2023 NFL Draft: Rounds 4-7

FOURTH ROUND:

Welcome to Green Bay, Colby!

DL COLBY WOODEN — AUBURN

“Defensive line prospect whose steady weight gain and frame development have allowed him to see the game at a variety of alignments. Wooden is at his most disruptive when attacking from the interior. He has a quick first step to attack gaps and threaten the pocket, but he’s unable to sit down and drop a deep anchor against bullies in the run game. Wooden’s activity level and hand skill are the keys to his current and future success − they allow him to keep pressure on blockers from snap to whistle. High football character and scheme versatility work in Wooden's favor, but he will need to find the right team fit.”

— NFL.com

FIFTH ROUND:

Welcome to Green Bay, Sean!

QB SEAN CLIFFORD — PENN STATE

“Mobile four-year starter with desired NFL intangibles and leadership, but a lack of passing talent. Clifford will have his moments, but he doesn’t consistently deliver the ball with accuracy and timing. His arm strength falls below the mark.”

— NFL.com

Welcome to Green Bay, Dontayvion!

WR DONTAYVION WICKS — VIRGINIA

“Wicks proved in 2021 that he has a set of skills to threaten defenses with big-play potential, but he’s coming off a disappointing 2022 season. Focus drops have been an issue for him over the last two seasons, but they seemed to impact his overall confidence in 2022. He lacks attention to detail as a route runner but it is worth noting that he finds ways to separate with instincts and pure athleticism. Wicks has talent to cultivate, but gaining the confidence of a GM, head coach or quarterback must start with catching the football more consistently.”

NFL.com

SIXTH ROUND:

Welcome to Green Bay, Karl!

DT KARL BROOKS — BOWLING GREEN

“The inclination to shrug off Brooks’ production based on level of competition − or because of questions about his positional fit − might be a mistake. Brooks’ snap quickness, footwork, hand usage and motor are all translatable play qualities. His movement and counters are intuitive, allowing for quick access into the backfield. Against the pass, he frequently beat tackles as a bull rusher off the edge. Brooks has the size of a three-technique but the versatility and athleticism to move around a defensive front. He flashes disruptive, three-down talent as a future starter in a one-gap scheme.”
— NFL.com

Welcome to Green Bay, Anders!

K ANDERS CARLSON — AUBURN

“Carlson has made kicks in big moments and appeared to be tracking in a good direction back in 2020. However, he has struggled to establish consistency on mid-range kicks and has been poor on kicks from 50 yards and beyond. He’s had too many kicks blocked during his career and doesn’t sport a booming leg on kickoffs.”
— NFL.com

SEVENTH ROUND:

Welcome to Green Bay, Carrington!

CB CARRINGTON VALENTINE — KENTUCKY

“Valentine has the physical traits necessary for the NFL but the instincts and body control to extend his coverage against quality route runners leaves something to be desired. He’s solid at crowding vertical throws and can play press-and-bail, but he has had coverage busts in zone. Also, he bites too easily on double moves. Valentine’s lack of aggression as a run defender could make it tougher for zone teams to give him a chance.”

— NFL.com

Welcome to Green Bay, Lew!

RB LEW NICHOLS III — CENTRAL MICHIGAN

“Nichols is a well-built back that offers very good size and a sturdy lower half. He is an above-average athlete for his size but like most bigger backs, he lacks some of the agility and top-end speed to make him a big-play threat at the next level. Nichols is a downhill runner who showcases patience, vision and discipline when working to the line of scrimmage. He is able to quickly identify the hole and put his foot in the ground and get upfield. He flashes just average short-area burst and is a build-to-speed runner who only has one gear. Nichols displays very good contact balance and runs with good pad level. He routinely breaks arm tackles and is able to push the pile forward in short-area and goal-line situations.”

— NFL.com

Welcome to Green Bay, Anthony!

S ANTHONY JOHNSON JR. — IOWA STATE

“Cornerback turned safety with good athletic traits for the safety position and rare physicality from a former cornerback. Johnson has grown into a safety’s frame but is versatile enough to play near the line of scrimmage or line up over the slot. He moves fluidly with good play speed but is still processing angles and coverage responsibilities at his new position. He will come downhill and hit anything near the line of scrimmage with everything he’s got, but he needs to learn to control his aggression to become a more consistent tackler. Johnson’s traits, versatility and toughness give him a chance to become a starting safety or nickel safety.”

