Winning 13 games in 2020 means the Green Bay Packers will have a long way to go in the first round of the NFL 2021 draft. General manager Brian Gutekunst could always change, as he did in three straight innings, but the Packers will have to wait. patiently, because a lot of very good football players come out of the board.
Ideally, a Hall of Fame talent would inexplicably drop to 29th place, and the Packers would put the book on the podium, get an immediate differentiator in an important position, and then go on and win the Super Bowl. It is an unlikely scenario. It is unlikely or not, the Packers will have certain scenarios that they hope to play in real time on Thursday night of the project.
Here’s a closer look at some attractive Packers scenarios in the first round:
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The Packers have brought back Kevin King and Chandon Sullivan, making sure every high school starter is back in 2021, but no doubt no addition could improve Matt LaFleur’s team more than a starting corner defender to push King or Sullivan. Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos are great, but King’s career has been nothing, if not inconsistent, and Sullivan is not a sure thing in the slot, an increasingly important position in today’s NFL. Hitting a talented defender capable of playing at a high level opposite Alexander or in the slot could turn the Packers defense from good to high in 2021. The defensive class looks great at the top, but will be available to the Packers in the first round ? An exchange if one of the top corner defenders falls into the field makes sense.
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Like the cornerback, the offensive attack class is strong at the top and is potentially deep enough for a Day 1 starter to be available to the Packers at the end of the first round. The offensive approach is a necessity, both in the short and long term. The Packers have released veteran Rick Wagner, All-Pro David Bakhtiari is recovering from an ACL injury and may not be ready for Week 1 and there is a precious little depth that goes back to Bakhtiari and Billy Turner. Landing a plug-and-play rookie and a long-term starter on the right attack could be a home scenario for a team that was recovered in the NFC title game because it could not protect its MVP defender. Again, it makes sense to trade for the right player. The offensive approach is a premium position.
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The defensive line is one of the packers’ biggest needs, despite Pro Bowler Kenny Clark. Dean Lowry seems to have survived the offseason phase of the season, Tyler Lancaster has returned with a one-year contract, and Kingsley Keke is a rising young player, but the level of talent in the position group is lacking, both in terms of race the ability to stop and interrupt the speed of passage. Enter Christian Barmore, who could be the only inside defensive lineman who deserves to be recruited in the first round. The chances of him dropping to 29 look weak. Maybe a change could be an option if Barmore, the most disruptive inside defender in the class, falls within range.
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The Packers are not taking a defender in the first round after being traded for Jordan Love in April last year, but the right-back who is in the Green Bay range could help facilitate a valuable exchange back in the draft. It’s often a disappointing move for fans who wait all night for a first-round pick, but withdrawing – and accumulating project capital in the middle rounds – can be a strong move if a team likes the talent level of the top 100 players in the first round. class. Any team that needs a defender and wants to secure the option for the fifth year might be interested in going up. Also, teams that choose late in the first round can often run out of first-round players to choose from, requiring the desire to go down. It didn’t always work for the Packers – see: trading and missing TJ Watt in 2017 – but no one will complain if Gutekunst can meet an additional need in the middle rounds by trading down.
(AP Photo / Stacy Bengs)
The Packers have an obvious long-term need for the receiver, and although the team did not take one in the first round of 2002, this class sketch may offer more potential opportunities at number 29. This scenario will depend on how we see the Packers receiving. and what kind of receiver the team wants. What if Rashod Bateman or Terrace Marshall are available? It could be great matches as receivers no. 2 complementary. Would packers risk a non-traditional receiver like Kadarius Toney, Elijah Moore or Rondale Moore? All three could play an important and versatile role in Matt LaFleur’s scheme.