Getty The Green Bay Packers are a top landing spot for one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The Green Bay Packers have plenty of needs on their roster, but if they want to set up Jordan Love for success, there’s a polarizing receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft that would be an ideal fit in Matt LaFleur’s offense.
It has been more than 20 years since the Packers last took a wide receiver in the first round of the draft when they selected Javon Walker back in 2002. However, the team has found plenty of success in the second round at the position, drafting the likes of Davante Adams, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Greg Jennings.
Although the Packers are considered a sneaky landing spot for Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round, general manager Brian Gutekunst could wait until Day 2 to land a key playmaker. Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport named the Packers as an ideal landing spot for Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt despite him being such a polarizing prospect.
“With Aaron Rodgers likely moving on, the Packers need to make an effort to put Jordan Love in good position to succeed as the team’s new leader on offense,” Davenport said. “Hyatt and Christian Watson would give the Packers two young wideouts with potentially stratospheric ceilings.”
Hyatt has previously been linked to the Packers after Gutekunst attended Tennessee’s pro day. It’s unclear how high (or low) he will be drafted, but Hyatt and Watson would be an exhilarating one-two punch for Love.
The Packers Might Be Interested in Other Tennessee Prospects
Hyatt would be an exciting wide receiver for the Packers, but Gutekunst is doing his homework on a couple of other prospects out of Tennessee after attending the team’s pro day.
Offensive tackle Darnell Wright is a top-tier lineman prospect in this year’s class, and while the Packers have plenty of players under contract in the trenches, Gutekunst still brought him in for a top-30 visit. A first-team All-SEC selection, Wright could play right tackle and be an eventual successor to David Bakhtiari, who revealed that he is nearing retirement.
A tackle in the first round would make sense, but the Packers turned heads after hosting Volunteers quarterback Hendon Hooker for a pre-draft visit. Hooker is expected to be a top-50 draft pick despite his torn ACL, creating speculation that the team may already be looking for a QB to compete with Love for the starting job.
However, there’s also the possibility that the Packers wanted to get a closer look at Hooker’s knee, or even learn more about his teammates in Hyatt and Wright from a different perspective. Regardless, Hooker’s visit was one of the more interesting ones of the 30 that the Packers were allotted.
The Packers Clearly Want a Top Tight End
Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis are currently on the only tight ends under contract for the Packers. With Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan gone, tight end is a massive need for Green Bay heading into this year’s draft.
Gutekunst is clearly making a significant effort to find a top-tier tight end in the 2023 draft. The top three tight end prospects have all been brought in on top-30 visits with Michael Mayer, Dalton Kincaid, and Darnell Washington all making trips to Green Bay during the pre-draft process.
Even if the Packers don’t take one of the big three, there are plenty of tight ends in this year’s class that the team could pursue. Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave shined during the Senior Bowl, while Michigan’s Luke Schoonmaker has excellent versatility as a blocker and pass catcher.
With the draft less than a week away, expect the Packers to take a swing on at least one tight end with one of their draft picks.