Packers 2023 NFL Draft: Should Green Bay Target a WR or TE in Round 1?

There are multiple options when the Green Bay Packers draft with their first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. As they move into a new era heading into the 2023 NFL season with Jordan Love as their starting quarterback, adding weapons to a depleted offense has to be the priority.

It’s been an offseason of change for Green Bay as they head into their first season without Aaron Rodgers or Brett Favre since 1992. The offseason has seen key weapons Allen Lazard and Robert Tonyan depart, while Randall Cobb and Marcedes Lewis both remain unsigned.

Packers Draft Needs Include Adding an Offensive Weapon

It is essential that Green Bay adds more weapons. With this in mind, both wide receiver and tight end are in play when the Packers draft in the first round.

Traditionally that isn’t something the Packers do. Green Bay hasn’t drafted a WR in Round 1 in over two decades (Javon Walker – 2002). It would break tradition, but the Packers’ list of 2023 draft picks starts at No. 15 overall, putting them in position to draft an offensive weapon in Round 1.

The priority has to be on giving Jordan Love weapons and a chance at success in his first year as a starter. However, Green Bay also has plenty of needs to fill.

The team needs of the Packers could meet up with value perfectly at pick 15. Plus, there will be plenty of options available, particularly at tight end, in an extremely talented class.

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Currently, the Packers’ TE room consists of just Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis after the departures of Tonyan and Lewis. The room currently lacks a high-volume weapon that is productive and needs an impact player at the position.

Neither Deguara nor Davis had a touchdown during the 2022 season, and that is why PFN Draft Analyst Cam Mellor recently took a tight end. Dalton Kincaid, in his recent 7-round mock draft. Stating that Kincaid makes “highlight-reel catches on a regular basis and immediately improves Green Bay’s pas catching group“. That would make a huge difference to the Packers’ offense.

The same could be said for wide receiver. Matt LaFleur said at the Leagues Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, that “we’re going to have to add some bodies to that room” when speaking to ESPN. There are currently only five receivers on the Green Bay’s depth chart. Last year’s standout receiving options Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are joined by Samori Toure, Bo Melton, and Jeff Cotton.

Another position that Green Bay could attack in the first is offensive line. If one of the top tackles falls to them, the Packers could look to snap one up. The line looks set for the upcoming season but does lack some depth. David Bakhtiari is a potential cut candidate next offseason, and Yosh Nijman is on a one-year deal, so plans need to be made.

Safety is also a massive need for this Packers team in 2023, but the value doesn’t add up in Round 1 and should be looked at with their later picks. We also know general manager Brian Gutekunst loves to go after the trenches in the draft, so don’t be surprised to even see some new additions to the defensive line.

Potential Draft Targets Include Dalton Kincaid and Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR | Ohio State

If a wide receiver is the pick, then Jaxon Smith-Njigba is exactly the type they should go for. With Watson and Doubs operating from the outside, Smith-Njigba could thrive as a weapon from the slot where he was so productive for Ohio State.

While he had an injury-plagued 2022, JSN had an incredible 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns in 2021, and his skill set is easily translatable to becoming a Packers WR.

Quentin Johnston, WR | TCU

Quentin Johnston has all the size, speed, and athleticism that Green Bay looks for. He offers something different in the Packers’ WR room and in a wide receiver class full of smaller receivers, at 6’3” and 208 pounds, Johnston stands out as one of the premier players in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Dalton Kincaid, TE | Utah

Drafting Dalton Kincaid would add an exceptional and dynamic pass-catching weapon. He’s a versatile weapon, and with 890 yards and eight touchdowns in 12 games in 2022, he’ll be able to take Green Bay’s offense to another level.

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Kincaid had been suffering from a back injury during the season, but Adam Schefter has reported that “He is cleared to play football with no restrictions.” Kincaid has also held an official visit with the Packers during the pre-draft process.

Michael Mayer, TE | Notre Dame

While Michael Mayer may not be the most athletic tight end in this class, he’s potentially the most complete. An impact player as both a receiver and a blocker, Mayer is an easy NFL projection. He’s consistent and reliable, and would be a great fit if he were to become the next Packers tight end.