The first round of the 2023 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Green Bay Packers stayed put at No. 13. Staying patient seemed to pay off too, as the board fell nearly perfectly to them. However, we may need to get Brian Gutekunst some Icy Hot for his back after reaching for this Lukas Van Ness draft pick.
Now, Van Ness is a player I have discussed here quite a bit, and I like him, but this wasn’t a pick that was drafting the best player available or drafting for the top needs available. As a result, Packers fans got pretty bitter and voiced their displeasure, once again trying to get #FireGutekunst trending everywhere.
Packers Draft Board Falls Perfectly
Heading into the 2023 NFL Draft, I thought the Packers’ best-case scenario was one of the two Ohio State players falling to them. Paris Johnson Jr. is the best offensive tackle in this class, but he ended up going early. However, Green Bay lucked out when Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the clear top wide receiver, was sitting there for them at No. 13.
Packers Fans React to Lukas Van Ness Draft Pick
However, Gutekunst do as Gutekunst does, and that’s make picks with his very large ego. Once again, the Packers went with an athletic freak thinking they can turn him into an All-Pro. So, instead of drafting Jordan Love a weapon, or an offensive lineman, in order to help him to succeed, the Lukas Van Ness draft pick is just another defensive first-round pick that is added to a defense that is mediocre.
The Green Bay defense is a perfect example of the notion that you can’t simply throw money at something and have it be successful. Sure, there are first-round picks everywhere, but there’s a stooge at defensive coordinator and nearly every first-round pick was a reach.
Lukas Van Ness is a versatile defensive lineman who can fill a variety of roles for Green Bay and do them well. I like him. He really succeeded as a 3-Technique, and it would be nice to see him play just as many snaps there as on the edge. Of course, Gutekunst kept calling him an edge rusher, so there’s that.
Here are some Packers fans’ reactions to the Lukas Van Ness draft pick.
Like I did last season on FlurrySports, there will be a re-draft of the 2023 Green Bay Packers draft class immediately following the draft here on Let’s Go Wisconsin. So, if you want to see a better draft, come back for that. We can assume my No. 13 will be Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Broderick Jones.
Until then, what do you grade the Lukas Van Ness draft pick?
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