Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ohio State Buckeyes. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
The Aaron Rodgers trade is finally completed and Green Bay has a haul of picks, so we’re firing up a Packers 7-round 2023 NFL mock draft after the deal.
It’s no longer time for the Green Bay Packers to dream about the post-Aaron Rodgers world — they’re in it. On Monday, the Packers sent the future Hall of Fame quarterback and a 2023 fifth-round pick to the New York Jets for a 2023 first-round pick swap, a 2023 second-round pick, a 2023 sixth-round pick and a conditional 2024 second-round pick to complete the blockbuster Aaron Rodgers trade we’ve waited forever for.
The Jordan Love era for the Packers has begun and it’s no coincidence that Green Bay and New York wanted to make sure to get this deal done before the start of the 2023 NFL Draft. Now both teams can proceed with their new-look rosters.
For Green Bay, though, that’s infinitely more exciting. No longer are they trying to cater to Rodgers, nor are they protected by the superstar quarterback. They have to set up a young, unproven signal-caller for success. And that could be seen immediately in the 2023 NFL Draft.
So what will they do, or what can they do? Let’s explore the options in this Packers 2023 NFL mock draft in the wake of the Aaron Rodgers trade.
Table of Contents
Packers NFL mock draft 2023: 7-round projection with Aaron Rodgers trade finally done
1
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
WR Ohio State
Packers can set Jordan Love up and needle Aaron Rodgers by taking Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Perhaps the most hilarious option for the Packers in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft would be to select a wide receiver with the No. 13 pick that they now possess after the Aaron Rodgers trade.
Green Bay infamously never took a first-round wide receiver throughout Rodgers’ tenure. However, when you break it down, there’s a reason for that. With one of the best quarterbacks in the league under center, there is an almost unspoken belief that Rodgers would be able to elevate Day 2 receivers to be top-tier players in the offense.
With Jordan Love, though, there are no such guarantees. There are a ton of questions and the organization has to put him in a position to succeed. And that’s what they start doing right away in this 7-round NFL mock draft as they take Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
By my measure, JSN is the best receiver in the 2023 class by a sizable margin. The Ohio State product isn’t big and isn’t an overtly freaky athlete, but he’s lightning quick, sniper-levels of precise with his footwork, and a magician maneuvering into space to get open.
The Packers are thin at receiver with only Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, both only entering their second seasons, to truly speak of. Subsequently, Green Bay needs a possession player who can be a target hog, which is what Smith-Njigba should be upon arrival.
