If the 2023 NFL Draft were to take place today, the Green Bay Packers would own the 13th overall pick, putting them in range for a playmaker like Notre Dame’s tight end Michael Mayer. Luckily for the Packers, the 2023 NFL Draft is 175 days away and they still have time to right the ship and get themselves back in the NFC playoff picture.
Sitting at 3-5, the Packers will likely need six more wins to have a shot at making the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the wide-open NFC. That’s exactly how I have the rest of the season playing out with the Packers losing in the Wild Card round against the Minnesota Vikings and ending up with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2023 draft. Let’s take a look at what prospects ended up with the Packers in my midseason two-round mock draft.
22nd pick: Antonio Johnson, DB, Texas A&M
Sunday night’s game against the Buffalo Bills highlighted the glaring weakness the Packers have at the safety position. Darnell Savage just missed another tackle while you were reading that last sentence. Enter Antonio Johnson.
Texas A&M DB Antonio Johnson is a stud
6'3, acceleration with excellent closing speed, +recognition/awareness – lived in the slot last year but think he can thrive in traditional safety role too pic.twitter.com/2PJe6w8ODU
— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) August 17, 2022
The Texas A&M defensive back checks all the boxes. Size (6-3, 195 pounds), versatility (he lived in the slot in 2021), and athleticism.
Johnson can line up on the boundary, in the slot, and covers a lot of real estate with his fluid athleticism. On top of that, Johnson is a physical, downhill run defender that’s a reliable open-field tackler.
Johnson has missed the last two games for the Aggies, but the versatile defensive back has recorded 48 tackles and one sack through six games. He would provide the Packers with a much-needed enforcer from the secondary.
54th pick: Rome Odunze, WR, University of Washington
Kalen DeBoer’s offense and Rome Odunze were a match made in heaven. The redshirt sophomore has recorded 50 receptions for 756 yards and six touchdowns through seven games for the Huskies.
Washington WR Rome Odunze among Pac-12 pass catchers:
🟣 50 RECs (2nd)
🟣 756 yards (2nd)
🟣 108.0 YPG (1st)
🟣 6 TDs (T-2nd)pic.twitter.com/5XnudDPgmm— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) November 3, 2022
“Rome’s an outstanding athlete,” Roman Tomashoff, the senior editor at Realdawg.com said. “He’s been clocked at 4.4 and he’s also become an incredible route runner this year. He runs a complete route tree and is the definition of a matchup nightmare on the outside.”
Odunze passes the eye test with his size (6-3, 201 pounds), athleticism, and play strength. The Washington wide receiver is a vertical threat with his long strides and straight-line quickness. He’s able to vary his route speed to keep defensive backs off balance and has a lot of branches on his route tree. He’s a dynamic athlete in space, with the ability to create after the catch thanks to his fancy footwork to set up defenders and twitchy athleticism.
The Packers started the rebuilding of their wide receiver room in the 2022 NFL Draft when they traded up for Christian Watson and drafted Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure. Gutekunst will likely be looking to add another playmaker early in the 2023 NFL Draft and Odunze fits the bill.
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