Brian Gutekunst could take next week’s draft in a lot of different directions.
Brian Gutekunst is entering some rare air.
If he stands pat in the coming NFL Draft, it’ll be the first time in nearly 20 years that the Packers have made five picks in the top 100 selections of a given draft class, giving the Packers a unique chance to add a boatload of young talent to their already young and talented roster.
Of course, just because he has five picks doesn’t mean he’ll make all five. That many picks at the top of the draft also means that Gutekunst has plenty of capital to move around if he’d like. A big jump, say into the top 10, hasn’t happened in a long time, either, but it’s not impossible.
The big takeaway is that Gutekunst and the Packers have options, which has really been the theme of the offseason. Signing Xavier McKinney at safety gave the Packers some options and flexibility heading into the draft; they don’t have to spend big for a high-end safety if they don’t want to. Signing Josh Jacobs at running back offset their loss of Aaron Jones, and brining back AJ Dillon gave the Packers the necessary depth to avoid spending a high pick at running back.
Heading into next week’s draft, the Packers have plenty of different ways they can approach their next phase of talent acquisition. How and why they end up doing what they do will be interesting to follow, but they have the flexibility to make some big, crucial additions no matter what route they choose.
Rob Demovsky walks through several options, including the potential for a big trade up.
The boys are back in town and were back on the field on Monday. Additional pictures here!
With the Packers in need of help up front, Zach Tom can unlock a lot of different scenarios.
Western Michigan’s Marshawn Kneeland is coming to Green Bay.
This is an interesting thought exercise, but the answer in these situations is almost always no. Exceptional players will always get exceptional contracts, but that doesn’t mean there’s a sea change in the works at running back.
I’ve got some yard work to do later today. Maybe I’ll have to give this a shot.