offense. Along with a unique skill set and impressive physical ability, Reed brings a competitive toughness that Matt LaFleur will love in his offense and Rich Bisaccia will appreciate on special teams.</p>
<p id="AzYuk7">Like and subscribe to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqEEEwf2JE7snai_udlPDw">Tyler’s YouTube channel</a> for more in-depth content on the Packers, including All-22 film breakdowns on other rookies from the 2023 draft class.</p>
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<p id="hiTqqn"><strong>0:15 - </strong>Intro and Jayden Reed Bio</p>
<p id="fE6iju"><strong>1:40 - </strong>Dominant run blocking</p>
<p id="pAEz85"><strong>3:28 </strong>-Route running ability</p>
<p id="3T9JJQ"><strong>7:48 </strong>- Smash concepts/fit in Green Bay</p>
<p id="v9DtjP"><strong>10:23 - </strong>Weaknesses </p>
<p id="HKUU5E"><strong>12:30 </strong>- Outro</p>
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<p id="rpGQ7P">Here is what Tyler had to say about Reed on his 2023 NFL Draft Big Board heading into this year’s draft:</p>
<blockquote><p id="CNrgk5">Good lateral agility to win with elusiveness after the catch. Strong hands and body control to routinely come away with the ball in contested catch situations. Good contact balance to shed arm tackles after the catch.Flashes late hands when tracking the ball over his shoulder to keep the DB from reacting to break up the pass. Does a good job utilizing his shoulders/eyes on the double move to maximize separation. Doesn’t have exceptional burst off of the LOS, but his second gear explosiveness allows him to stretch the field vertically. Solid willingness and aggressiveness as a blocker, but does he have the upper body strength to handle blocking on the perimeter? Can get caught trying to get too cute after the catch, losing yards instead of taking what he can get. Possesses a thick lower body that helps him generate strength and explosiveness. Ran a pretty fully developed route tree in 2021 for MSU. Experience playing in both the slot and outside. Also has experience (and production) as a punt returner.</p></blockquote>
<p id="n4Rfs9">If Reed can prove himself in the offseason and training camp, expect him to play a significant role in Green Bay’s offense and special teams in 2023 as a slot receiver and punt return specialist. That’s great news for Jordan Love, who will have to develop and grow alongside his young offensive weapons including Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Luke Musgrave, and Trucker Kraft.</p>
https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/5/8/23715450/green-bay-packers-2023-rookie-preview-wr-jayden-reed-michigan-state-nfl-draftTyler D. Brooke2023-05-05T12:42:40-05:002023-05-05T12:42:40-05:00The Packers should look at the veteran defensive lineman market
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<p>Green Bay’s biggest weakness is their defensive line after turning in a total of 13 picks on draft weekend</p> <p id="fUTBgS">One of the bigger areas of concern that the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a> had going into the 2023 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a> was their defensive line. After losing Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed in free agency — <a href="https://overthecap.com/compensatory-picks">two players who should end up netting the Packers a pair of 2024 compensatory draft picks</a> — there were major questions about who would start at 3-4 defensive end opposite of sophomore Devonte Wyatt.</p>
<p id="u8fxib">In the first round, the team drafted edge rusher Lukas Van Ness and on Day 2 general manager Brian Gutekunst selected three straight pass-catchers. In the end, there were more holes to plug than the Packers had high draft picks, leaving Green Bay’s 13-pick draft haul with just two Day 3 selections on the defensive line: fourth-rounder Colby Wooden and sixth-rounder Karl Brooks.</p>
<p id="Pt4hcO">Both Wooden (Auburn) and Brooks (Bowling Green) were primarily used on the edge at the college level, but are projected to play inside in the league. If you want glimpses of their games, take a look at the cutups below — which capture their interior snaps in premium matchups.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">All of Colby Wooden's (Packers' 4th round pick) snaps on the interior against Alabama. He's #25. <a href="https://t.co/WI2zAsNK6b">pic.twitter.com/WI2zAsNK6b</a></p>— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) <a href="https://twitter.com/JuMosq/status/1652651068445331456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2023</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">All of Karl Brooks' (Packers' 6th round pick) snaps on the interior against Mississippi State. One of two matchups with a P5 team. He's #11. <a href="https://t.co/kIkQk42Zlo">pic.twitter.com/kIkQk42Zlo</a></p>— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) <a href="https://twitter.com/JuMosq/status/1652651307688427521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2023</a>