— NFL.com

Welcome to Green Bay, Grant!

WR GRANT DUBOSE — CHARLOTTE

“Raw receiving prospect with just two years of major college experience under his belt. DuBose possesses NFL size with an expansive catch radius. He’s talented at winning fade routes and jump balls, but he struggles to win in the early stages of the route against press and tight man coverage. DuBose is still in the learning stages but already displays some route talent. A lack of separation quickness could make his battle for a roster spot more challenging.”

— NFL.com

2023 NFL Draft: Rounds 2-3

Welcome to Green Bay, Luke Musgrave!

TE LUKE MUSGRAVE — OREGON STATE

“Between the abbreviated 2020 season and an injury-shortened 2022 campaign, Musgrave’s snaps have been somewhat limited, but it’s easy to like what he’s put on tape. His route running harkens back to his slalom days with nimble feet and smooth hips helping to generate rhythm and separation in and out of breaks. He needs a little more bulk for combat in the trenches, but he offers what evaluators are looking for in technique, strain and demeanor. Musgrave has starter potential and should gain a coveted slot on draft boards from teams looking to add versatility to their 12 personnel (two tight ends) packages.”

— NFL.com

Welcome to Green Bay, Jayden Reed!

WR JAYDEN REED — MICHIGAN STATE

“Utility wideout with the ability to take snaps at multiple receiver positions while offering both kickoff and punt return talent. Reed looks smaller in many of his matchups, but he is rarely deterred by size. He’s too tight-hipped for stop-start routes on the tree, but he operates with good route speed and should improve his ability to separate with additional development and experience on the next level. His ball skills and feel for positioning on deep throws and jump balls are unquestioned. Limiting his focus drops on short and intermediate throws will be critical to becoming a long-term NFL contributor.”

— NFL.com

Welcome to Green Bay, Tucker Kraft!

TE TUCKER KRAFT — SOUTH DAKOTA STATE

“Combination tight end with the projectable skill set to handle pass-catching and run-blocking duties at the next level. Currently, he’s a more effective blocker in space than in-line, but that is correctable with better hand usage and proper angles of entry into his base blocks. Kraft provides formational versatility that will be appealing for teams that make heavy use of 12 personnel (two tight ends). He has the body control and catch toughness to be more than just a traditional Y tight end. Kraft has Day 2 talent and should see the field early with a chance to become a TE1.”

— NFL.com

2023 NFL Draft: Round 1

Welcome to Green Bay, Lukas Van Ness! 

LUKAS VAN NESS — IOWA

“Nicknamed 'Hercules' by teammates, Van Ness is a well-developed defensive end with excellent lean mass and additional growth still to come. He’s a power-centric prospect with force as his modus operandi as both a run defender and pass rusher. Van Ness needs to work on hand attacks for quicker block shedding and to diversify his rush beyond bull-rush challenges. He’s taken snaps inside at Iowa but might need to keep filling out his frame before he’s ready to succeed as a run stuffer and pass rusher as a 4i in a 3-4 front. Van Ness is more of a splash player than consistent force on tape, but he possesses projectable traits that should allow for continued ascension as a pro.”

— NFL.com

Goodbye... and Thanks

It’s Official.

It’s official. Supposedly, the Packers get a second round pick this year, a 1st round pick swap this year, a conditional 1st rounder in 2024. More as it develops.

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#GreenBayPackers #GreenBay #Packers #GoPackGo #LambeauField #NFL #AaronRodgers 

Don McIlhenny Passes Away

Former Green Bay Packers RB Don McIlhenny has passed away at the age of 88. He played three years for the Packers (1957-59) before being taken by the Cowboys in the 1960 NFL expansion draft. In Dallas, he was the team’s first starting halfback and scored the Cowboys' first rushing touchdown. Our condolences to his family and friends.

New Jerry Kramer Book on the Way

Looking forward to this new book, Jerry Kramer – Run to Win, with its release coming on September 19, 2023. More from the co-author HERE.

Lambeau Construction Update

As the offseason marches on, so does the progress on the new additions to Lambeau Field. Above, the public areas of the stadium are quiet this time of year when there are no special events. But elsewhere, the new expanded football facilities are taking shape. So, what’s up with the new construction, you ask?

• The Packers have several projects underway this offseason, including an underground parking garage for players, expanding a practice facility and relocating coaches’ offices from the third floor of the atrium to the lowest level to be closer to players.

