A common criticism of Brian Gutekunst is his resistance to understanding the timeline of his roster and acting accordingly. However, it’s harder to make those criticisms after the first three rounds of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Green Bay Packers made a series of smart moves for a team that needs to retool their roster and inject young, cheap talent into the offense for the Jordan Love era.
In the second round of the draft on Friday night, the Packers survived an early run for tight ends and took Luke Musgrave. The Oregon State tight end is a special receiving talent with a high ceiling. However, he might take some time to develop his overall skillset to play in the NFL, as is usual for tight ends. Later, the Packers traded twice, moving down five spots and adding fifth- and sixth-round picks. That was particularly interesting for a team that needs more darts to find young players and accumulate draft capital.
After the moves, the Packers repeated last year’s draft by taking a wide receiver in the second round. However, Michigan State’s Jayden Reed is a very different kind of player than Christian Watson.
In the third round, the Packers attacked the tight end need again with Tucker Kraft. The South Dakota State TE is another athletic freak with impressive ability to receive on the move and the potential to be a decent blocker in the NFL.
Pick by pick
Musgrave didn’t have much college production because he was affected by an injury and played only two games last season. However, he had 11 receptions for 169 yards in these two games. Musgrave is a good route runner who can create separation from his breaks.
“If you ask me what separates him, vertical speed,” Packers vice-president of player personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan told reporters right after the pick.
NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein compares Musgrave to Dallas Goedert. He also mentioned he is particularly good at playing in two-tight end sets, which he might do in Green Bay alongside Josiah Deguara.
Jayden Reed is the kind of receiver the normal fan watches and likes, but who is used to looking for Packers types tend to think Gutekunst wouldn’t even consider him. He’s smaller (5’10”) and thinner (187 lbs.) than the standard for the team. However, Gutekunst shows again they might have a different style for slot receivers.
Reed can play inside and outside. But for his playing style to complement Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, he might play in the slot more frequently.
“I think he complements the two guys we have coming back in Christian and Rome really well,” Sullivan said. “We’re excited about Samori coming back and what he can bring to the table.”
Even though Reed is relatively small, he plays bigger and is good in contested situations. Reed is also a punt returner, which might add value, considering Keisean Nixon is primarily a kickoff returner.
Tucker Kraft is a different type of tight end than Musgrave, and his versatility gets immediate attention. He’s got the ability to receive the ball on the move, and he’s strong enough to generate yards after the catch. Kraft is also a willing blocker, and even though he will demand coaching and development in this area, which is natural for a young tight end, he has more potential than Musgrave to help there. Kraft is another Packers pick with a high relative athletic score (9.68 out of 10), and he uses his frame and athleticism against defenders.
The additions of Musgrave, Reed, and Kraft confirm what was expected after a defensive pick in the first round: The Packers needed to reinforce the offensive weapons around Jordan Love. They did exactly that on Day 2. They started to put together a fascinating young group with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Samori Toure, Bo Melton, and Reed at wide receiver, plus Luke Musgrave, Kraft, and Deguara at tight end.
What’s next?
What the players will become is yet to be seen, and it’s hard to know the value of the choices immediately. But what’s possible and fair to do is to evaluate the process. And the Packers’ process was particularly smart, with the two second-round trade downs that allowed them to add a late fifth- and an early sixth-rounder (picks 159 and 179).
Therefore, the Packers will have nine picks on Saturday, the final day of the draft.
Safety, defensive tackle, and offensive tackle come to mind when discussing needs. At this point, though, needs shouldn’t be a big consideration. It’s unlikely any player drafted this late will be able to immediately fill voids on the team. But it’s a good opportunity for the Packers to take several chances and see if they can find more contributors around the roster.
The Packers finished the day much more promising on offense than they had started. After trading Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay would inevitably go through a rebuild of sorts. They understood it, and their Day 2 approach aligned well with this reality.
