Brian Gutekunst’s four years of draft history as Green Bay Packers general manager has provided a few clues in the first round: He prefers young and elite athletes, and he’s not afraid to trade up to get a player.
In a new mock draft from Chad Reuter of NFL.com, the Packers checked both boxes with a reasonable trade-up scenario from No. 28 to No. 21, ensuring the team got help at both edge rusher and wide receiver. In the mock, Reuter had the Packers move up seven spots in a trade with the New England Patriots and then take Purdue edge rusher George Karlaftis and Ohio State receiver Chris Olave with back-to-back picks at No. 21 and No. 22.
The cost of the move was a third-round pick and fourth-round pick.
The trade and picks fit Gutekunst perfectly. In three of his four drafts, he traded up in the first round to get a player (Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage, Jordan Love), so spending mid-round picks to go up seven slots is right in his wheelhouse. Karlaftis could be a likely target in such a scenario, given the fact that he’s 21 years old, has a Relative Athletic Score over 9.0 and plays a position of need. Getting Karlaftis could give the Packers another talented young player to develop at edge rusher behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.
Olave is another strong possibility. The Ohio State star is still only 21 years old and would instantly give the Packers a wide receiver capable of contributing next season. It’s no secret; receiver is the team’s biggest draft need. Olave, with an abundance of speed and elite route-running ability, has the tools necessary for becoming a top target for Aaron Rodgers right away in 2022.
Trading up to No. 21 makes sense in this scenario because it both gives the Packers a chance to get a top player they want without waiting and prevents a team from jumping them and taking a wide receiver, so don’t be surprised if there is dialogue between the Packers and Patriots come Thursday night of the draft.
In Round 2 of Reuter’s mock, the Packers snagged Western Michigan receiver Skyy Moore (No. 53) and Washington State offensive tackle Abraham Lucas (No. 59), providing more help for the offense. The team’s third-round pick (No. 92) and first fourth-round pick (No. 132) were sent to New England in the trade up. The Packers got Florida defensive lineman Zach Carter at No. 140 in the fourth round.
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