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<p id="PCWKYw">If you’re like me, you probably weren’t too impressed by Wooden or Brooks in the videos above. While both are above-average athletes on paper, their film leaves much to be desired, at this point in their careers, and goes to show you how far away they are from being difference-making players at the NFL level — let alone 17-game starters at 3-4 defensive end.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Colby Wooden was drafted with pick 116 of round 4 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.24 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RAS</a> out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 124 out of 1620 DT from 1987 to 2023. <a href="https://t.co/NjH1qPf5F0">https://t.co/NjH1qPf5F0</a> <a href="https://t.co/WUbcWaybA6">pic.twitter.com/WUbcWaybA6</a></p>— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) <a href="https://twitter.com/MathBomb/status/1652354015336824832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2023</a>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Karl Brooks was drafted with pick 179 of round 6 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 5.87 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RAS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RAS</a> out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 670 out of 1620 DT from 1987 to 2023. <a href="https://t.co/6b9776s85g">https://t.co/6b9776s85g</a> <a href="https://t.co/4tGe5D5X5G">pic.twitter.com/4tGe5D5X5G</a></p>— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) <a href="https://twitter.com/MathBomb/status/1652398904116215808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2023</a>
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<p id="xM7ohg">While Wooden clearly needs to gain weight (he stated he’s around 280 pounds in his post-draft availability) for the 3-4 end position, Brooks is of NFL size already and was highly graded by Pro Football Focus. PFF actually had Brooks graded as their highest-ranked line-of-scrimmage defender in all of the FBS last year. Unfortunately, they’ve had a poor track record of hyping up defenders from the weaker conferences in the FBS, like Bowling Green’s MAC.</p>
<p id="rZuNsI">Two recent examples of this were Joe Ostman (Central Michigan) and Sutton Smith (Northern Illinois.) <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF/status/992709494814724096">Ostman was given a 91.1 grade by PFF in his final season of college</a>, but only ever played 29 defensive snaps in the NFL regular season and is now out of the league. Sutton, back in 2017 with the Huskies, <a href="https://twitter.com/PFF/status/1126868501287903232">posted a 93.8 grade and through 2019 was the second-highest graded edge rusher that PFF had ever charted</a> (only behind <a href="https://www.landgrantholyland.com">Ohio State</a>’s Nick Bosa.) Despite being a draft pick, Sutton failed to make it through final cuts as a rookie, bounced around on five rosters, converted to fullback and hasn’t been heard of in a year. Smith played 44 defensive snaps for the <a href="https://www.silverandblackpride.com/">Las Vegas Raiders</a> in 2021, his only regular season snaps to date.</p>
<p id="euXqHk">This is all to say that you should trust your eyes, not the metrics, on Brooks’ evaluation. Maybe Wooden and Brooks will develop into quality 3-4 ends down the line, but they have some work to do to get there.</p>
<p id="HJHlQ6">Unfortunately, the Packers don’t really have the freedom to sit their draft picks and develop them in practice, as it stands today. Green Bay’s defensive line room is comprised of starting nose tackle Kenny Clark, backup nose tackle TJ Slaton, Wyatt, Wooden, Brooks, third-string nose tackle Jonathan Ford (who was a healthy scratch in all 17 games last year), practice-squadder Chris Slayton and undrafted free agent rookie Jason Lewan. If one of Wooden or Brooks aren’t starting opposite of Wyatt, there aren’t many other options already on the roster to turn to.</p>
<p id="KZLSUe">If Gutekunst and cap wizard Russ Ball are able to <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/5/4/23710697/green-bay-packers-rashan-gary-contract-extension-jordan-love-contract-terms-update-2023-salary-cap">get an extension done with edge rusher Rashan Gary soon</a>, the team should have enough cap space to enter the post-draft free-agency market in search of a defensive lineman who could buy them some time. <a href="https://nfltraderumors.co/top-100-2023-nfl-free-agents-list/">Interior defensive linemen still available</a> include the likes of Chris Wormley, Matt Ioannidis, Shelby Harris and Akiem Hicks — all potential upgrades over what the Packers have right now. Putting together a quality enough defensive line to genuinely evaluate if defensive coordinator Joe Barry is their guy going into 2024 should be Green Bay’s immediate focus.</p>
<p id="6pZB9A">If the Packers can’t add a veteran to their defensive line rotation, we’re going to find out a lot about defensive line coach (and running game coordinator) Jerry Montgomery this season. Montgomery’s unit hasn’t truly developed a long-term starter at the position since he took over the job back in 2018, under a different head coach (Mike McCarthy) and defensive coordinator (Mike Pettine.) The longest-tenured coach on the entire Green Bay coaching staff will have to prove that he can get something out of his pair of raw rookies, if the team doesn’t add a proven body.</p>
https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/5/5/23709201/green-bay-packers-2023-nfl-draft-colby-wooden-karl-brooks-defensive-line-free-agency-joe-barryJustis Mosqueda2023-05-03T10:30:00-05:002023-05-03T10:30:00-05:00Packers Rookie Preview: UDFA Brenton Cox Jr.
