Packers Rookies Who Will Make Instant Impact in 2023 Season

The Green Bay Packers brought in a large class through the 2023 NFL draft. They made 13 selections over the three-day event, giving the group the potential to make a huge impact on the roster.

Of course, not everyone is a lock to make the roster. The massive class featured four seventh-round picks and nine total picks on Day 3. It can take longer for those prospects to blossom into who they will become.

But some rookies in the class will need to play a role right away.

As the Packers head into the first year of the post-Aaron Rodgers era, they will require everyone's contributions to help them continue to be a threat to win the NFC North.

Here's a look at three rookies from the class who will make their presence felt early in their first season.

Edge Lukas Van Ness

AP Photo/Morry Gash

Green Bay Packers' Lukas Van Ness runs a drill during an NFL football rookie mini camp practice session Friday, May 5, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

First-round pick Lukas Van Ness doesn't figure to be a starter in his rookie season. Preston Smith and Rashan Gary have the starting edge spots on lock. That's OK—Van Ness didn't even start at Iowa.

That didn't stop him from racking up 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks over the last two seasons with the Hawkeyes. Iowa had one of the best defenses in the country, and Van Ness was younger than the starters.

Van Ness is an athletically gifted power rusher with the potential to build versatility into his game.

"Van Ness would be best as a hand-in-the-ground defensive end in even fronts, but he has the size, strength and versatility to play as a 4i-technique in odd fronts, too. He can probably line up as a 3-tech occasionally as well," B/R's Matt Holder wrote about Van Ness in his scouting report.

He needs to add finesse pass-rush moves to his arsenal, and that should come with NFL coaching. For now, he's a perfect third edge-rusher who can bump inside on passing downs.

The Packers needed that coming into the draft, and he should instantly help the defense.

WR Jayden Reed

AP Photo/Butch Dill

National wide receiver Jayden Reed of Michigan State (1) runs drills during practice for the Senior Bowl NCAA college football game Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023, in Mobile, Ala.. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

It's safe to say the receiving corps is a work in progress. Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs both gave reasons to believe they will be part of the group for the foreseeable future, but the depth behind them is murky.

The Packers took a step toward solidifying that area when they drafted Jayden Reed in the second round. The Michigan State receiver went earlier than expected. He was the 81st player on our big board, but that doesn't mean he won't make an impact right away.

Reed represents a missing piece in the current crop of receivers. While Watson and Doubs are primarily outside receivers who can win on deep routes, Reed is more suited for the slot.

The 5'11", 187-pound Spartan can make a living on underneath routes while possessing the ability to win more contested catches than you would think for a guy his size.

"Reed's requisite speed and high-level ball skills are enough to make him an early contributor. He will be a reliable target who can take on a variety of route responsibilities, though mostly from the slot," B/R's Derrik Klassen noted before comparing Reed to Sterling Shepard in his scouting report.

As Jordan Love takes over at quarterback, the target distribution within the offense will depend on his skill set and chemistry. The reset gives Reed a great opportunity to assert himself as one of the team's top receivers as a rookie.

TE Tucker Kraft

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

South Dakota State tight end Tucker Kraft runs a drill at the NFL football scouting combine in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Just because the Packers took tight end Luke Musgrave in the second round with the 42nd pick before circling back to the position to draft third-rounder Tucker Kraft with the 78th pick doesn't mean Musgrave will be the more impactful player in 2023.

Much like Elijah Mitchell was a more productive back as a sixth-rounder in 2021 for the San Francisco 49ers than third-round pick Trey Sermon, Kraft could outshine his draft peer.

While Musgrave and Kraft play the same position, they are different players. The 6'6", 253-pound Musgrave has higher potential as a receiver. He's a touch faster and an inch taller. He could wind up being a Mike Gesicki-type jumbo slot player.

Kraft is a more traditional tight end with some receiving versatility thrown in. The 6'5", 254-pound tight end is a better natural blocker, which means his path to early playing time could be cleaner than Musgrave's.

The difference in college experience could come into play too. Musgrave suffered a season-ending knee injury at Oregon State last year after just two games. He played in 10 games in 2021 but only had 22 receptions.

The injuries could mean Musgrave has a steeper learning curve than Kraft, whose blocking will help him get on the field and make some noise right away.