Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst spoke with reporters on a conference call Monday afternoon, addressing the upcoming NFL draft and the process awaiting an all-virtual draft.
Here are six things to know from the call:
1. Confident in the process
All 32 NFL teams participated in a trial run of the virtual draft on Monday. Gutekunst said it went well save for a couple of early hiccups. After preparing through “trial and error” the last few weeks, he’s confident in his at-home setup and how his staff will come together to handle the entire process.
Monday’s mock draft provided a chance to work through more of the kinks.
“I thought (the trial draft) went pretty smooth. I think a lot of it was getting comfortable in how I was going to communicate, not only with the league and other teams, but also the guys,” Gutekunst said. “We got a lot of answers.”
The headquarters of the Packers’ draft will be within Gutekunst’s home. He said he had to move furniture into the garage to make room for the digital setup. He will have IT assistance and several lines of communication ready come Thursday.
2. Gutekunst wants to trade
The Packers could be active trade participants during the three days of the draft. Gutekunst doesn’t foresee the virtual draft hampering his ability to make deals, and he plans to be “aggressive,” using his 10 picks to maneuver around the board.
“I’d like to move around, and see if we can get to areas of the draft I think are strong,” Gutekunst said.
Gutekunst has traded up in both of his drafts, including three trades during the first round. The process of getting deals done during this draft might be changing, but the Packers are planning on being in constant communication with teams about potential deals and prepared to strike if the right deal comes along.
“We’ll be prepared to move up if need be, and we’ll be prepared to move down if that’s what’s best for us,” Gutekunst said.
3. Not buying the virtual pro days
Pro days and pre-draft visits can be an important part of the pre-draft process, mostly as a final chance to gather information on prospects. The on-going pandemic canceled pro days and in-person visits for most of the draft’s players. Gutekunst said he’s always relied more on the tape and wasn’t worried about missing certain bits of information.
Gutekunst also isn’t putting much stock in the virtual pro days being sent to teams and posted on social media. He is dubious about the validity of the numbers coming out of the workouts, many of which are edited to benefit the prospect.
4. Waiting on Tramon
The Packers will wait until after the draft to decide the future of cornerback Tramon Williams, who remains an unsigned free agent.
“We’re going to wait until after the draft and see where we’re at,” Gutekunst said. “If it fits once we get out of the draft, we’ll certainly make it happen if we can.”
If the Packers take a cornerback early in the draft, Williams might be done in Green Bay. If not, another reunion might make sense, especially after Williams played so well in the slot during the 2019 season. His immediate football future will gain much-needed clarity this week.
5. UDFA process
Gutekunst said the immediate post-draft process of signing undrafted free agents will change. Without everyone together, Gutekunst said he’ll delegate much of the process to the scouts, freeing them to pick and recruit priority free agents, starting right after the conclusion of the seventh round on Saturday.
6. Funchess physical
The Packers got through the entire acquisition process with linebacker Christian Kirksey and offensive tackle Rick Wagner before the restrictions of the coronavirus pandemic hit, but the same can’t be said for receiver Devin Funchess. Gutekunst said Funchess didn’t get a full physical completed with the team.
The Packers already announced the signing, and Funchess is listed on the roster on the team’s official site, so there is clearly a high confidence level in getting the whole thing done. It’s still worth noting, even though Gutekunst wasn’t worried about the process with Funchess. Deals can hit a snag if the full physical reveals an underlying issue.
– One final note: Gutekunst revealed that former GM Ted Thompson “really liked” quarterback Russell Wilson coming out of the 2012 draft.