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<p>A film breakdown on the talented-but-risky UDFA signing.</p> <p id="D06qQm">The <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a> went after multiple EDGE prospects in the 2023 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a>, but general manager Brian Gutekunst took another swing on an extremely talented (but very risky) player, Brenton Cox Jr., in undrafted free agency.</p>
<p id="KWPX07">A former second-team All-SEC selection, Cox was <a href="https://www.gatorsports.com/story/football/2022/10/31/florida-gators-de-brenton-cox-dismissed-team-billy-napier/10652198002/">dismissed from the Florida Gators program</a> late last season. This came just a few years after he had been kicked off of the <a href="https://www.dawgsports.com">Georgia Bulldogs</a> as a true freshman.</p>
<p id="BfUk9K">Despite the serious off-field concerns, Cox is an impressive EDGE prospect with untapped potential. In his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqEEEwf2JE7snai_udlPDw/">Packers Rookie Preview</a> YouTube series, Tyler dropped a bonus UDFA episode to break down the team’s most fascinating undrafted signing, showcasing some intense flashes of greatness and some frustrating reps that show a concerning lack of discipline.</p>
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<p id="pb4HVA"><strong>0:10 - </strong>Intro<br><strong>0:36 - </strong>Brenton Cox Jr. background<br><strong>2:02 - </strong>Pass-rush strengths<br><strong>7:18 - </strong>Run defense strengths<br><strong>12:05 </strong>- Weaknesses<br><strong>18:58 </strong>- Outro</p>
<p id="T6AMI8">Cox was ranked 245th on the <a href="https://www.nflmockdraftdatabase.com/big-boards/2023/consensus-big-board-2023?pos=EDGE">consensus big board</a>, in large part due to the off-field issues. Despite all of the talent and significant production in college (34.5 TFLs and 14.5 sacks in 44 games), discipline, stiffness, and mental errors are a big reason that he wasn’t garnering as much attention at the NFL level.</p>
<p id="aS1JJn">The poor athletic testing scores also hurt Cox’s draft stock. Despite some impressive athletic feats on the field, the Florida prospect posted a Relative Athletic Score of just 6.25, which goes outside of Green Bay’s recent thresholds for rookies.</p>
<p id="UTm8uv">However, considering he was only a UDFA signing for Gutekunst and his staff, the potential that Cox could bring as an EDGE will make him one of the more fascinating rookies to keep an eye on during the preseason and training camp. </p>
https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/green-bay-packers-draft/2023/5/3/23709598/green-bay-packers-2023-nfl-draft-rookie-preview-udfa-brenton-cox-jr-floridaTyler D. Brooke2023-05-02T08:00:00-05:002023-05-02T08:00:00-05:00Draft Recap: Reviewing and grading the Green Bay Packers’ 2023 draft class
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<img alt="COLLEGE FOOTBALL: NOV 20 Arizona State at Oregon State" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eqyieZkvlh4_3BqsR4pRWz2PbSU=/0x0:3600x2400/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72241293/1236701766.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Brian Murphy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Day 1 and Day 2 went well for the Packers, but questions about the defensive line still remain</p> <div id="nsNwTD"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 152px; position: relative;"><iframe src="https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/7g8rBoYyx81Fp28LReNdSF?utm_source=oembed" style="top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; border: 0;" allowfullscreen="" allow="clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture;"></iframe></div></div>
<p id="LLEAXF">With the 2023 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a> in the rearview, Acme Packing Company’s crew of Tex Western, Tyler Brooke and Justis Mosqueda gather for one final podcast to tie a bow on the class. Generally, <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/4/30/23706007/2023-nfl-draft-green-bay-packers-draft-grade-roundup-lukas-van-ness-sean-clifford-jayden-reed">the class is viewed as average by quick-reaction graders</a>, but our staff liked the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a>’ first two days of the class, despite an up-and-down effort on Day 3. Two players who shined as later-round picks, in our opinion, were Virginia receiver Dontayvion Wicks and <a href="https://www.widerightnattylite.com">Iowa State</a> safety Anthony Johnson Jr.</p>
