The Green Bay Packers have done an excellent job of filling the needs on their roster during the 2023 NFL Draft. They have not only hit on needs with all of their selections, but the value has also been there, which is a win for the front office.
Green Bay identified the two areas that they needed most; defensive line and pass catchers on offense, and aggressively pursued replacements. In Round 1, they went to the defensive line, selecting pass rusher Lukas Van Ness.
Van Ness will provide the team with another solid pass-rushing option opposite of Preston Smith until Rashan Gary can return. On Day 2, it was all about the offense. Tight end Luke Musgrave was selected at No. 42 while the team traded up to No. 50 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to snag Michigan State wide receiver Jayden Reed.
In Round 3, they doubled down on the tight end position, selecting Tucker Kraft out of South Dakota State. The tight end depth chart was lacking heading into the draft, but now the team has two young, high-upside players to develop.
In Round 4, the Packers went back to the defensive side of the ball, finding a potential steal. With the 14th pick of the round and No. 116 overall, Green Bay selected Auburn defensive lineman, Colby Wooden.
The selection drew the praise of CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso, who gave the pick an A grade. With a need at defensive tackle, Wooden has a chance to help contribute right away while providing some versatility as well.
“Tweener frame but legit pass-rusher at DT or on the EDGE. Probably best rushing against OGs at the next level. Thick frame, long leverage, non-stop motor. Some pass-rush moves too. Battles against the run as well.”
Wooden will likely find the most success at the next level, at least as a pass rusher, from the inside. Attacking inside the tackle plays more to his strengths than playing on the outside and coming off of the edge.
However, most importantly, regardless of where you put him, Wooden is going to get the job done against the run. His non-stop motor is a big part of that as the Packers are getting a player that will be able to contribute from Day 1 in a rotational role.
