Packers 7-Round 2023 NFL Mock Draft: Premium Position Early

Round 2 (45): Darnell Washington, TE, Georgia

The Green Bay Packers have to reload the tight end room. Having a group of Marcedes Lewis, Robert Tonyan, and Josiah Deguara for 2023 isn’t acceptable. Lewis and Tonyan are both free agents, of course, so it will probably look different, but an average room can’t be the standard anymore.

Darnell Washington could help change that. Washington is a younger Lewis in that he is a force multiplier in the run game, with the functional strength to uproot guys in the run game along the edge.

He is a nightmare for second- and third-level defenders and can send any of them to the ground in an instant. His athleticism is understated too. Washington has the hurdle in his back pocket and can get up to impressive speed up the seam. He’s going to thrive as a red zone target, a place where the Packers must improve.

Round 3 (78): Chris Smith II, S, Georgia

Other than tight end, safety remains a big question for Green Bay headed into the offseason. Adrian Amos and Rudy Ford could be done, leaving just Darnell Savage (who could be the new slot/star defender) and Vernon Scott under contract who have played significant snaps.

Christopher Smith needs to be talked about more, and he’s an easy pick in this Packers 2023 NFL Mock Draft. Smith has great processing speed, and has the trigger to get into passing windows working top down to create turnovers.

He plays physical in coverage, at the catch point, and as a run defender. He doesn’t have great stopping power, but he wraps up well. His ability to read the quarterback’s eyes is great, and he has good straight-line speed and range for the back end.