When the Packers come on the clock, what are their realistic options?

Between which prospects will the Packers actually choose at the No. 15 pick, and will Aaron Rodgers remain a member of the team officially when the 2023 NFL Draft begins?

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With the 2023 NFL Draft just 10 days away, let's make some predictions. Assuming the Packers don't trade up or down, which three players do you believe they'll seriously consider at No. 15?

Jason B. Hirschhorn: Before jumping into the players from which the Packers could realistically pick at No. 15, we have to eliminate some options.

Though some, including The Leap's Peter Bukowski, argued the team should take one of the "big-four" quarterbacks should they fall, that doesn't appear likely. The consensus mocks currently have Kentucky's Will Levis going the latest of the group multiple spots ahead of Green Bay. Those consensus mocks also remove Will Anderson Jr., Georgia's Jalen Carter, Illinois' Devon Witherspoon, Oregon's Christian Gonzalez, and Texas Tech's Tyree Wilson. While not a foolproof guidepost, all of those names appear unlikely to reach the Packers barring a trade-up scenario or some 11th-hour development sinking their draft stock.

From there, we should also eliminate the prospects that don't meet the Packers' athletic standards and/or play a position that the front office rarely values enough to select so early in the draft. Peter covered this in great detail last week. As you'd expect, that removes several more players that could realistically come off the board around Green Bay's spot but probably won't land there specifically.

So, with those filters out of the way, who remains?

Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright, who had a top-30 visit with the Packers and checks the athletic boxes for them, makes sense here. Peter pointed out that his weight could make him a harder fit than other O-linemen, but he possesses the tools to handle NFL defenders and Green Bay might lose both David Bakhtiari and Yosh Nijman after this season.

Though not as likely to last until pick No. 15 based on the consensus, Jaxon Smith-Njigba also makes a compelling case here. Yes, the Packers haven't drafted a wideout in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002. However, that doesn't mean they haven't considered doing so with particular prospects only to see them come off the board just a tad too early. Green Bay loved Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk in 2020 and would probably have taken either given the opportunity. The team reportedly also liked Rashod Bateman in 2021 but saw him snatched up by the Baltimore Ravens two picks ahead.

Clemson's Myles Murphy rounds out the list here. The Packers rarely pass over players who can pressure the quarterback and meet their size and athletic requirements. At 6-foot-5 and 268 pounds with a Relative Athletic Score of 9.71 out of 10, Murphy fits the bill. Additionally, the team expects to play without Rashan Gary at the start of the regular season while he recovers from 2022's ACL tear, and the depth behind the starters could use some juice regardless. Oh, and Murphy's top RAS comp? Current Green Bay outside linebacker Preston Smith.

Peter Bukowski: Let me echo Jason’s selection of JSN and Murphy here as I believe they are legitimate options for the Packers at 15, though I still see the potential necessity to trade up for the former and that would be upsetting the spirit of this question.

Let me throw a couple more options at you which work particularly well for our first candidate because he would, in fact, have throws at him: Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer. He’s not the athlete Gutekunst tends to covet with a 7.65 RAS, but the Packers’ preferences on tight ends have never been particularly clear.

Green Bay’s offense hasn’t had a tight end who could block and pass with anything close to equal equanimity since Jermichael Finley and even that might be pushing it because Finley was not as consistent a blocker as he was a pass-catcher.

There may not be a position where a good player would upgrade this roster more than at tight end.

One more name to keep in mind: Georgia tackle Broderick Jones. General manager Brian Gutekunst would be going back to the Georgia well, this time for an offensive player, a hulking 6-foot-5 tackle with terrific feet and upside for days. He’s a 9.56-RAS athlete with raw horsepower who wouldn’t have to start this year, but could be groomed to replace David Bakhtiari or slide into the right side if Green Bay chooses to give Zach Tom a shot on Jordan Love’s blindside.

It wouldn’t be a sexy pick, but it would be very much in keeping with the Packers’ track record under Gutekunst.

Oh, that’s only two? Here, I’d like you to meet my friend Mr. Trade Down. Let’s say JSN, Murphy, and the top tackles are off the board. That would leave the so-called “big-three” tight ends all available to the Packers and a draft with the meat of the prospects sitting in the 20-60 range. They could move down with a team like Seattle or Detroit as they chase a quarterback (Hendon Hooker anyone?), add a pick or two, and still get Mayer or Utah’s Dalton Kincaid who the Packers hosted for a visit after doctors cleared him from a back injury.