<p id="U7ff9W">Tune into this week’s episode as we break down the selections, <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/4/29/23705077/2023-nfl-draft-green-bay-packers-53-man-roster-update-projection-analysis">which roles they’re expected to play in the immediate future</a> and <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/4/29/23704823/green-bay-packers-2023-undrafted-free-agent-tracker">even some notes on a couple of the team’s undrafted free agent signings</a>. Undrafted free agency is <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/5/1/23707017/2023-nfl-draft-green-bay-packers-day-3-picks-history-analysis-strategy-gm-brian-gutekunst">becoming ever more important and could have been the reason why the Packers’ hands were forced on the Sean Clifford selection</a> in the fifth round.</p>
<h3 id="CjxWZs">Timestamps</h3>
<ul>
<li id="jgJaB6">0:00: The draft is finally over</li>
<li id="AJIAGc">1:35: Lukas Van Ness, OLB, Iowa</li>
<li id="TrJYUr">7:20: Luke Musgrave, TE, <a href="https://www.buildingthedam.com">Oregon State</a>
</li>
<li id="QRC9xg">10:20: Jayden Reed, WR, <a href="https://www.theonlycolors.com">Michigan State</a>
</li>
<li id="eJCSN2">15:40: Tucker Kraft, TE, South Dakota State</li>
<li id="oXfdYm">18:45: Colby Wooden, DL, Auburn</li>
</ul>
<div id="kWvwwE">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">All of Colby Wooden's (Packers' 4th round pick) snaps on the interior against Alabama. He's #25. <a href="https://t.co/WI2zAsNK6b">pic.twitter.com/WI2zAsNK6b</a></p>— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) <a href="https://twitter.com/JuMosq/status/1652651068445331456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2023</a>
</blockquote>
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<ul>
<li id="e8xkBp">23:40: Sean Clifford, QB, Penn State</li>
<li id="dC9Tj5">29:35: Dontayvion Wicks, WR, Virginia</li>
<li id="E36NWW">34:50: Karl Brooks, DL, Bowling Green</li>
</ul>
<div id="HS1anq">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">All of Karl Brooks' (Packers' 6th round pick) snaps on the interior against Mississippi State. One of two matchups with a P5 team. He's #11. <a href="https://t.co/kIkQk42Zlo">pic.twitter.com/kIkQk42Zlo</a></p>— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) <a href="https://twitter.com/JuMosq/status/1652651307688427521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2023</a>
</blockquote>
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<ul>
<li id="K3NmCN">40:10: Anders Carlson, K, Auburn</li>
<li id="5HMUGc">43:15: Carrington Valentine, CB, Kentucky</li>
<li id="EsD1rB">46:00: Lew Nichols III, RB, Central Michigan</li>
<li id="UVsEYi">48:15: Anthony Johnson Jr., SAF, Iowa State</li>
<li id="5OMXKH">51:15: Grant DuBose, WR, Charlotte</li>
<li id="8we6q9">53:05: Undrafted free-agent signings</li>
<li id="O1xq95">59:10: Wrapping up the status of the roster</li>
<li id="bHjFv1">1:01:10: Draft vibes</li>
</ul>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ROkA2G">
<p id="sfZBn1">Want more great <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/"><strong>Packers</strong></a> audio content from Acme Packing Company? <a href="https://pod.link/acmepackingcompany"><strong>Subscribe to our feed</strong></a> wherever you get your podcasts — and give us a quick 5-star rating if you’re enjoying it! It helps boost our profile and spread the word.</p>
https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/5/2/23707636/green-bay-packers-2023-nfl-draft-pick-analysis-grades-podcast-lukas-van-ness-jayden-reedJustis Mosqueda2023-05-01T15:35:00-05:002023-05-01T15:35:00-05:00Packers assign jersey numbers to full 2023 Draft class
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: APR 28 2023 Draft" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/tjZRVwHLOG5RrooHfG0KHn6224s=/0x3240:3997x5905/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72239615/1252441777.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>LeRoy Butler announced a handful of draft picks over the weekend; now he’ll see his number 36 assigned to one of the Packers’ newest players.</p> <p id="lrBMT7">The <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a> made 13 selections during the 2023 <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL Draft</a>. Although the players selected on days one and two had their jersey numbers assigned quickly following their selections, the nine third-day picks had yet to get an official assignment until Monday afternoon. </p>
<p id="lLesPX">Now, with one change from the initially-reported digit for one of Friday’s picks, we know what the rookies will be wearing during their first seasons in Green Bay. Let’s take a look at the historical significance of the 13 sets of numbers assigned to these rookies (including #13 itself!) as well as any notable connections for the players themselves.</p>
<p id="pfoPIk">Here are the numbers assigned to each of the Packers’ draft picks, going in draft order.</p>
<h3 id="E01Tnn">Lukas Van Ness: #90</h3>
