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These 4 names keep coming up for the Green Bay Packers at No. 15 in 2023 NFL mock drafts

JR Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
·7 min read
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With less than a week to go before the NFL Draft kicks off Thursday, we're hitting the home stretch of mock draft season. But, yes, we admit we're looking around the internet at the freshest batch to see which players are getting connected to the Green Bay Packers at the No. 15 pick.

Here are four names that have been coming up over and over:

Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba catches a ball during pro day.
Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba catches a ball during pro day.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State, wide receiver

He's quite possibly the best receiver in the draft, but will Green Bay finally take a receiver in the first round? Past experience would tell you no, and Smith-Njigba is off the board in many mock drafts. But not all of them, including USA Today's DraftWire mock draft.

Josh Edwards, CBS Sports: Green Bay is turning the offense over to Jordan Love. He needs weapons to succeed and build confidence on this new journey. The draft before Aaron Rodgers became the starter, the Packers selected wide receiver Jordy Nelson in the second round and tight end Jermichael Finley in the third round. A similar strategy could play out this year.

Peter Schrager, NFL.com: The wideout class is weird this year in that there's no apparent slam-dunk No. 1, and the scouting and coaching communities don't seem overly enthusiastic about any of the prospects as clear-cut blue-chip players. To each his own. I'll put JSN as the first WR taken, but that's no sure thing. Green Bay snagging a receiver now — with Aaron Rodgers (presumably) leaving the building, after years of the Packers neglecting the position in the first round — would be humorous. Oh, the irony.

Dalton Kincaid, Utah, tight end

For a while, it was a different tight end (Michael Mayer of Notre Dame) who showed up as the popular Packers pick in these mock drafts, but that seems to have shifted to Kincaid.

Charles Davis, NFL.com: With Jordan Love on the verge of taking the reins, Green Bay needs another steady target in the passing game. Kincaid has the ability to make an immediate impact on Sundays.

Mel Kiper, ESPN: There are some good edge rushers still on the board, but I wouldn't pass up Kincaid if I were running Green Bay's draft. He is the best pass-catching tight end in this draft, a true seam stretcher with soft hands.

Adam Caplan, Pro Football Network: Dalton Kincaid is clearly the best player available at his position in what could be the deepest tight end class we’ve seen in more than a decade. Kincaid, based on his college tape, could easily beat coverage and line up in the slot at the next level.

Michael Renner, Pro Football Focus: Kincaid is a special receiving prospect at the tight end position who can be an offense's primary option in a way no receiver on the board here can. His ability to work the middle of the field is something the Packers offense desperately needs.

Iowa defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness celebrates a stop against Northwestern.
Iowa defensive lineman Lukas Van Ness celebrates a stop against Northwestern.

Lukas Van Ness, Iowa, edge rusher

Will Brinson of CBS Sports is among those who sees a connection here, and he was the choice of the most recent seven-round mock draft by Sports Illustrated.

Kyle Stackpole, CBS Sports: The Packers haven't drafted an offensive skill player (RB, WR or TE) since 2002! I'm not predicting that they're going to select one now, even though WR and TE make a ton of sense. Instead, they take Lukas Van Ness to strengthen the defensive line.

Danny Kelly, The Ringer: Van Ness reminds me a little bit of Rashan Gary, another big, strong, and highly versatile defensive lineman with scintillating athletic traits. The former Hawkeyes standout will need to develop more discipline and add a few moves to his pass-rush repertoire, but he brings the upside to become an anchor of the Packers’ defensive line.

Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer scores against USC.
Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer scores against USC.

Michael Mayer, Notre Dame, tight end

He's still getting some buzz as a possible Packers choice at 15, though it's fascinating that Josh Edwards of CBS has Mayer going to the Packers at No. 45 in the second round. Three weeks ago, he was a wildly popular selection in mock drafts.

Pete Prisco, CBS Sports: With Robert Tonyan gone, they have a hole at tight end, a position that will be important in the growth of Jordan Love, so they take the best one in the class to help him. They could also look to add help up front on defense.

Alabama defensive back Brian Branch plays against Louisiana-Monroe.
Alabama defensive back Brian Branch plays against Louisiana-Monroe.

Other names getting floated

Brian Branch, safety, Alabama. From Ryan Wilson of CBS: Brian Branch is special; he can play in the slot, near the line of scrimmage or deep centerfield. And if Nick Saban trusted him at Alabama, that's all you need to know about his NFL prospects. He ran a 4.58 at the combine but he plays much faster than that.

Deonte Banks, Maryland, cornerback. From Chris Trapasso of CBS: Packers GM Brian Gutekunst likes addressing the secondary early in the draft, and he does so here with the long and springy Banks.

Zay Flowers, Boston College, wide receiver. From Maurice Jones-Drew of the NFL Network: I sure hope the Packers finally select a playmaking wide receiver in the first round to aid their young quarterback.

Peter Skoronski, Northwestern, offensive line. He's often off the board on most drafts, but from Dane Brugler of The Athletic: Whether Skoronski plays tackle or guard, he would help upgrade the Packers’ offensive line from Day One. Obviously, this isn’t part of the decision-making process, but there also happens to be a fun connection: Skoronski grew up a diehard Packers fan, and his grandfather won Super Bowls in Green Bay under Vince Lombardi.

Still others: Bryan Bresee, Clemson, defensive tackle; Quentin Johnston, TCU, wide receiver; Myles Murphy, Clemson, edge rusher; Broderick Jones, Georgia, offensive tackle

More: Here's a ranking of the Green Bay Packers roster needs ahead of next week's 2023 NFL draft

Intriguing Packers possibilities after the first round

  • In addition to the possibility of adding Mayer in the second round, Josh Edwards of CBS gives Green Bay an interesting choice all the way down at No. 242, TCU quarterback Max Duggan. The Heisman Trophy runner-up led TCU to the national championship game. The next Matt Flynn, perhaps?

  • Multiple mock drafts have the Packers taking Oregon State tight end Luke Musgrave in the second round (like this one).

  • USA Today has the Packers selecting Iowa State edge rusher Will McDonald in the second round at No. 45. McDonald, who played at Waukesha North High School, is seen as a late-first or early-second pick on most mock drafts (including ESPN).

  • ESPN sees the Packers taking BJ Ojulari, an outside linebacker from LSU, in the second round. He's showing up in the late first round of some drafts.

Dougherty: Packers need a starting safety, here are 7 top prospects in this year's NFL draft

Dougherty: Packers badly need another quality edge rusher, here are 8 early-round draft possibilities

Dougherty: The Packers will be looking to add a receiver in the NFL draft; here are 5 early-round possibilities

Dougherty: The Packers are in the market to draft a tight end early, here are seven possibilities

Could a Wisconsin Badgers player go in the first round?

The three Wisconsin players getting the most draft consideration are defensive tackle Keeanu Benton, offensive lineman Joe Tippmann and linebacker Nick Herbig. Tippmann especially and the Janesville Craig alumnus Benton have at least a shot to get into the late first round or early second.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: These 4 names keep showing up on mock drafts for Packers at No. 15