The Packers have a total of 11 picks in the upcoming NFL Draft. Five of these picks are in the top 100. GM Brian Gutekunst has a lot of firepower to continue to shape the roster. During Gutekunst’s interview at the NFL Combine, he mentioned the possibility of using these draft selections to acquire new players. The Packers’ 11 draft picks provides plenty of flexibility to make a potential trade.
Typically, a trade is made to fill a void. Despite an uncharacteristic busy free agency period, the Packers have a few remaining, glaring holes to patch. Green Bay is lacking depth at the offensive line, linebacker, and defensive secondary positions. There is little doubt that Gutekunst will address these voids at some point. He can fill these voids with a trade and/or during the draft. With 11 total picks, why not explore trade options?
The Packers already have a very young roster. They got even younger in free agency with the additions of Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs. Adding 11 more rookies will make this young roster even younger. Now that David Bakhtiari and Aaron Jones are gone, the number of veterans in the locker room has dwindled. Acquiring a veteran would be smart to help show the younger players the ropes.
The Trade Risk & Reward for the Packers
In the past, Gutekunst has shown that he is not afraid to move around during the draft. He traded up to acquire Christian Watson. In 2018, he made two trades during the first round to ultimately draft Jaire Alexander. His willingness to make draft night trades always keeps things interesting. It would be an intriguing move to agree to a trade for a veteran right before or during the draft.
The risk with trading draft capital is the potential that the player who is acquired could not pan out. This results in a bad acquisition and a wasted draft pick. However, the reward is very intriguing. Trading a day three pick for a player that can immediately step in and fill the hole in the LB or OL room is worth the risk.
Gutekunst certainly does not have to make a move that he does not love. However, with so much young talent that is far from a finished product, adding pieces that can step in right away makes sense. The Packers Super Bowl window is beginning to open. It is time for Gutekunst to be aggressive. He did that in free agency but the roster is not complete. Hopefully, the right player players become available. If so, keep on eye out for the Packers in the trade market.