<p id="0wJ78h">The Packers have had a number of very good pass-rushers who have worn this number, so Van Ness is in good company. Ezra Johnson made it his own in the late 1970s and through much of the ’80s, recording an unofficial 82 sacks with the Packers, then Tony Bennett and Vonnie Holliday donned it for a few years each in the 1990s. More recently, it has tended to be an interior lineman’s number, with B.J. Raji making it a popular jersey number with fans.</p>
<p id="4sXUht">For Van Ness, whose college #91 is taken by Preston Smith, 90 is apparently just fine since he wore it in high school.</p>
<h3 id="BjPsLN">Luke Musgrave: #88</h3>
<p id="4eVzvz">Musgrave keeps the number 88 that he wore in college at <a href="https://www.buildingthedam.com">Oregon State</a>, and he will look to keep a strong tight end lineage alive with the double digit. The Packers had one first-team All-Pro tight end who wore 88 back in the Lombardi days in Ron Kramer, while Keith Jackson, Bubba Franks, and Jermichael Finley wore it over the past few decades as well. More recently it has belonged to players at other positions like Ty Montgomery and Juwann Winfree.</p>
<h3 id="f4lzfj">Jayden Reed: #11</h3>
<p id="Bsn89q">Reed wore number 1 to finish out his career at <a href="https://www.theonlycolors.com">Michigan State</a>, and initially the Packers revealed that he would wear that number in Green Bay. However, no Packer has worn number 1 in a regular season game since Curly Lambeau, with the number unofficially retired. Likely for that reason, the team reassigned him the double of that digit.</p>
<p id="BBM7xR">For much of the Packers’ history, number 11 has been an afterthought. The player with the highest approximate value for his career in Green Bay is punter David Beverly, who kicked for the team from 1975 to 1980. Otherwise it has largely belonged to backup quarterbacks (Matt Hasselbeck and Ty Detmer, among others) and specialists before more recent numbers rules allowed for wide receivers to get numbers from 10-19. Still, the most successful of those was Jarrett Boykin from 2012 to 2014, so Reed will have a chance to be the first Packer to really make this number one to remember.</p>
<h3 id="5gfX9p">Tucker Kraft: #85</h3>
<p id="Nit2e6">Like Musgrave, Kraft gets to keep his college number. A couple of receivers in the Packers Hall of Fame have worn number 85, including the first touchdown scorer in <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/super-bowl">Super Bowl</a> history. Max McGee is the all-time leader in Packers AV with that number, narrowly beating out a more modern name in Greg Jennings. Other notable names in this number are wideout Phil Epps (1982-88), Ken Payne (1974-77) and Corey Bradford (1998-2001), but the recently-departed Robert Tonyan is the most recent player to wear it, the first modern tight end to make any substantial contributions in 85.</p>
<h3 id="yrXqgC">Colby Wooden: #96</h3>
<p id="RnhsHA">Easily the most well-known and successful Packer to wear number 96 was defensive end Sean Jones. Opposite Reggie White, Jones’ three-year stint from 1994 to 1996 gave the Packers one of the most impressive pair of starting ends in the NFL. The Packers also had a multi-year contributor in Mike Neal wear the number as he bounced around from the interior line to the edge.</p>
<p id="ljtZFe">Wooden wore a low number in college, #25, because he thought it would be fun to have an unusual number for a defensive lineman. Apparently even though the NFL is relaxing its rules, he’ll be sticking with a more traditional number for a player at his position.</p>
<h3 id="Dup1Td">Sean Clifford: #8</h3>
<p id="jM9cJF">Until Amari Rodgers’ arrival in 2021, single digits belonged only to quarterbacks and specialists. Among the former, Tim Boyle and Mark Brunell are notable names, but the most productive players to wear 8 kicked the ball: punter Tim Masthay and kicker Ryan Longwell.</p>
<h3 id="dcoAm2">Dontayvion Wicks: #13</h3>
<p id="Ci55z9">Wicks, who wore number 3 in college, could not choose that in Green Bay because it is retired for Tony Canadeo. Instead, he added a tens digit and grabbed Allen Lazard’s old number 13. Before Lazard broke out, however, the Packers’ only notable number 13s in history were kickers Chris Jacke and Chester Marcol and backup quarterback Don Horn.</p>
<h3 id="ngdZ3r">Karl Brooks: #94</h3>
<p id="sGDxNT">Another small-school pass-rusher is the Packers’ best 94 in history, drafted on day three of the 2000 draft. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila wore 94 en route to setting the Packers’ official career sack record with 74.5 (they were not tracked for part of Ezra Johnson’s career). Two other notable Packers to wear 94 are Dean Lowry, who just departed in free agency for Minnesota, and Charles Martin, whose body-slam of Bears quarterback Jim McMahon is one of the darker moments in Packers history.</p>
