Green Bay Packers take Jayden Reed with pick No. 50

The Green Bay Packers drafted former Michigan State star Jayden Reed with the No. 50 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Packers are officially in rebuild mode and need to re-tool on offense, and selecting Reed in the second round goes a long way in furthering that process.

With their second pick of the second round, Green Bay added some much-needed help at wide receiver by way of Reed.

After an impressive 2021 campaign with the Spartans, Reed decided to return to the team for his senior season. In hindsight, given how the year finished for both he and the Spartans, the Naperville, IL, native might have been better served entering the draft last season. Still, because of his decision, the Packers may be getting one of the biggest steals of the NFL draft in the second round.

In 2021, Reed had a remarkable year with 59 receptions, 1026 yards receiving, and 10 touchdowns. He also had an impressive average of 17.4 yards per catch. On the ground, he recorded seven carries for 34 yards and one touchdown. And as a returner that year, Reed had 28 total returns for 614 yards and two touchdowns. Last season that was a noticeable drop-off in Reed’s production. In 2022, he would have 55 catches for 363 yards and five touchdowns, to go along with four rushing attempts and 11 yards. As a returner, he would only have 14 returns for just 134 yards on the season.

Day two picks can be challenging to nail, and during Gutekunst’s time as the Packers GM, he has landed some quality talent in the second. But, at the same time, he’s had a few whiffs in the third round of the NFL draft. In the Packers’ most recent drafts, they have selected the likes of Elgton Jenkins, AJ Dillon, Josh Myers, and, most recently, in 2022, Christian Watson. In contrast, in the following round, Green Bay has missed on Oren Burks, Jace Sternberger, and Amari Rodgers. Last year’s third-round pick, offensive lineman Sean Rhyan could find himself in that category if he fails to carve out a role on the offensive line for the second season in a row.

The youth movement is fully underway in Green Bay. The Packers missed the playoffs for the first time since their 6-9-1 2018 season. And similar to that year, failing to make the playoffs set off a major change for the franchise. This season’s major move; deciding to part ways with former MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers and handing the keys to the franchise over to Love.

After around two months of back and forth between the Packers and Jets, Green Bay officially agreed to send Rodgers to New York. Green Bay received precisely what they needed to jump-start this rebuild in a ton of draft capital in this year’s draft. The Packers swapped first-round picks with the Jets, moving from 15 to 13. They also picked up an additional second-round selection, No. 42, and a sixth-rounder. Green Bay also received a little future equity in a 2024 second-round pick that has the possibility to become a first-rounder depending on the number of snaps Rodgers takes in New York.