Winning 13 games in 2020 means the Green Bay Packers will have a lot to look forward to during the first round of the 2021 NFL draft. General manager Brian Gutekunst could always change, as he has done in three straight drafts, but the Packers will have to to wait patiently as many very good football players leave the board.
Ideally, a Hall of Fame talent would inexplicably drop to No. 29 and the Packers would go on the podium with the letter, get an immediate differential in a major position, and then win the Super Bowl. It is an unlikely scenario. It’s unlikely or not, the Packers will have certain scenarios that they hope can be played in real time on Thursday night in the draft.
Here are some attractive scenarios for the Packers in the first round:
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The Packers picked up Kevin King and Chandon Sullivan, ensuring all high school starters returned in 2021, but certainly no addition could improve Matt LaFleur’s team more than a front-line corner to push King or Sullivan. Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos are fantastic, but King’s career has been nothing but inconsistent and Sullivan is not a sure thing in the slot, an increasingly important position in the current NFL. Hitting a talented winger capable of playing at a high level against Alexander or in the slot could turn the Packers ’defense from good to big in 2021. The winger class looks fantastic at the top, but will be available for the Packers the first round? It makes sense to change if one of the top corners is within range.
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Like the corner, the offensive attack class is strong at the top, and is potentially deep enough for a first-day starter to be available for the Packers at the end of the first round. An offensive attack is needed, both in the short and long term. The Packers released veteran Rick Wagner David Bakhtiari, an All-Pro, who is recovering from an ACL injury and may not be ready for Week 1, and there is little depth coming back from Bakhtiari and Billy Turner. Getting a rookie plug-and-play and a long-term starter on the right can be a home scenario for a team that has bounced back in the NFC title game because it couldn’t protect its quarterback MVP. Again, a change makes sense for the right player. Offensive attack is a premium position.
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The defensive line is one of the packers ’biggest needs despite having Pro Bowler Kenny Clark. Dean Lowry seems to have survived the low season low season, Tyler Lancaster returned with a one-year contract and Kingsley Keke is a rising young player, but lacks the level of talent within the group of positions, both for makes to the race. ability to stop and interrupt in a hurry. Enter Christian Barmore, who could be the only inside defensive line player worth drafting in the first round. The chances of it going down to 29 are slim. Perhaps a change could be an option if Barmore, the most disturbing home defender in the class, falls within his reach.
AP Photo / Mike Roemer
The Packers don’t take any quarterback in the first round after being traded to Jordan Love last April, but the right-handed quarterback who falls in the Green Bay range could help facilitate a valuable draft pick. It’s often a disappointing move for fans who wait all night to pick the first round, but backing down – and accumulating draft capital in the middle rounds – can be a strong move if a team likes the top 100 talent level. class players. Any team that needs a quarterback and wants to get the fifth-year option may be interested in moving up. Also, teams that pick late in the first round can often run out of first-round players to choose from, which necessitates the desire to go down. It hasn’t always worked for the Packers (see: Negotiate and lose TJ Watt in 2017), but no one will complain if Gutekunst can make up for an additional need in the middle rounds by negotiating.
(AP Photo / Stacy Bengs)
The Packers have a clear long-term need for a receiver, and while the team hasn’t caught on to the first round since 2002, this draft class may offer several potential opportunities at No. 29. This scenario will depend on the way you see the Packers. the available receivers and what type of receiver the computer wants. What if Rashod Bateman or Terrace Marshall are available? They could be fantastic accessories as complementary receivers no. 2. Would the Packers risk 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 scheme.