• Other projects included shoring up supports for the larger video scoreboards in the bowl and the ongoing renovation of concourse concession stands.

• The parking and practice facility project is scheduled for completion in May 2023.

• The underground parking garage will have 190 spaces and include charging stations for electric vehicles. It is located under the area where players previously parked. There will be some ground-level parking for players and coaches as well.

• Season ticket holders who normally parked and tailgated in Lot 1 on the east side of Lambeau Field were relocated to Lot 9 on the stadium’s southwest side in 2022.

• The Packers are expanding their conditioning, rehab and instruction center, which the team calls the CRIC, located below ground level on the east side of Lambeau Field, partly under the Oneida Nation gate. In addition to weight rooms and meeting rooms, the CRIC includes a turf field that allows squads to do walk-throughs and other training. Previously, the field was 35 yards long and the width of a football field, which allowed only one squad, offense or defense, to use it at a time. After the expansion, it will be large enough for both squads.

• Moving coaches’ offices and football meeting rooms to the same level as player facilities will be more efficient. In the NFL, where every second seems to count, coaches spend too much time moving from floor to floor for meetings and to interact with players.

• Concession stand renovation began several years ago. Primarily, the Packers are converting full-service concession stands to self-service stands, which they say allows fans to spend less time in the concourses and more time at their seats. 60 new video displays in the concourses will feature 2.9-millimeter pixel spacing as they connect with fans while away from their seats and keep them immersed in the action while moving about the stadium.

• Work on the new video scoreboards is proceeding with the installation of approximately 24,500 square feet of LED displays totaling 79.5 million pixels. The technology will debut at the beginning of the 2023 season this fall. Measuring more than 10,500 square feet at 48 feet high by nearly 220 feet wide, the Packers displays will be one of the few 4K displays in professional football, setting the standard in video board clarity and image quality. Additionally, the east and west sides auxiliary scoreboard displays will each measure more than 7 feet high by 74.5 feet wide. 

• In 2022, the Packers raised $65.8 million through the sale of about 198,000 shares in the team’s sixth stock sale. The proceeds are what is being used for these construction projects. The NFL requires money raised by a stock sale to be used only for stadium projects that are beneficial to fans.

Sources: Packers.com; Green Bay Press-Gazette; Daktronics

*Click on photos to enlarge*

Could this be the last of the snow that we’ll see until next winter? 

Vertical view of the north end scoreboard work.

Horizontal view of the north end scoreboard work.

View from the northeast showing the new football facility construction along the stadium’s east side (parallel to Oneida Street).

Close up view of the same part of the construction.

A view looking west from Oneida Street showing the full length of the new football facility construction.

A closer look at the northern end of the new football facility.

A closer look at the southern end of the new football facility. The underground players parking garage is under this portion of the construction.

Another view looking west along Oneida Street.

A vertical view of the south end of the stadium as new scoreboard work continues.

The south end of the new football facility.

The south end of the new football facility.

Across the street, the Don Hutson Center awaits the start of the offseason workout program.

Looking back at the stadium from the corner of Oneida Street and Stadium Drive.

Helmet for QBs Approved by League and Union

NFL Enters Next Era of Helmet Safety with Advent of Quarterback-Specific Helmet

NFL.com

April 13, 2023

• NFL impact data have driven customization, 9x rate of helmet improvement

• Helmets considered top-performing only three years ago now prohibited due to development of safer models

NEW YORK, April 13, 2023 – As part of the release of its annual helmet testing results, the NFL and NFLPA announced today a quarterback-specific helmet will be available for the first time for the 2023 season. Half of all QB concussions occur when their helmets hit the ground. This helmet will reduce the severity of those specific impacts. The VICIS ZERO2 MATRIX QB performed 7% better in quarterback-specific testing than the most popular helmet worn by quarterbacks last season.

Helmets designed for the experiences of specific position groups is the latest innovation in the advance of helmet technology. Position-specific helmet designs take into account the unique locations and speeds of head impacts for each position group to offer players more customized protection. The league shares a wide range of game impact data with helmet manufacturers to inform their enhanced designs, including data from mouthguard sensors and advanced video footage. Position-specific testing will be extended to additional positions in the coming years.

The addition of a QB-specific helmet follows the introduction in the 2021 season of an offensive and defensive linemen-specific helmet. Two OL and DL-specific helmets now top the 2023 NFL-NFLPA helmet rankings.