<p id="cLip1L">Brooks wore number 44 in college, so perhaps the Packers encouraged him to move to something in the 90s, while allowing him to keep the 4 at the end.</p>
<h3 id="aVBo0H">Anders Carlson: #17</h3>
<p id="XrnsJD">Davante Adams. Enough said. </p>
<p id="9W9tQg">A little over a year removed from Adams’ departure, only kickers have received his old digits. Last year it was Ramiz Ahmed, and now it goes to Carlson. It did belong to one other legendary former Packer, however, as Cecil Isbell wore it from 1938 to 1942. A few other notable names to wear 17 were QB David Whitehurst and punter Craig Hentrich.</p>
<h3 id="iYwtBP">Carrington Valentine: #37</h3>
<p id="eSTBbS">37 is very much a defensive back number, and it has belonged to three very good ones over the years. Safety Mark Murphy (not the Packers’ president, the other one who played in the 1980s) started for all or parts of nine seasons with the Packers, intercepting 20 passes. In the 90s, it was cornerback Tyrone Williams wearing the digits, as he started from 1997 through 2002. Finally, Sam Shields was a rookie on the Packers’ 2010 Super Bowl team and had a fantastic seven-year run with the team after signing as an undrafted free agent.</p>
<h3 id="zzvBZo">Lew Nichols III: #32</h3>
<p id="BbL5uD">Alternately given to defensive backs and running backs, no Packer has made a massive impact in number 32. The closest thing to that would be three-year starting cornerback Dave Brown, who played in Green Bay at the tail end of his career, and third-down running back Brandon Jackson, who led the Packers in rushing during the 2010 Super Bowl campaign.</p>
<h3 id="5vgNGO">Anthony Johnson, Jr.: #36</h3>
<p id="v0Gc6G">This is <em>the </em>number for a modern-day safety in Green Bay. Originally made famous by running back MacArthur Lane in the early 1970s, Leroy Butler made it a DB number with his Hall of Fame career in the 1990s. A few years after his retirement, the Packers gave 36 to Nick Collins, who continued on with that exceptional play and was potentially on track for a Canton-worthy career until a neck injury ended his career prematurely. Recently, safeties like Raven Greene and Vernon Scott have worn 36, but none have had an impact remotely similar to those two legendary Packers.</p>
<h3 id="hYYHN4">Grant DuBose: #86</h3>
<p id="R1Q8PG">This is another number that has bounced back and forth between modestly productive tight ends and elite wide receivers. Billy Howton was one of the NFL’s great early wide receivers in the gloom of the Packers’ 1950s doldrums, then he handed the number off to Boyd Dowler, who made two Pro Bowls and starred for the Lombardi-era Packers. </p>
<p id="KV5ih8">After a productive stint in 86 from tight end Ed West, the number went back to a wide receiver in 1995 when the Packers drafted Antonio Freeman. “Free” helped the Packers win Super Bowl XXXI in his second season, then posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons, with his finest coming in 1998 as he led the NFL in receiving yards and was a first-team All-Pro. Following Freeman’s stint, the Packers had tight end Donald Lee, who was a solid if unspectacular TE2 and finished out his Green Bay career with a win in Super Bowl XLV.</p>
https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/green-bay-packers-draft/2023/5/1/23707112/green-bay-packers-uniform-jersey-numbers-2023-draft-rookie-class-luke-musgrave-jayden-reed-rookiesEvan "Tex" Western2023-05-01T15:14:53-05:002023-05-01T15:14:53-05:00A changing NFL climate may explain the volume of Packers’ Day 3 picks
<figure>
<img alt="NFL: APR 27 2023 Draft" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/buASJsmx6v1l8kPkEQE2xyIvLu8=/0x0:6000x4000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72239530/1252354024.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The post-pandemic salary cap and rising UDFA guarantees are the reason for Green Bay’s pivot</p> <p id="VKZ3XJ">Over the past two seasons, the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/">Green Bay Packers</a> have made 24 draft choices, including 16 on the final day of the draft and eight in the seventh round alone. As general manager Brian Gutekunst pointed out in his post-draft press conference, the team is also expected to have at least 11 draft picks in the 2024 draft — <a href="https://overthecap.com/compensatory-picks">due to three compensatory picks (all scheduled for Day 3)</a> and the pick via the <a href="https://www.ganggreennation.com/">New York Jets</a> from the <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/4/24/23696486/aaron-rodgers-trade-finalized-green-bay-packers-new-york-jets">Aaron Rodgers trade</a>.</p>
