While general manager Brian Gutekunst has reintroduced the art of trading up in the past few NFL drafts he has been overseeing, the mantra that the Green Bay Packers have typically lived by ever since the Ron Wolf days involved consistently trading back in drafts. And while that kind of strategy has netted the Pack with the kind of flexibility to be able to move around the board for the likes of Jaire Alexander and Darnell Savage, among others, capitalizing on any incoming offers is key.
Situated at the 29th overall selection in this year’s draft means that if Green Bay were to move back, in all likelihood they would end up moving back out of the first round, unless the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs or Tampa Bay Buccaneers felt that it was imperative to move up those one/two slots to get their guy.
With the potential to move back and collect extra Day 2/3 capital, here is a look at a few potential move-back options for the Packers.
Jacksonville Jaguars
2nd round selections – 33rd & 45th overall (1st & 13th selections, 2nd round)
First up are the Jacksonville Jaguars, who hold the 1st & 13th selections in the second round after going 1st & 25th overall in the first round. With generational quarterback Trevor Lawrence going first overall, the Jaguars will have to use their 10-pick allotment to their advantage if they want to become competitive again in the AFC South.
At the end of the first round, the Jaguars could be looking to scoop up a falling offensive lineman defensive secondary piece, and if Green Bay’s board falls just right where they still have four-plus guys they would feel comfortable taking, then moving back four spots would make sense.
In a likely deal, GB would slide back four spots to 33rd overall, likely picking up JAX’s 3rd (65th overall) and one of their two fifth-round selections (either 145th or 170th) in return for the 29th pick. This extra capital would help Green Bay move up from their original second-round pick at 62 to grab another top player.
Miami Dolphins
36th & 50th overall (4th & 18th selections, 2nd round)
Holding two selections in both the first and second rounds, the Miami Dolphins have an incredibly important draft that they need to nail if they want to push the Bills in the AFC East. By picking 6th (after moving down and then back up after the deals with SF and PHI) and 18th, the Dolphins put themselves in great positions to address big holes, and moving back into the end of the first round for a third selection would do that as well.
Holding the fourth selection in the second round, the Dolphins would be able to pair that with their third-rounder (81st) and their lone fifth-round selection (156), plus probably a seventh, seeing as how MIA has no fourth or sixth rounders to give out.
The mid-30’s still puts Green Bay in prime range to take an offensive lineman (Landon Dickerson, Dillon Radunz) or even a wideout (Elijah Moore, Kadarius Toney, Dyami Brown), while also giving them capital to move around the board later, combined with their plethora of Day 3 selections.
Carolina Panthers
39th overall (7th selection, 2nd round)
With just having acquired QB Sam Darnold from the New York Jets, the Carolina Panthers have a sense of urgency, and head coach Matt Rhule has helped shape the roster to his liking, and this year’s draft could present another chance for that to happen. With CAR likely targeting offensive upgrades in the draft, Green Bay would be a smart destination to move up to.
Holding the 8th selection in the first round, the Panthers also have the 39th selection (2nd) and 73rd selection (3rd) this year, two picks that would likely end up with Green Bay, plus a fifth-rounder and potentially more to move back 10 slots. Carolina, if they did not grab an OL with their first selection, would likely be targeting one if they moved back up into the first round, taking a player off of GB’s board.
Never knowing what GB will do when the draft comes around makes it that much more interesting – and with Gutekunst’s affinity to jump around the board, expect another year of uncertainties.
뿓뿓뿓
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
뿓뿓뿓
1 response to “Potential trade-down options for the Green Bay Packers”