5 Quick Things: Days 2 & 3

Here are five thoughts following the final two days of the 2023 National Football League draft:

1) It was surprising to see general manager Brian Gutekunst expend a second-round pick on Jayden Reed. Not because the Packers don’t need a slot receiver – they do – but because the former Michigan State star stands a tick under 5-foot-11 and weighs only 187 pounds. That’s roughly three inches smaller and 20 pounds lighter than the average of the nine other wide receivers drafted by Gutekunst since he was hired in 2018 (J’Mon Moore, Marques Valdez-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown, Amari Rodgers, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Samori Toure, Dontavious Wicks, and Grant DuBose). I will not comment on Reed’s potential until I have a chance to watch more tape, but it’s nice to see a legitimately quick slot receiver added to the offense. Green Bay hasn’t had that kind of player since Randall Cobb was in his prime. Reed can also help out right away on punt returns, where he’s much more experienced and natural than All-Pro kick returner Keisean Nixon.

2) Fourth-round pick Colby Wooden reminds me of Kingsley Keke, who had some good moments for the Packers in 2020 and 2021 before his entitled personality got him in trouble with the coaching staff and eventually earned him a pink slip from Gutekunst. Attitude won’t be a problem with Wooden, who’s a terrific young man and a solid prospect. He’s a bit of a tweener, which is why a productive player and plus-athlete from the SEC lasted until Saturday. He’s not dynamic enough to be a legit threat off the edge, and he’s a bit small (6-4, 283) to consistently hold up as a 3-4 end. The guess here is that Wooden will see limited snaps backing up Devonte Wyatt and T.J. Slaton in the base next season and contribute some as a nickel pass rusher while he adds weight and strength in an effort to earn a more significant role in 2024.

3) While fifth-round pick Sean Clifford went a round or two earlier than expected, he makes all the sense in the world for Green Bay. The former Penn State standout, who performed well enough from 2018 through 2020 to keep the more heralded Will Levis on the bench, may lack the arm talent to be a starter at the next level, but he’s the perfect backup quarterback. He’s smart, athletic, and, more often than not, finds a way to move the ball down the field. Perhaps most importantly, he’ll pose absolutely no threat to Jordan Love, who’ll be under enough pressure trying to replace future first-ballot Hall of Famer and four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers without having to look over his shoulder after every bad throw in practice or interception in a game. Amazingly, Clifford is three months older than Love, who was drafted in 2020.

4) It’s difficult to blame Gutekunst for not addressing the secondary until the seventh round of the draft. It was a weak year for cornerbacks and especially safeties, and the Packers had so many needs. But it won’t be difficult to blame him if the regular season begins with Keisean Nixon, Darnell Savage, and Rudy Ford or Tavarius Moore comprising 60% of the nickel package. That simply can’t happen. Cap space might be very limited, but Gutekunst must find a way to make room for an inexpensive but competent veteran. If that means extending a still-rehabbing Rashan Gary or moving on from a decent starter, so be it. Spending five No. 1 picks on defensive linemen and linebackers and having three stiffs behind them makes absolutely no sense. Would adding one proven player be a cure-all? Probably not, but it’s better than doing nothing and accepting the inevitability of wide receivers and tight ends running free in the secondary all season.

5) It was refreshing to see Gutekunst trade down a couple of times in the second round and acquire extra picks on Day 3. Now he needs to start making some noise late in the draft. Of the 31 prospects he’s selected between 2018 and 2022, thus far, only three became full-time starters (Valdes-Scantling, Doubs, and right guard Jon Runyan Jr.). The rest are either backups, on the roster of other teams, or out of the league. In comparison, former general managers Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson unearthed the following gems in their first handful of drafts: quarterback Mark Brunell, running backs Edgar Bennett and Dorsey Levens, wide receiver Billy Schroeder, tight end Mark Chmura, guards Marco Rivera, Adam Timmerman, Josh Sitton, and T.J. Lang, inside linebacker Desmond Bishop, cornerback Doug Evans, and kicker Mason Crosby.

(I didn’t forget about the tight ends. I’m working on a full-length post on Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft for later this week)