With the draft around two weeks away, the rumors are growing as to whom the Green Bay Packers could potentially take with their 14th pick in the first round. Most takes hold defensive connotations to them, but the possibilities are endless for Brian Gutekunst and company.
In the past, the Packers have traded down out of the first round to accumulate more selections, which have produced mixed reactions. 2009 was the exception when defensive stalwarts Clay Matthews and B.J. Raji were both selected after the team traded back into the first with the New England Patriots and took Matthews with the 26th pick.
In this year’s draft, defensive playmakers line the first round, both in the backfield and front seven. Green Bay needs help in the defensive back position, where prospects like Denzel Ward and Minkah Fitzpatrick both could add flexible positional matchups but are being projected to be gone top 10 at the latest.
In order to guarantee Green Bay gets one of the best rated defensive prospects in the draft, they will need to move up in the first round to grab their new star.
To do this, they will need to gauge the market for what it would take to move up. Potential places include Denver at five, Tampa Bay at seven and Oakland at 10 that the Packers should look into to move up.
Denver’s pick would naturally require the most return, so the Broncos would need a big package in order to move down from five. The 14th selection will need to be paired with at least two or three of the following picks: a third (76th), a fourth (101st or 133rd) and a fifth rounder (138th, 172nd or 174th).
The 101st and 138th picks are the first in their respective rounds, which could help sweeten the pot for Green Bay. If the two teams were to come together for a deal, this is what it could be focused around.
Green Bay acquires: 5th overall and a 2019 sixth rounder
Denver acquires: 14th overall, 101st, 174th and a 2019 conditional 3rd rounder
While just looking at the layout it seems like that is a lot to give up, the trades that have already occurred to move up in the first set the tone for what Green Bay may need to do now.
At the team’s disposal at five would be the best defensive playmakers, all of which would have huge impacts in their rookie campaigns. Besides Ward and Fitzpatrick, edge rushing stud Bradley Chubb and safety extraordinaire Derwin James would become the best defensive additions since the 2009 draft.
Any defensive additions would be a good first step in helping bring Green Bay back to what they are supposed to be, and any of those prospects would help in that regard.
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Mike Johrendt has been an avid fan of the Packers ever since he can remember. He is now a writer at PackersTalk and you can follow him on Twitter at @MJohrendt23
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