Packers’ 2023 Draft Decision Looms Large After Christian Gonzalez Shines in Super Bowl 60
Watching the Seattle Seahawks hoist the Lombardi Trophy after a dominant Super Bowl 60 win over the New England Patriots was already a bitter pill for Packers fans to swallow. But the real gut punch? Seeing Christian Gonzalez-who could’ve been wearing green and gold-put on a defensive clinic on the biggest stage in football.
Let’s rewind to the 2023 NFL Draft. Green Bay held the 13th overall pick after a trade involving Aaron Rodgers and opted to take Iowa pass rusher Lukas Van Ness.
Still on the board? Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez, a player many scouts had pegged as one of the top defensive talents in the class.
Fast forward three years, and that decision is aging like milk.
Gonzalez didn’t just play well in the Super Bowl-he was a difference-maker. Matched up against Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Gonzalez held the Seahawks’ top weapon to just three catches for 24 yards.
He broke up multiple downfield passes and looked every bit the All-Pro he’s become in his third season. On a night when the Patriots struggled across the board, Gonzalez stood tall, locking down his side of the field and making life miserable for Seattle's passing attack.
Meanwhile, Van Ness continues to search for consistency. After three seasons, he’s totaled just 8.5 sacks-including only 1.5 this past year while appearing in nine games due to injury. For a player whose appeal was largely based on physical upside and long-term potential, the returns so far haven’t matched the investment.
This isn’t about writing off Van Ness entirely-he’s still young, and development curves vary. But when you see what Gonzalez has become, it’s hard not to wonder what could’ve been.
The Packers have been missing a true shutdown corner for years, someone who can erase a team’s top receiver and tilt the field in Green Bay’s favor. Gonzalez would’ve been that guy from Day 1.
Adding him to a defense that already had a solid foundation would’ve elevated the unit to another level. Instead, the Packers are left watching a player tailor-made for their scheme thrive elsewhere-while their own top pick struggles to find his footing.
To be fair, Green Bay’s roster is strong enough to withstand a misstep in the first round. The team remains competitive and has talent on both sides of the ball. But every time Gonzalez makes a game-changing play, especially on a stage like the Super Bowl, it’s a reminder of a missed opportunity.
And it’s not just Gonzalez. The Packers also passed on Jaxon Smith-Njigba in that same draft.
While he was quiet in the Super Bowl thanks to Gonzalez’s blanket coverage, his regular-season production earned him top offensive honors. It’s another layer to a draft that could’ve been a turning point-and instead became a what-if.
Brian Gutekunst has made plenty of strong moves during his tenure, but the 2023 draft might go down as one of his biggest misses. And as Gonzalez continues to rise, that decision will only loom larger in the minds of Packers fans.