LATEST: The Green Bay Packers’ Exciting Draft Targets

It’s crucial to consider how the Green Bay Packers had some unexpected success at the close of the 2023 season while evaluating possible Draft picks. They advanced to the divisional round, where they were defeated by the San Francisco 49ers, who went on to win the Super Bowl in the end. This happened after they scored 48 points at AT&T Stadium to demolish the Dallas Cowboys against all odds in the Wildcard round.
It was an amazing accomplishment to make it to the divisional stages given the NFL odds had them far from the favorites for the Super Bowl. They may need to take a step further in the draft; according to NFL draft odds, they have a remote possibility of acquiring Blake Corum, who would be a very welcome addition.

Naturally, the quarterback position was the main topic of discussion leading up to the start of the season. Legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers left Lambeu Field with a starting quarterback vacancy in April after bidding an emotional farewell to the New York Jets. Despite doubts about his ability to step up, Jordan Love was selected as the player to succeed the four-time NFL MVP. But he went above and beyond, concluding the season with 4,159 passing yards (7th overall), 32 completed touchdowns (2nd overall), and a 9th-place QB rating (62.1) passing rating.

They had a winning streak of six of their final eight regular season games, which helped them finish with a 9-8 record and make the playoffs.

Cheeseheads will undoubtedly want to build on a successful season, and now that Love is firmly entrenched as the quarterback, they may begin to do so. They are probably better possibilities according to NFL odds for this season, and their chances will be greatly impacted by the 2024 draft. Which possible draft targets will they look to, given that talent like Caleb Williams, Marvin Harrisson, and Drake Maye are all confirmed to be in the portal?

Positions and Possible Draft Targets: Offensive Line
The Packers will almost certainly select an offensive lineman with at least one of their first picks. Josh Myers did not live up to expectations at center, David Bakhtiari missed the entire 2023 season after playing just one game, and right guard was being used as a rotation option.

Even if the offensive line did rather well by all measures, it is still evident that they are lacking in that area. Brian Gutekunst, general manager, has some nice capital with the 25th, 41st, and 58th picks.

Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims appears to be one of the most likely candidates, based on NFL draft odds. With a 40-yard dash time of 5.07 seconds and a RAS score of 9.5, he had a solid combine. He weighs 340 pounds and is six feet eight inches tall. His hands were a gigantic 11¼” in size. It’s also important to remember that in the last four drafts, Gutekunst has selected four Bulldogs in the first round, thus Mims most definitely meets the criteria.

With players like Joe Alt, Olu Fashanu, and JC Latham all making an impression, there are plenty of offensive line possibilities available in the draft. The Packers finished in the bottom five of the league in 2023, and Latham is a fantastic run blocker. However, these prospects might be selected before the Packers are able to select them at this time.

Backfield defense
A safety and a cornerback are much needed by the Packers. Jonathan Owens, Darnell Savage, and Rudy Ford all appear to be headed for free agency, and Gutekunst would have undoubtedly kept an eye on the safeties during the combine. Tyler Nubin of Minnesota seems to be one of the best defensive backfield prospects, though he might arrive sooner than the Packers can to select. They require a cornerback as well.

Jaire Alexander’s season was horrible. Due to an injury, he missed nine games before being benched due to a suspension. Alexander was supposed to set an example, but by all accounts, he failed to do so, and Keisean Nixon and Eric Stokes didn’t do much to shine in his place.

Despite his strength, Carrington Valentine may be able to advance even further in 2024 if his defensive tactics are changed. But the Packers need players, and because both Robert Rochell and Corey Ballentine are expected to become free agents, at least one second-round pick—if not both—will probably go to defensive backfielders.

Terrion Arnold, Quinyon Mitchell, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Cooper DeJean, and Nate Wiggins are all listed as top 50 draft prospects by NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, and Gutekunst may be interested in any of them, according to the Vegas odds NFL draft.

Exchange-related scenarios
We might see Gutekunst trade up for an earlier choice if one of his possible Draft targets is available, given the dire need at tackle, safety, and cornerback. They have a healthy reserve of Draft capital, so trading up for the 14th pick of the New Orleans Saints might be the best course of action. They are cutting things very close to the cap and are also in need of additional players on rookie contracts.

But since a large number of the Packers’ tradeable assets are offensive players, it is unlikely that they will look to dismantle the resources Love had available to him in order to have such a successful 2023.