Green Bay Packers select Colby Wooden in 4th round of 2023 NFL Draft

Auburn Tigers edge rusher Colby Wooden has been taken in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers.

Colby Wooden went to Auburn as a four-star recruit in the Class of 2019, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. In that class, he was the 32nd ranked edge rusher and the 378th ranked player overall.

In four seasons at Auburn, Colby Wooden played in 40 games. During his career there, Wooden had 153 total tackles. 29.5 of those were tackles for a loss and he had 14 sacks. On top of that, he has six career passes defended. He previously considered entering the 2022 NFL Draft, before deciding to return to Auburn for the 2022 season instead.

By the end of the 2022 season, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Wooden as the sixth best defensive end in the 2023 NFL Draft.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Colby Wooden

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote about a breakdown of what to expect from Colby Wooden moving forward. He began by comparing Wooden to Tyrone Crawford. After playing at Boise State, Crawford was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft. He went on to spend his entire career with Dallas, retiring after the 2020 season.

Zierlein praised Colby Wooden for his work ethic and hands. In particular, his ability to use his hands quickly and violently while engaging with blockers. Add a quick first step and Wooden is a threat as a pass rusher. However, his speed and ability to make plays outside of the pocket needs to be improved. On top of that, he has technique issues that need to be worked on.

“Defensive line prospect whose steady weight gain and frame development have allowed him to see the game at a variety of alignments,” Zierlein wrote.

“Wooden is at his most disruptive when attacking from the interior. He has a quick first step to attack gaps and threaten the pocket, but he’s unable to sit down and drop a deep anchor against bullies in the run game. Wooden’s activity level and hand skill are the keys to his current and future success — they allow him to keep pressure on blockers from snap to whistle. High football character and scheme versatility work in Wooden’s favor, but he will need to find the right team fit.”