Green Bay Packers fans watching a Seattle Seahawks franchise that has authored some of this franchise's most painful losses win Super Bowl 60 by dominating the New England Patriots was tough enough, but doing so with a player that could have become a star in Packers colors makes it even tougher to watch.
The 2023 NFL Draft is still a sore subject for many Packers fans, as their decision to select Iowa pass rusher Lukas Van Ness over more established options like Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez is coming back to haunt them.
While many Patriots players stunk it up in the Super Bowl, Gonzalez was, without question, playing like the star he is. Between forcing Jaxon Smith-Njigba into his worst game of the season and breaking up multiple big plays down the field, Gonzalez earned every bit of his paycheck in this game.
Brian Gutekunst's decision to pick Van Ness at No. 13 overall when Gonzalez was still on the board is likely going to sting this fanbase to an almost incomparable fury, especially when the two players continue to trend in completely opposite directions.
Packers picking Lukas Van Ness over Christian Gonzalez looks terrible after Super Bowl 60
Gonzalez, who has emerged as an All-Pro-level player in his third season, played a huge part in taking Offensive Player of the Year Smith-Njigba out of the game, as he caught just three passes for 24 yards. Green Bay's own Micah Parsons thinks he is in the same tier as Denver's Patrick Surtain II.
Van Ness, who Green Bay technically traded up for as a part of the Aaron Rodgers swap, has talied just 8.5 sacks in three seasons. With his 1.5 quarterback takedowns this season in just nine games after an injury, Van Ness' stock in the NFL has never been lower.
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The one thing the Packers have been missing over the last few years is a true lockdown cornerback that can slow down No. 1 receivers. Gonzalez would have instantly fixed that problem and made what was already a solid Packers defense even more difficult to crack.
The Packers have a strong enough infrastructure to absorb the addition of one busted pick and still remain competitive. However, every big play Gonzalez makes has to sting Packers fans who had a perfect player for their scheme fall right into their laps, only to shun him in favor of Van Ness' tools.
Between missing on Gonzalez and Smith-Njigba, Gutekunst whiffed here.