<p id="dKjEPB">Just a few years ago, it would have been unfathomable to think that an NFL team would turn in cards for 35 players over a three-year stretch, let alone make four seventh-round picks in back-to-back drafts. The <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/nfl-draft">NFL draft</a> process is changing, though, in some ways specifically for the Packers and in other ways league-wide. Here are some of the factors that explain Green Bay’s new-found volume approach to Day 3 of the draft.</p>
<h3 id="nJSKsc">Factor 1: Covid years</h3>
<p id="VJAaxS">One of the biggest factors in the depth of recent draft classes is that players were awarded an extra year of eligibility to play college football by the NCAA, if they were on a roster for the 2020 season. This extra year of eligibility has given many players an opportunity to play at the college level for six seasons (including their redshirt year), which means that fifth-year prospects who want to enter the upcoming draft actually have to “declare early” for it.</p>
<p id="hoeJMM">This has created a lag of talent that should continue in the draft until the 2020 high school recruiting class approaches its senior season of college. For example, a <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/04/28/prospect-x-mystery-of-nfl-draft-deepest-sleeper"><em>Sports Illustrated</em> article</a> claimed that roughly 1,800 prospects typically sign with NFL-certified agents each draft cycle. In the 2021 class, only 652 prospects signed with agents — putting into perspective how many undrafted and/or late-round type of players are opting to return to school with that extra year of eligibility.</p>
<p id="GHA341">In theory, this talent lag should have rewarded the 2022 and 2023 draft classes with more veteran and polished draft prospects (and should also be a trend that continues through the 2026 draft.) Is it a coincidence that those are the seasons where we’ve seen the Packers emphasize taking as many seventh-round picks as they can, getting a jump on undrafted free agency?</p>
<h3 id="3zC5hT">Factor 2: Undrafted free agent guarantees rising</h3>
<p id="H1yTWU">This is a subject that NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein — who writes the site’s player profiles — <a href="https://twitter.com/LanceZierlein/status/1652752566709813248">has mentioned on Twitter before</a>. Here are his thoughts, if you missed them.</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="7AH3Ef">Very interesting shift in NFL team philosophies regarding undrafted free agents is happening. With some UDFAs making more money on the open market than most late round picks, teams may start adding more late picks and using them to avoid overpaying for back-end talent.</p>
<p id="TldTI6">For perspective, I read this morning that one UDFA got 230K guaranteed while Brock Purdy got 77K last year guaranteed as the last pick of the draft. Three times the guaranteed amount for a player who has a less than 50% chance to make it? Wow!</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="tItw8C">With the cap rising, teams seem to be more aggressive with the contract terms that they sign undrafted free agents to. The league has an “undrafted rookie reservation” number, which caps the pool that individual teams can use for signing bonuses on undrafted players. In 2023, that number is $172,337. There is nothing preventing teams from guaranteeing salary to undrafted free agents, though, which explains the inequality between the signing power of teams across the league, depending on their cap situation.</p>
<p id="k3WVtW"><em>Sports Illustrated</em>’s Bill Huber <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/news/packers-undrafted-free-agents-best-group-little-money-can-buy">recently wrote about the Packers’ undrafted free agents</a> from the 2023 class, which included these thoughts on Green Bay’s approach from an anonymous agent.</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="WNnjDU">Moreover, Green Bay was one of only five teams in 2022 that didn’t guarantee a single dollar of base salary to entice anyone to sign.</p>
<p id="HPGGPi">As one agent said of making decisions, “The most important thing is opportunity. Does my client have a legitimate chance to contend for a spot on the 53 or even the practice squad? For Green Bay, they’ve got a strong history of giving undrafted guys a fair shake. That matters. But if one team is offering $15,000 guaranteed and the Packers are offering $5,000, that’s hard to ignore. Generally, money talks and money means opportunity.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="SnmufF">The Packers, once known as <em>the team</em> with the most opportunities in undrafted free agency (because of their willingness to roster them over the years), have simply stepped back in the pecking order in recent seasons because of the exploding guarantees market for UDFAs. If a player doesn’t make the squad, franchises are still on the hook for their guaranteed salary — even beyond a player’s signing bonus. That adds dead cap to a team’s accounting, which brings us to our third factor.</p>
