On Wednesday, we took an early look at some potential 2023 NFL Draft prospects for the Packers offense. Today, it’s time for the defense! Of course, there’s still a lot of information to be gathered, especially since the Packers rely on athletic testing, but these will be players on defense to familiarize yourselves with who could be on Packers NFL draft board.
Since it is highly unlikely that the Packers will pick in the top five, I will not be including players who are expected to go that high — Jalen Carter or Will Anderson, for example. I will also be going off players that fit what the Packers look for with the information we have. So, for example, no Siaki Ika.
Now that we’ve got all that out of the way, let’s take a look at some 2023 NFL Draft prospects on defense who should be on the Packers radar come this April
DL:
This is probably the best defensive line class in three or four years. Like a lot of the rest of the roster, the Packers prefer very athletic defensive linemen. Agility testing is important to them. Usually between 6’2-6’5 and 300-330 pounds. They also like guys that can have some impact on the passing game.
- Bryan Bresee, Clemson
- Gervon Dexter, Florida
- Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin
- Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
- Jaquelin Roy, LSU
- Zacch Pickens, South Carolina
- Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson
- Keion White, Georgia Tech
- Kobie Turner, Wake Forest
- Zi’Yon Hill-Green, Louisiana-Layfayette
- Cory Durden, NC State
- Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
- Mazi Smith, Michigan
- Jowon Briggs, Cincinnati
- Karl Brooks, Bowling Green
Edge:
This is another really good class. Strong at the top, with a lot of depth. This is another position the Packers tend to be very specific in. They like highly athletic as in 8+ RAS scores. Guys with long arms and guys who can play the run. Usually 6’3-6’5 and 260-275 pounds.
- Isaiah Foskey, Notre Dame
- Myles Murphy, Clemson
- Andre Carter, Army
- Zach Harrison, OSU
- Habakkuk Baldonado, Pittsburgh
- Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
- Derick Hall II, Auburn
- Ali Gaye, LSU
- YaYa Diaby, Louisville
- Dylan Horton, TCU
- Thomas Incoom, Central Michigan
- Bralen Trice, Washington
- Andre Jones, Louisiana-Lafayette
LB:
Overall this class is pretty weak at the top, with just okay depth. This position is one that Packers are not too specific on. They like guys who are 6’1+ and 235+. Cover skills are not a priority. They tend to draft guys that are okay athletically.
- Trenton Simpson, Clemson
- Noah Sewell, Oregon
- Jack Campbell, Iowa
- Ben VanSumeren, Michigan State
- Darius Muasau, UCLA
- SirVocea Dennis, Pittsburgh
- Shaka Heyward, Duke
- Jimmy Phillips Jr., SMU
- Payton Wilson, NC State
- Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati
CB:
This corner class is pretty solid. There is no Sauce Gardner in it, but there is potential with a number of the guys. The depth is ok. Like edge rusher, the Packers like their corners to be elite athletes. Green Bay has a height threshold of 5’10 1/4″ that they stick to. They also like them to be 190+ — preferably closer to 200. They also like long arms and an ability to play press.
- Kelee Ringo, Georgia
- Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
- Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
- Jaylon Jones, Texas A&M
- Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford
- Julius Brents, Kansas State
- Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama
- Cory Trice, Purdue
- Anthony Johnson, Virginia
- Lance Boykin, Coastal Carolina
Safety:
This safety group is interesting. There are a lot of talented guys, but with some big question marks. It is also not a great class depth wise. There is a sharp drop after the 3rd round. The Packers thresholds here are similar to corner. The main difference is they like their safeties a little bigger: 5’11+ and 200+.
- Antonio Johnson, Texas A&M
- JL Skinner, Boise State
- Brian Branch, Alabama
- Jordan Battle, Alabama
- Josh Proctor, OSU
- Patrick McMorris, SDSU
- Ji’Ayir Brown, Penn State
- Gervarrius Owens, Houston
- Demani Richardson, Texas A&M
- Macon Clark, Tulane
- Kaevon Merriweather, Iowa
For more on the Packers, check out my piece detailing the struggles on defense and what the team should do about them. You can also find the NFL draft database I update almost daily over at our good friends RiseNDraft.