5 things for Packers fans to know from NFL Scouting Combine
The decision-makers of the Green Bay Packers spent the better part of the last week in Indianapolis to get an up-close-and-personal look at the 2023 NFL draft class.
Inside and around Lucas Oil Stadium, prospects ran, jumped, performed position drills, met with teams and went through medical exams.
Here are a few important things to know from the NFL Scouting Combine:
TE class looks excellent
This looks like a very good year to need a tight end. It’s a deep, talented and athletic class of tight ends, as the combine showed once again. Michael Mayer, Luke Musgrave, Darnell Washington, Sam LaPorta, and Tucker Kraft all tested well in Indianapolis. Dalton Kincaid didn’t get a chance to showcase his athletic ability due to an injury, but the Packers have to feel great about their chances of getting a good player at tight end – maybe the team’s biggest roster hole entering free agency – with a top 100 pick.
First round WR?
Is there a first-round receiver that fits the Packers? While the likes of Rashee Rice, Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Andrei Iosivas all tested like elite athletes, the class overall is a tough mix of smaller players and average athletes. But you’d have to think a receiver such as Jaxson Smith-Njigba and Quentin Johnston remains very much in the conversation to be taken by the Packers at No. 15. Smith-Njigba didn’t run the 40 but was explosive in the jumps and lightning fast in the agilities, while Johnston proved to be an outstanding combination of big and explosive. A few of the best receivers, including Jalin Hyatt and Jordan Addison, weighed in at under 180 pounds.
Slower safety class
The safety class doesn’t have a burner prospect. In fact, of the top 100 on the consensus board, only Sydney Brown of Illinois ran under 4.5 in the 40-yard dash. And the RAS scores for most of the top prospects, including Brian Branch and Antonio Johnson, fell below 7.0 out of 10.0. A safety doesn’t need to be an elite athlete with 4.3 speed to be great, but it doesn’t hurt, and the Packers prioritize speed in the secondary. Overall, the Packers won’t have a super athletic class to pick from to help solve this big need position through the draft.
Edge rusher impressions
Lukas Van Ness, Isaiah Foskey, Nolan Smith and Adetomiwa Adebawore were among the top performers at edge rusher. This is a strong and mostly athletic class of rushers, and the Packers probably need to add to the group with a top pick. What flavor do the Packers want? Smith is only 6-2 and under 240 pounds, but he ran 4.39. Van Ness is 6-5 and 272 and ran 4.58 with a 7.02-second three-cone. Incredibly, 15 edge rushers produced a RAS of 8.0 or better.
Big Dog 2.0?
Georgia tight end Darnell Washington put on a show after measuring 6-6 and 264 pounds. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.64 seconds, covered 10-2 in the broad jump and finished the short shuttle in 4.08 seconds, all incredible numbers for a man hs size. He’s been compared to Marcedes Lewis at every turn, and it’s easy to see why. Washington is big, powerful, versatile and athletic, and he has untapped potential as a pass-catcher. Could the Packers take him to help replace Lewis in 2023?
