Packers wrap-up NFL Draft with nine selections on day three

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WSAW) - The Green Bay Packers wrapped up the third and final day of the NFL Draft by making nine selections. Offensive picks continued to be a theme carried over from night two, while also adding some defensive depth.

In the fourth round, the Packers used the 116th overall pick to grab Auburn defensive tackle Colby Wooden. The three-year starter had 30 tackles for loss and six sacks last year at Auburn. He said the experience Saturday was crazy, but he’s excited to be a Packer.

“I’m blessed and honored to go to such a historic franchise,” said Wooden, “I’ve been sitting around today, it’s just been like a calmness. I knew I was going, I just didn’t know when, but when the Packers gave me that call I was over the moon, ecstatic. I’m just ready to go.”

The Packers entered the fifth round with two selections. With their first pick of the round, Green Bay went with the presumed backup for Jordan Love with quarterback Sean Clifford out of Penn State. Clifford leaves Penn State as the leader in almost every statistical category. Despite being three months older than Love, Clifford knows there’s a lot to learn from him, even while not getting the tutelage of Aaron Rodgers.

“I’m just excited to learn, be a sponge, being somebody that’s been with Aaron,” said Clifford. “Obviously, Aaron has a great track record, is a fantastic quarterback, one of the best and so is Jordan. I’ve been watching him for a while so I’m just excited to learn and grow and contribute in every way.”

With the Packers’ other fifth-round selection, they went with a wide receiver, their second of the draft. Green Bay picked Virginia wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks with the 159th pick. Wicks said he’s excited to get to work in a young Packers offense and already has a connection to Green Bay second-round pick Jayden Reed.

“I was at the Senior Bowl with Jayden Reed who was drafted early. I was able to talk to him a lot and build a connection with him through that, through all the events we had leading up to the draft,” said Wicks. “I just want to get in and work with them and be the best-receiving group in the league.”

In the sixth round, the Packers had two more picks. First, they went with another defensive line piece in Bowling Green’s Karl Brooks. With their second pick in the round, the Packers selected a place kicker in Anders Carlson. The move potentially signals the end of the Mason Crosby era in Green Bay, who has been a Packer since 2007 and is the franchise’s all-time leader in scoring.

The Packers had a whopping four picks in the seventh round. First, they went with a cornerback in Kentucky’s Carrington Valentine before grabbing a running back out of Central Michigan in Lew Nichols III. Green Bay finally got the safety they were projected to grab late in the round with Iowa State’s Anthony Johnson Jr. Finally, with their final pick, Green Bay went for their fifth pass-catcher of the draft and third wide receiver selection in Charlotte’s Grant DuBose.

Here’s a list of all 13 of the Packers’ picks in the 2023 NFL Draft:

First Round- Lukas Van Ness- EDGE- Iowa

Second Round- Luke Musgrave- Tight End- Oregon State, Jayden Reed- Wide Receiver- Michigan State

Third Round- Tucker Kraft- Tight End- South Dakota State

Fourth Round- Colby Wooden- Defensive Tackle- Auburn

Fifth Round- Sean Clifford- Quarterback- Penn State, Dontayvion Wicks- Wide Receiver- Virginia

Sixth Round- Karl Brooks- Defensive End- Bowling Green, Anders Carlson- Kicker- Auburn

Seventh Round- Carrington Valentine- Cornerback- Kentucky, Lew Nicholls III- Running Back- Central Michigan, Anthon Johnson Jr.- Safety- Iowa State, Grant DuBose- Wide Receiver- Charlotte