Packers keep tradition alive with pick No. 13

Lukas Van Ness is heading to Green Bay. Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Packers keep tradition alive, neglect to get Jordan Love WR help with pick No. 13

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated 4/27/23

One of the main complaints in the Aaron Rodgers era was that the Green Bay Packers absolutely refused to spend a first-round draft pick on an elite wide receiver prospect. That's not to say Rodgers never got help — Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams were both second-round picks — but Green Bay was clearly allergic to taking first-round wideouts.

That strategy will continue in the Jordan Love era, but critics will question whether or not it was wise for the Packers to neglect drafting a potentially elite wide receiver for their young quarterback with massive expectations on his shoulders.

Quarterbacks went early and often at the top of the draft, and the board worked out perfectly in terms of adding a wideout. Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba and TCU's Quentin Johnston were both available for Green Bay at pick No. 13, and both were arguably top-15 talents.

Instead, Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst did a very Brian Gutekunst thing. Sticking to tradition in Green Bay, he drafted Iowa edge-rusher Lukas Van Ness.

With the 13th pick in the 2023 #NFLDraft, the #Packers select Iowa LB Lukas Van Ness!#PackersDraft | @meijer pic.twitter.com/rxng9Rjna1
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) April 28, 2023

To be fair to both Gutekunst and Van Ness, there's a good chance this ends up being a solid selection.

Iowa has a long history of pumping out elite NFL prospects and Van Ness has the intangibles to be good. He's 6-foot-5, 272 pounds and can play anywhere along the line in a 3-4 defense and even as a stand-up outside linebacker. He notched 13.5 sacks for Iowa in two seasons.

Still, just like Rodgers for years before him, Love may have liked a first-round wide receiver to play with moving forward.

And just like Rodgers before him, he got a defender instead.

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