The time is now for the Jordan Love era in Green Bay and the 2023 NFL Draft is the first step to ensure he hits the ground running.
Change is ahead for the Green Bay Packers. Whether the Packers trade Aaron Rodgers or not before the draft doesn’t matter. The fact is, he will not be a Packer. Jordan Love will get the keys to a historic franchise that thought they could get one more Super Bowl out of Rodgers before his time was up. Can Jordan Love give Packer nation the same hope as Aaron Rodgers? Only time will tell. After a quiet free agency saw them sign long snapper Matt Orzech and safety Tarvarius Moore, everything starts with the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Packers have three picks in the top 100 and could have more if they pull off a Rodgers trade before or during the draft. However, the team has several needs they need to address in the draft, including their secondary, defensive tackle, and tight end positions.
One of their most pressing needs is in the secondary, where Adrian Amos likely won’t return, and Darnell Savage struggled last season. Another area that needs attention is the defensive tackle position, where the departures of Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed represent 1,187 combined snaps from last season on the interior of the defense. We do not know when the Rodgers trade will go down. Given the Packers haven’t had any of the Top 10 prospects in for visits, there’s a chance they could trade down.
No matter what they do, if the Packers want to insure Love has the best chance of early success, they should do something they haven’t done for Aaron Rodgers.
Green Bay Packers 2023 mock draft
Michael Mayer, TE, Notre Dame
There will be a run on tight ends given the lack of wide receiver depth, specifically at the X position, teams will want to nab one of these tight ends. So, the Packers cannot wait. It’s a bit petty given they never did this for Rodgers, but this is the time for them to take a pass catcher in the first round. The Green Bay Packers need a big-bodied, traditional tight end to provide a passing target for quarterback Jordan Love, following the departure of Robert Tonyan. There is no tight end better than Michael Mayer.
Mayer is the best tight end in a class that is deep at the position and could be the answer at No. 15. Michael Mayer is widely regarded as the best tight end prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft class, for good reason.
Michael Mayer is the top-rated tight-end prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft class, and his versatility, size, athleticism, and intelligence make him an ideal candidate for the role. Mayer has excellent hands and can make tough catches in traffic, with great body control to adjust to off-target throws. He is also a reliable red-zone target and has the ability to line up in a variety of positions, making him a difficult matchup for defenses. With his combination of skills.
Mayer is expected to make a seamless transition to the NFL and become a top-tier tight end for years to come. With Christian Watkins and Romeo Doubs playing the vertical roles, Mayer will dominate the middle.
Another option is UGA’s Darnell Washington, a freak athlete, and specimen. Tucker Kraft and Luke Schoonmaker are possibilities later on in the draft. There are a few scenarios that make sense for the Packers, but Mayer is one of the best options for them.