Mr. Trade Down is a terrific option if the board falls with those five non-tight ends we mentioned coming off the board early.

The national perspective on the top QBs in the rookie class appears to have shifted multiple times over the past few months. Do any of the "big four" land in the NFC North and, if so, with which team(s)?

JBH: As before, let's eliminate some scenarios from consideration. If the Chicago Bears wanted to take a quarterback in the upcoming draft, they would have held onto the No. 1 overall pick and moved Justin Fields while they still had leverage. Even if one of the top signal-callers falls to them now, a scenario NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah described this past week, it doesn't make sense for their front office to pivot back in that direction while also undercutting Fields' trade value.

And as detailed above, I don't expect any of the big four to fall to the Packers' pick. Though they could theoretically trade up, that seems improbable given the draft-pick and time investment in Jordan Love.

With those clubs off the table, only the Detroit Lions (current owners of No. 6 overall pick) and the Minnesota Vikings (in a trade-up scenario) remain in consideration for one of these signal-callers.

By consensus, Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud should go before Detroit comes on the clock. Anthony Richardson and Will Levis could as well but probably not both. At least one should last long enough for them. The regime led by general manager Brad Holmes and head coach Dan Campbell hasn't drafted a QB yet, so we have little idea which of these prospects (if any) the team covets. Jared Goff, while unlikely to replicate his 2022 season, also allows the Lions to wait for "their guy" rather than force the issue. With more glaring holes to fill, I think Detroit passes.

The case for the Vikings trading up for one of the big-four quarterbacks focuses on Kirk Cousins' contract (the deal voids before the 2024 season) and the opportunity to let his replacement develop without the pressure to play immediately. Still, trading up high enough to land one of these prospects probably proves cost prohibitive. Moving into the top three would almost certainly involve forking over at least three first-rounders and more. Should one of the signal-callers fall a little farther, perhaps a trade becomes more viable. Even so, Minnesota probably finds the whole idea too costly and either takes a different QB later (Hendon Hooker for example) or waits until next year to find a long-term replacement.

PB: Snagging at a quarterback at No. 6 makes so much sense for the Lions even I want them to do it … almost. From what I’ve been told, the Lions are committed to Jared Goff, at least for the moment, and will use their top-10 pick to grab a blue-chip prospect. That can’t rule them out with their luxury first-round pick where someone like Hendon Hooker could appeal to them. He likely won’t play in 2023 anyway coming off a torn ACL, making him the least threatening to the Lions current infrastructure (aka Goff’s ego).

I don’t see it happening though, and even then, Hooker makes QB5.

Minnesota making calls on moving into the top five certainly raises some alarm bells and there’s been a buzz the Vikings will let Kirk Cousins walk in a year. They haven’t quite fully leaned into the tank for this year, but if Cousins and Justin Jefferson are on this team in 2023, they’re probably too good to hit full send on going for it in the ‘24 draft with a potentially loaded quarterback class.

There’s been 10,000 lakes worth of smoke around Hooker with the Vikings and late in Round 1 on a team that isn’t going anywhere this year would fit their potential timeline. But … again, he’s QB5.

"The 2023 NFL Draft is officially open. The Carolina Panthers are on the clock."

At this moment, is Aaron Rodgers still a member of the Packers?

JBH: At this stage, I believe Aaron Rodgers will begin the 2023 NFL Draft still a member of the Packers. The New York Jets seem hellbent on not relinquishing the No. 13 overall pick (though not necessarily first-round value). Even so, Green Bay has no incentive to take a deal now that they can get on Day 2 of the draft. With those dynamics in play, a trade for Rodgers seems most likely to occur during the first round or later.

PB: I think there’s a non-zero chance this trade is hinging on who is available at 13. If Paris Johnson Jr., Broderick Jones, Peter Skoronski, and Darnell Wright are all off the board, I could see the Jets dirting their hole cards and going all-in with the 13th pick as their offer. (Yes, I know you can’t dirt your hole cards and go all-in, but just go with me). In other words, “Forget a future pick, here’s 13. That’s it.” Whether Green Bay would accept is another matter, and may also be contingent on who was available.

But remember, Round 1 happens all in one night. If the Jets get their guy at 13, that gives Joe Douglas and Gutey almost 24 hours to finalize a deal involving Day 2 pick(s) before the second round kicks off.