As the Green Bay Packers hit the clock with the 13th overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, two names sprung to mind among the fanbase.
Packers fans hoped for either Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba or Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez. They selected neither, instead drafting Iowa pass rusher Lukas Van Ness.
Let's get this out of the way: This isn't a knock on Van Ness. He is a solid contributor on defense, is steadily improving, and has the potential to become an impact player. However, he still hasn't started a game for the Packers and has played fewer snaps this season than Kingsley Enagbare, who was selected in the fifth round a year earlier.
Passing on Smith-Njigba was the right choice, and the Packers tend to avoid the wide receiver position on Day 1. However, not selecting Gonzalez made little sense at the time, and the decision is coming back to haunt them.
Cornerback wasn't a high priority for the Packers in 2023, but they had the opportunity to take the best player on the board at a premium position. Last week's nightmare proved Green Bay needed more cornerback depth. The Packers lost Jaire Alexander and Carrington Valentine in Week 4, and the backups struggled to contain Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Gonzalez had everything the Packers look for. He had ideal size, earned a 9.95 Relative Athletic Score, and had the production, with four picks in his final year at Oregon.
He has become a shutdown corner for the New England Patriots.
Gonzalez is coming off a dominant performance against the San Francisco 49ers. He saw a lot of Brandon Aiyuk but offered nothing. Per PFF, he gave up 12 receiving yards and a passer rating of 47.9 in his coverage. Outstanding.
And it's no fluke. Gonzalez made an excellent start to his rookie year before a shoulder injury ended his season after four games. He has picked up where he left off in 2023.
Gonzalez checked every box for the Packers entering the draft. He would've been a classic Brian Gutekunst first-round pick. Instead, the Packers favored need by drafting an edge rusher. As it turned out, cornerback became a far greater need.
We're all hoping Van Ness takes a second-year jump and reaches his potential, but he is still the clear No. 4 defensive end on the depth chart behind Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Enagbare.
Gonzalez is a star. Packers fans knew it at the time, and they are being proved right.