<h3 id="cVxKeP">Factor 3: Green Bay’s salary cap bind</h3>
<p id="4XI1jO"><a href="https://twitter.com/KenIngalls/status/1650607734964846594">According to salary cap guru Ken Ingalls</a>, the Packers currently have -$1 million in effective salary cap space going into the 2023 season, even after a projected extension with outside linebacker Rashan Gary that should bring the edge rusher’s cap hit down in the short term. This is why Green Bay is (and should be) so cautious with guarantees in the undrafted free agent market. Every cent counts when you’re pinching pennies. The cost of going all-in, cap-wise, during the end of the Aaron Rodgers era means that the team is having to pay back its credit card debt at the moment.</p>
<p id="YZmRZY">For perspective, Samori Toure — the fourth of four seventh-round picks the Packers turned in back in 2022 — received a $77,008 signing bonus to sign a four-year deal with Green Bay but didn’t see a penny of his $3.7 million salary (over four years) be guaranteed by the team. That means that Toure’s potential dead cap would be about one-third of that of top undrafted free agents, according to Zierlein’s claim. Yes, it can be cheaper to move on from draft picks than top undrafted free agents. That’s where the NFL is today and explains how much the rookie wage scale suppresses the cash and guarantees of draft picks.</p>
<h3 id="H4FwlE">Factor 4: Fewer recruiting visits</h3>
<p id="HmiWYg">Under former general manager Ted Thompson, the Packers almost exclusively used their allotted 30 pre-draft visits on recruiting visits for potential undrafted free agents. In recent seasons, Gutekunst has used these visits to get an extra look at potential draft picks. In 2022, <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/nfl-draft-2022-packers/2022/4/1/23006155/packers-2022-pre-draft-visits-tracking-top-30-and-virtual-meetings">the team selected six players in the draft who were brought into Green Bay</a>, for reference. In the 2023 draft, <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/4/3/23668161/nfl-draft-2023-tracking-the-green-bay-packers-top-30-prospect-visits">four were taken</a> (DL Karl Brooks, WR Dontayvion Wicks, RB Lew Nichols III and QB Sean Clifford.)</p>
<p id="4TytQ8">When it was all said and done, only 9 of the 30 players that the team brought in hit undrafted free agency after the 2023 draft. Eight of those prospects were at positions that the Packers had already addressed with a draft pick. Only two, tight end Camren McDonald and offensive tackle Kadeem Telfort, <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/4/29/23704823/green-bay-packers-2023-undrafted-free-agent-tracker">have reportedly signed with Green Bay since the draft concluded</a>.</p>
<h3 id="AYBsBn">Factor 5: Fewer available roster spots</h3>
<p id="sLpHxn">In 2022, the only undrafted free agent rookie to make the Packers’ roster was long snapper Jack Coco, who originally didn’t even sign with the team as an undrafted free agent after the draft but earned a spot on the team after impressing during a tryout at Green Bay’s rookie minicamp. <a href="https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/4/29/23705077/2023-nfl-draft-green-bay-packers-53-man-roster-update-projection-analysis">When breaking down the Packers’ potential 53-man roster after the draft</a>, the picture painted was that it’s going to be very difficult for a UDFA to make this team, too, because of all of the young draft picks on the team and the new-found emphasis on special teams-only players that special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia has brought to the squad.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="nMhbfd">
<p id="WzgzlC">So why are the Packers making so many Day 3 picks, particularly in the seventh round? Draft classes are deeper because of the extra year of eligibility awarded to college players who were in the NCAA in 2020, undrafted free agents are making more guaranteed at a time when Green Bay can’t afford to add more dead cap and the team’s undrafted free agent pipeline isn’t what it used to be now that Gutekunst is using visits on more draftable prospects while there are fewer roster spots for undrafted free agents to legitimately contend at.</p>
<p id="ZA75Hb">This isn’t bad, per se, but it certainly is a pivot of strategy from what the Packers have done over the better part of the last two decades. Only time will tell if Gutekunst is right to go through with this plan, but expect it to continue until at least when Green Bay’s cap situation gets to a better place in 2025.</p>
https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2023/5/1/23707017/2023-nfl-draft-green-bay-packers-day-3-picks-history-analysis-strategy-gm-brian-gutekunstJustis Mosqueda