Winning 13 games in 2020 means the Green Bay Packers are waiting a lot during the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. The general manager, Brian Gutekunst, can always trade in as he is finished in three consecutive drafts, but the Packers will still have to wait patiently as many good footballers come off the board.
Ideally, a Hall of Fame talent would inexplicably fall to number 29, and the Packers would carry the card to the podium, get an immediate differentiator in a key position and then win the Super Bowl. This is an unlikely scenario. Unlikely or not, the Packers will have certain scenarios they hope will play out Thursday night of the draft in real time.
Here are some attractive scenarios for the Packers in the first round up close:
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The Packers have brought back Kevin King and Chandon Sullivan, to ensure that every starter from the secondary level is back in 2021, but it’s likely that no addition could improve Matt LaFleur’s team more than a corner kick of the starting caliber around King or Sullivan to not press. Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos are great, but King’s career was nothing, even if it was not consistent, and Sullivan is not a sure thing in the lock, a more important position in the NFL today. Playing on a talented cornerback who can play at a high level against Alexander or in the locker room could change the Packers’ defense in 2021 from good to tremendous. The cornerback class looks good at the top, but for the first time, the Packers will be available. round? An exchange if one of the top corners in the series falls makes sense.
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Like a cornerback, the offensive class is very strong at the top and is potentially deep enough to make a day 1 starter available at the end of the first round. Offensive approach is a need in the short and long term. Packers veteran Rick Wagner has been released. All-Pro David Bakhtiari is recovering from an ACL injury and may not be ready for week 1, and there is precious little depth behind Bakhtiari and Billy Turner. Getting a plug-and-play rookie and long-term starter could be a home link for a team that bounces in the NFC title game because it can’t protect its MVP fullback. Again, a trade-off for the right player makes sense. Offensive approach is an excellent position.
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The defensive line is one of the Packers’ biggest needs, despite having pro bowler Kenny Clark. It looks like Dean Lowry has survived the off-season cap season, Tyler Lancaster has returned with a one-year deal and Kingsley Keke is an emerging young player, but the talent level in the standings is lacking, both in terms of the run. stopping ability and transient disruption. Enter Christian Barmore, who is perhaps the only defensive linebacker worth drafting in the first round. The chances that he will fall to 29 seem slim. Perhaps a swap could be an option if Barmore, the most disruptive indoor defender in the class, falls within reach.
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The Packers are not taking a quarterback in the first round after trading for Jordan Love last April, but the right quarterback who falls into Green Bay’s series could help facilitate a valuable trade in the draft. It’s often a disappointing move for fans waiting all night for a first-round pick, but moving back – and raising draft capital in the mid-rounds – can be a strong move if a team likes the talent level of the top 100 players in the class. Any team that needs a quarterback and wants to secure the fifth-year option may be interested in moving up. Teams that pick late in the first round also may not have the players of the first round to pick, which necessitates moving down. It did not always work out for the Packers – look: to lower and miss TJ Watt in 2017, but no one will complain if Gutekunst can fill an extra need in the middle round by finishing off.
(AP Photo / Stacy Bengs)
The Packers have a clear long-term need at the receiver, and although the team has not taken one in the first round since 2002, this draft class could offer several potential opportunities at No. 29. This scenario will depend on how the Packers view the available receivers, and what kind of receiver the team wants. What if Rashod Bateman or Terrace Marshall are available? These can be great as complementary number 2 receivers. Would the Packers risk a chance at a non-traditional receiver like Kadarius Toney, Elijah Moore or Rondale Moore? All three could play an important and versatile role within Matt LaFleur’s plan.