Which first-round prospects in 2023 draft meet Packers’ athleticism and age tendencies?
Although the selection of Devonte Wyatt provides an outlier, the five-year draft history of Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst paints a fairly clear picture in terms of first-round preferences: this team wants young, elite athletes on Day 1.
Wyatt was 24 when selected last year, but the six other first-round picks, including Quay Walker, were either 21 or 22 years old with a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 8.0 or higher. Of the seven first-rounders, five were 21 years old, and five had a RAS of 9.0 or higher.
Year | Player | Age | RAS |
2018 | Jaire Alexander | 21 | 9.54 |
2019 | Rashan Gary | 21 | 9.95 |
2019 | Darnell Savage | 21 | 8.35 |
2020 | Jordan Love | 21 | 8.46 |
2021 | Eric Stokes | 22 | 9.38 |
2022 | Quay Walker | 21 | 9.63 |
2022 | Devonte Wyatt | 24 | 9.60 |
Obviously, the Packers were comfortable deviating some from these tendencies. Taking Walker was an outlier in terms of positional value, while Wyatt was a big outlier in terms of age. Still, the age and athleticism tendencies can provide a road map to locating who could be prime first-round options for the Packers in 2023.
Let’s take a look, using NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board as a guide. Criteria: top 50 big board, 22 years old or younger, RAS of 8.0 or higher. Why the top 50? Walker was the consensus No. 49 player last year.
Likely top-10 picks or missing data
Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
(Big board rank, age, RAS)
QB Anthony Richardson, Florida (No. 4, 20, 10.0)
CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon (No. 6, 20, 9.95)
(Big board rank, missing data)
QB Bryce Young, Alabama (No. 1, no RAS)
QB C.J. Stroud, Ohio State (No. 2, no RAS)
OLB Will Anderson, Alabama (No. 3, no RAS)
DL Jalen Carter, Georgia (No. 5, no RAS)
OLB Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech (No. 7, no RAS)
CB Devon Witherspoon, Illinois (No. 8, no RAS)
OL Paris Johnson., Ohio State (No. 11, no RAS)
TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah (No. 27, no RAS)
DL Mazi Smith, Michigan (No. 33, no RAS)
OT Dawand Jones, Ohio State (No. 41, no RAS)
OL Peter Skoronski, Northwestern
(AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
Big board rank: 10
Age: 21
RAS: 9.31
WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11)
Big board rank: 12
Age: 21
RAS: 8.34
RB Bijan Robinson, Texas
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 13
Age: 21
RAS: 9.85
CB Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
Penn State’s Joey Porter Jr.
Big board rank: 14
Age: 22
RAS: 9.71
OLB Myles Murphy, Clemson
Clemson defensive end Myles Murphy (98)
Big board rank: 15
Age: 21
RAS: 9.71
OLB Lukas Van Ness, Iowa
Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 16
Age: 21
RAS: 9.39
OT Broderick Jones, Georgia
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 17
Age: 21
RAS: 9.58
OLB Nolan Smith, Georgia
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 18
Age: 22
RAS: 9.23
Potential red flag: Weight at edge rusher
WR Quentin Johnston, TCU
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 19
Age: 21
RAS: 8.68
Potential red flag: Slow three-cone
OT Darnell Wright, Tennessee
Tennessee offensive lineman Darnell Wright (58)
Big board rank: 21
Age: 21
RAS: 9.68
DL Calijah Kancey, Pitt
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 22
Age: 22
RAS: 9.60
CB Deonte Banks, Maryland
Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 23
Age: 22
RAS: 10.0
WR Zay Flowers, BC
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 26
Age: 22
RAS: 8.29
Potential red flag: Weight at wide receiver
DL Bryan Bresee, Clemson
Bryan Bresee, DT, Clemson
Big board rank: 28
Age: 21
RAS: 9.61
TE Darnell Washington, Georgia
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 30
Age: 21
RAS: 9.88
CB Emmanuel Forbes, Miss. State
Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 34
Age: 22
RAS: 9.26
CB Cam Smith, South Carolina
Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 35
Age: 22
RAS: 9.68
RB Jahmyr Gibbs, Alabama
Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 36
Age: 21
RAS: 8.06
CB Kelee Ringo, Georgia
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 37
Age: 20
RAS: 8.30
WR Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 38
Age: 21
RAS: 8.76
Potential red flag: Weight at wide receiver
LB Drew Sanders, Arkansas
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 40
Age: 22
RAS: 8.97
OT Dawand Jones, Ohio State
Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 41
Age: 21
RAS:
OLB Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 43
Age: 21
RAS: 8.73
OLB/DL Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern
Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 43
Age: 22
RAS: 9.72 (as DL)
LB Trenton Simpson, Clemson
Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 44
Age: 21
RAS: 9.84
LB Jack Campbell, Iowa
Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell
Big board rank: 46
Age: 22
RAS: 9.98
TE Luke Musgrave, Oregon State
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Big board rank: 50
Age: 22
RAS: 9.78
Missed (top 50 only)
QB Will Levis, Kentucky (age)
WR Jordan Addison, USC (RAS)
S Brian Branch, Alabama (RAS)
TE Michael Mayer, Notre Dame (RAS)
OL O’Cyrus Torrence, Florida (RAS)
OLB Will McDonald, Iowa State (age)
OT Anton Harrison, Oklahoma (RAS)
QB Hendon Hooker, Tennessee (age)
OLB BJ Olujari, LSU (RAS)
C John Michael-Schmitz, Minnesota (RAS)
DL/OLB Keion White, Georgia Tech (age)
