The Green Bay Packers are looking to rebound from a disappointing 2022 season and they're also looking to start the post-Aaron Rodgers era off on the right foot.

It's a big reason why the team drafted 13 players in the 2023 NFL Draft. General manager Brian Gutekunst said Friday night that he wanted to take as many swings as possible on Day 3, so it's not a surprise the team collected nine of its 13 picks on that day.



Like most drafts, the Packers couldn't fill every single need, but there's no reason to worry. This is because the team has a little more than $7.1 million in cap room after adjusting for the cost of the rookie class, so the team could dip back into the free agency pool if it wants. Or, they can bring on more UDFAs over the course of the next few months. Regardless, the Packers have options to help fill these remaining needs.

Packers’ biggest post-draft needs by position:

EDGE/OLB

The Packers drafted Lukas Van Ness with the 13th overall pick in the draft, but it’s still unclear as to when Rashan Gary will return to full form.

I'm not talking about when he's ready play – I'm talking about when he's ready to return to the dominant player we saw in 2021 and through the first nine games of 2022. The initial timeline for recovery was 9-11 months, and Gary tore his ACL on November 6, but Gutekunst recently said the Packers are hoping they can ease him back into action during training camp.

However, there's zero guarantee Gary will be ready to be eased in at that point and, there's zero guarantee he doesn't experience a setback at some point. It's also feasible he doesn't return to full form by that 9-11 month window, which could mean he's not "back" until October.

The Packers still have OK options in Kingsley Enagbare and La'Darius Hamilton, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to add one more player in case there's a complication with Gary, no matter how minor it could be.

Potential free agent options: Markus Golden, Robert Quinn, Yannick Ngakoue

Quarterback

Yes, the Packers drafted Sean Clifford and now have three QBs on the roster with starter Jordan Love and likely No. 2 Danny Etling in the mix. But, they need a veteran presence because neither Etling nor Clifford have taken an offensive snap in the NFL.

Let's be real, for a minute. Clifford is a reach, at best, with all due respect, and the Packers are 100% screwed if they find themselves in a situation where Clifford is starting games. And they're about 90% screwed if Etling is starting games.

Plus, it'd be nice to have a veteran on the roster that's willing to show these guys what it takes to play QB in the NFL. Lord knows how much knowledge Aaron Rodgers actually bestowed upon these guys – it's probably a safe assumption it wasn't much. It's nothing but a win-win for the Packers if they sign a vet signal-caller.

Potential free agent options: Josh Johnson, Joe Flacco, Matt Ryan

Safety

The Packers entered the draft with a big need at safety and they didn’t address the position until Round 7, which left a lot of people scratching their heads. And not to beat up on Sean Clifford, but his selection -outside of it being a big reach- looks even worse when considering the fact that Antonio Johnson, who was considered by most to be a second-round pick, was still on the board at the time of Clifford’s selection.

Rudy Ford is promising and honestly 2023 seventh-rounder Anthony Johnson Jr. has a lot of potential, but it wouldn't hurt the Packers to add an experienced body, here.

Potential free agent options: Adrian Amos, Rodney McLeod, Josh Jones

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Final word: Overall, the Packers roster looks to be in pretty good shape if the 2022 draft class continues to develop and the 2023 class makes an impact, to a certain extent.



At this point, it's more about fine-tuning the roster and adding veteran depth where it's needed most. Fortunately, the Packers are in a spot where they can do that, it just all depends on the player and the fit.