Packers Draft Grades 2023: Analysis for every pick in each round
The Green Bay Packers' 2023 draft is in the books. They have added talent to the roster on both sides of the ball. It's now time to hand out our Packers draft grades.
General manager Brian Gutekunst focused on elite athletes in this draft class, which is often the Packers' way. He upgraded at positions of need like edge rusher, tight end, defensive line, and wide receiver.
It's time to go pick-by-pick through the Packers' 2023 draft class.
How did the Packers do?
Table of Contents
Packers draft grades: Round 1
A. EDGE. Iowa. Lukas Van Ness
The Aaron Rodgers trade helped the Packers land a future star on defense. We may never know who the New England Patriots planned to draft, but the fact they immediately traded down after the Packers picked Lukas Van Ness is possibly a clue.
Iowa edge rusher Van Ness is a home run pick for the Packers. He is a powerful pass rusher who can line up on the edge or inside. Brian Gutekunst said he believes Van Ness can play the Za'Darius Smith role in this defense, which means he could spend a lot of time inside. Getting Van Ness on the field at the same time as Rashan Gary and Preston Smith would be a lot of fun.
Van Ness is 6-foot-5, 272 pounds, and he is a powerful player. He is also a world-class athlete -- Van Ness' Relative Athletic Score is an incredible 9.39 out of 10.
One of the best pass rushers in a deep class, Van Ness has star potential in the NFL and he immediately improves the Packers' defense.