The Green Bay Packers are just days away from being on the clock with the 15th overall pick — maybe — so to kickoff draft week, I answered a number of your questions.
This is an interesting draft for the Packers. On the one hand, they are in the midst of a transition as they move to Jordan Love as the quarterback and don’t have the usual Super Bowl expectations surrounding them. On the other, in order to best evaluate Love and whether or not he can be the guy moving forward, Brian Gutekunst also needs to put a strong team around him. The draft is always about balancing the present with the future, but that feels particularly true for the Packers this year.
In this mailbag article, we covered a variety of topics, from draft day trades to under-the-radar prospects to free agency and so much more. Let’s dive in.
Why aren’t we talking more about RBs? Dillion is in the last year of his contract, and Jones, with his cap number, might be gone as well. Who would be a good fit for the Packers? – Erik
Taking a running back is very much in play for the Packers. In fact, I almost expect it. As Erik mentions, Dillon is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and Jones comes with a cap hit of $17.17 million next season, according to Over the Cap. It’s also worth noting that prior to the Packers taking Dillon in the 2020 draft, Matt LaFleur mentioned the value in having a third running back on the roster that can be leaned on. As far as fits go, the Packers typically prefer running backs with bigger frames, and being able to hold up in pass protection while also making plays in the passing game are important. Both Dan Brugler of The Athletic and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com have mentioned that the depth of this running back class is in the middle rounds, right where presumably the Packers would be looking. A few names to know are Evan Hull, Tyjae Spears, Chase Brown, and Israel Abanikanda.
Do you think we’ll see a big trade this year, like with Watson last year? – @An5fer
My guess is no. If anything, the Packers will be trading down, not up. Typically teams who are trading up are either doing so for a quarterback or are trying to get a key player to complete their roster. The Packers are neither. Green Bay, of course, wants to win, but they are in a transition period as well. Their salary cap situation in 2024 will still be tight, so they need as many inexpensive rookie deals on the books as they can get while trading up will leave them with less draft capital. The Packers also have several needs to be filled, including a few positions where they could spend multiple draft picks. Finally, the strengths of this draft class align fairly well with the Packers’ needs. If they were to trade down from pick 15, there would still be plenty of options later in Round 1 and into Day 2 at receiver, edge rusher, tight end, and interior defensive lineman.
If the Packers traded down, what position would they look to target? – Randy Nelson
If they do so in Round 1, I think they can target whichever position they want, really emphasizing the best player available. In a recent article, I went into greater detail on why I think that is the case, but to be brief, it’s because, at key positions of need, such as edge rusher, receiver, tight end, and interior defensive lineman, there will be a lot of good options on Day 2. So not to balk at the question, but I could see them taking just about any position, including offensive tackle and cornerback.
Which Tight End Type do you expect? Move TE or In-line TE? – @KalleXY
Both. With the current state of the tight end room, the Packers need to fill a variety of roles. The traditional in-line tight end plays an important role in Matt LaFleur’s offense, but they were also lacking playmaking at the position last season, an element that many playoff teams had. I’ve discussed this before, but ideally, the Packers find someone who is capable as both a receiver and a blocker. Given the very defined skill sets that each member of the 2022 tight end room had, there was some predictability. However, having a prospect who can impact both areas will allow LaFleur to better achieve the illusion of complexity he talks about, which in short, helps keep defenses off-balance and guessing. The good news is that this draft class is loaded, and the Packers should spend at least two – if not three – picks on the position.
Darnell Washington, no matter what. – Patrick Stumpf
I can’t say that I disagree. Out of all the tight ends in a very deep draft class, Washington may have the highest ceiling, but he also comes with a fairly high floor as well with his ability as a blocker. Right away, he should impact the Green Bay run game and be a red zone target for Love. Over time, he has the athleticism to develop into a dynamic pass catcher, which we caught a glimpse of at Georgia after he averaged over 16 yards per catch in 2022 while ranking as one of the better tight ends in picking up YAC. Washington spent about one-third of his snaps lined up in the slot.
Are any free agents still out there the Packers might target post-draft? – In the Mood for Love
There are three positions that I could see the Packers targeting after the draft. The interior defensive line, tight end, and receiver. There are only five interior defensive linemen on the roster currently, so depending on how the draft goes, the Packers may have to add someone to simply build out the depth. At tight end, most rookies do not contribute significantly, so having a veteran to lean on through those ups and downs would be valuable. Similarly, at receiver, this is a very young room, with Romeo Doubs and his 529 career snaps being the most on the team. Again, there’s value in having a veteran presence. As we all know, the Packers won’t have much spending power, but a few names at each position that make sense are Jarvis Landry, Marcedes Lewis, and Chris Wormley. Past success is not indicative of future results, but Brian Gutekunst has been very good at finding key contributors well into the summer.
With Love taking over, how do you see the offensive gamelan changing, and how might that influence the draft? In the Mood for Love
One potential change I wrote about at Packers Wire was that we would see more motion with Love under center, which would increase the value that a gadget-type player would bring to this offense. The Packers have tried to fill that role here and there but have never fully committed to it, either. Putting the ball into the hands of a dynamic presence would create some big-play opportunities, but it will also help create for others, both in the run game and the passing games. All of this should help make things a bit easier on Love as well. Perhaps Bo Melton, who is already on the roster, could fill this role, or in the draft, Deuce Vaughn, Keaton Mitchell, and Malik Flowers are other candidates.
Do you have a favorite player? Even if it’s like a 4th-5th rounder. – Chris Karlecke
I really like Oklahoma State safety Jason Taylor II. He’s a good athlete and fills the specific need at safety that the Packers have by primarily playing in the box or as a free safety. Taylor has been a willing and capable run defender. He’s displayed excellent ball skills with six interceptions and four pass breakups in 2022 and has special teams experience. As a Day 3 pick, the expectations won’t be that he will start right away, but I would bet on his potential.
Who in this class is an underrated fit for the Packers? – Brian Maafi
Edge rusher Isaiah Foskey from Norte Dame. Now, I know this isn’t an under-the-radar name, as most will be familiar with Foskey, but I chose him for this question because I don’t believe he is getting enough attention when it comes to being on the Packers’ radar. He absolutely screams Green Bay Packer. Foskey has the bigger frame that the Packers covet at 6’5″ – 264 pounds and is an elite athlete posting a RAS of 9.61. He was able to impact both the run and passing games while also having over 300 career snaps on special teams, including four blocked punts. Foskey will immediately be a key member of the Packers’ edge rusher rotation.