"Helmets customized to the unique experiences of a position group promotes player safety," said Jeff Miller, NFL Executive Vice President overseeing Player Health and Safety. "This is the next evolution in a rapidly advancing market for improved helmets. We're proud to share the data necessary to design and build better equipment."

The NFL and NFLPA's release today of the results of their annual helmet laboratory testing demonstrate continued helmet safety innovation. Jointly appointed biomechanical engineers ranked 50 helmet models, including three new models. Two of the new models ranked in the 'Top-Performing' group, continuing a rate of improvement in helmet performance that has increased by nine times since before the start of the helmet testing program in 2015.

Rate of innovation is evidenced by helmets' rankings over time: Seven helmets that were in the Top-Performing group in 2020 are now Newly-Prohibited for the season ahead.

The helmet rankings poster ranks and groups helmets according to their laboratory performance into three categories: Top-Performing (green); Not Recommended (yellow); and Newly-Prohibited (red). More than 99% of players wore Top-Performing helmets last season. As part of an NFL-NFLPA policy, Not Recommended and Newly-Prohibited helmets may only be worn by players who wore those helmets during the 2022 NFL season. No players will be permitted to wear the Newly-Prohibited models starting in the 2024 season.

Evidence of helmet innovation extends beyond the 2023 rankings released today, as demonstrated by the three awardees of the NFL Helmet Challenge, a $3 million competition designed to accelerate helmet performance and safety for NFL players.

The awardees – Kollide, Xenith, and Impressio – submitted helmet prototypes that demonstrate it is possible to both exceed performance of existing commercially available helmets while also decreasing helmet weight. Their submissions reflect unique designs, including the use of advanced, energy-absorbing materials such as liquid-crystal elastomer (LCE) material, 3D printed mesh, and engineered energy control structures to redirect and optimize absorption of the forces from on-field contacts. The helmets drew recognition from the NFL Head Health Tech Helmet Challenge Committee, which includes experts in biomechanics and sports equipment safety, including engineers, scientists, and researchers.

The three awardees will continue work to further develop their prototypes in an effort to increase the field-readiness of their respective helmet models.

Helmet Laboratory Testing Performance Results

 

The NFL, in collaboration with the NFLPA, through their respective appointed biomechanical experts, coordinated extensive laboratory research to evaluate which helmets best reduce head impact severity.

The results of the laboratory tests are displayed on the poster below and shared with NFL players, in addition to club medical, training, coaching and equipment staffs to help inform equipment choices. Other factors, in addition to the ranking, should be considered by players when choosing a helmet, including fit, comfort, durability, player position and the player's medical history.

The laboratory test conditions are intended to represent potentially concussive head impacts in the NFL. The results of this study should not be extrapolated beyond the NFL, including to collegiate, high school or youth football.

Discontinued helmets that were worn by less than 1% of players for the past two seasons have been removed from the poster and added to a legacy list. These helmets are still permissible for use and have been color-coded according to the 2023 poster groupings. Helmets in either shade of green may be worn by any player, while those in yellow are not permitted for new players or those who did not wear them during the 2022 season.

The following prohibited helmet models perform poorly in laboratory testing, have been discontinued by the manufacturer, or were produced by companies no longer manufacturing football helmets. All the helmets listed below are prohibited for use on-field by NFL players.

More Brockington — From the Packerville Archives

Wrapping up our tribute to Packers Hall of Fame RB John Brockington (who died on April 6th) we are sharing some vintage publications from the early 1970’s. Above is the bio listing of him in the 1971 Packers Official Media Guide.

The cover of the 1972 Packers Official Media Guide featured Brockington in action against the Denver Broncos.

In 1974, he made the media guide cover again.

After their “return to glory” in the 1972 season (where they won the NFC Central division, but lost to the Washington Redskins in the Divisional game, 16-3), Brockington was featured on the cover of this book.

Brockington was the cover subject for the 1972 Green Bay Packers Yearbook.

A feature article inside the 1972 Green Bay Packers Yearbook.

An alternative “yearbook”-style publication (which was actually published for each of the NFC Central teams), 1972 Sports Focus Football Issue — Green Bay Packers put the team’s featured star on the cover, as well as featuring him inside.

And again in 1974, the Sports Focus publication put him on the cover, as well as featuring him in an article inside.