The Green Bay Packers just had one of the most interesting starts to a new league year in recent memory.
They parted ways with two beloved veterans in Aaron Jones and David Bakhtiari. They also signed two impact players who were arguably the best free agents at their respective positions in Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney.
In making the moves that they did, the Packers filled two of the biggest holes in their roster. The hole at running back was of course self-inflicted, but nonetheless, they improved at the position. Safety was the biggest question mark in Defensive Coordinator Jeff Hafley’s new scheme, and with the addition of an actual elite game changer at the safety position he has no excuse not to field a competent defense. The Packers have no glaring “need” to fill a starting roster spot besides maybe linebacker.
So what’s the point that I’m getting at? Well, the Packers finally had a good reason to go after the one guy that everyone wanted. Filling the biggest position of need wasn’t the only reason they wanted McKinney, it was also because they needed to give Hafley the tools necessary to succeed.
So What Now?
Now Brian Gutekunst and the front office have an opportunity to do quite literally whatever they feel like in the draft. We can be sure that we’ll see the Packers select at least two offensive linemen and perhaps a linebacker, but beyond that it really is fully up their draft board.
If there’s a wide receiver prospect they really like, they can go for it. If there’s a defensive tackle who can learn under Kenny Clark, great! The point is, they have now allowed themselves the flexibility to have a draft that focuses almost solely on acquiring players who can sit and develop for the future, rather than needing to force a bunch of rookies to take the field like last year.
The sky really is the limit for this Packers team, and the addition of Xavier McKinney feels a lot like the opening of a window. There’s a new franchise quarterback in town, and now more than ever it feels like he has a strong team around him; on both sides of the ball.
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Zack is a college student and cheesehead from California. When he’s not in class or writing, you can find him talking about the Packers on Twitter at @Zack_Upchurch.
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