Tag: Brian Gutekunst

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst talks first-round pick Jordan Morgan

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst talked for 12 minutes about first-round pick Jordan Morgan on Thursday night.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst answered questions for almost 12 minutes after selecting Arizona offensive lineman Jordan Morgan in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft on Thursday night.

Here’s some of what Gutekunst said about Morgan:

— “Versatile offensive lineman like we like. Really athletic. We feel he can play four positions for us. Two-time team captain. Our kind of guy.”

— “I think he can play all four spots (both tackle spots, both guard spots).”

— “He’s a really smart kid…we expect he’ll be a quick learner.”

— “Left tackle feet. Very athletic kid. Really sturdy strong lower body. Did 27 reps on the bench press, so he’s a really strong athlete. When you move inside, things move a little quicker and handle a little more power, and he’s certainly shown an ability to do that.”

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— Morgan tore his ACL to end the 2022 season. “It was remarkable how well he played early in the season coming off of it (injury). He kept getting better and better, so that gave us a lot of confidence about where he’s headed.”

— “The longer the better, but we’ve had a bunch of guys who have played outside without prototypical arm length and been fine. What makes up for it is usually feet and athleticism, and that’s what Jordan has.”

— Gutekunst admitted he considered moving around in the first round but the board held up strong. Considered moving down but couldn’t pass on Morgan. “I wanted to make sure we secured the player. I didn’t feel great about where we were going to move to and how the board might fall.”

— Gutekunst said offensive tackle is a “premium position” and there are only so many good big guys in a draft.

— Hard decision? “Where we had him valued, this was a pretty easy decision for us.”

— On Morgan’s strong character: “Two-time team captain. The way the people at Arizona speak of him. The right kind of guy for our locker room, I think he’ll fit in great. Whenever you’re picking this high, that gives you a comfort level. Whatever his ultimate potential is, he’s got the work ethic to get there.”

— “When you can protect your quarterback, particularly one like we have, you have a chance to win the football game.”

— “We needed to add some things to that (offensive line) group, and Jordan just fit us.”

— “I like our group of corners, but you’re always looking for corners as well…there’s some good corners in this draft. We’ll see how it shakes out over the next two days.”

— On versatility along the offensive line: “Having guys who can play multiple spots that are athletic enough to do it and strong enough to do it and smart enough to do it, it gives you a lot of comfort.”

— On Friday night (Packers have four picks): “We’re all eager to get back…the board has held up pretty well, so we feel good going into tomorrow.”

— Gutekunst said he’ll “explore some opportunities” in terms of moving up during Day 2.

— “He was solid the last few years of tape we watched…One of his strong attributes is pass blocking in space. He’s had enough competition out west to show us what we need. He did a nice job at the Senior Bowl too.”

— Gutekunst said he had a couple of players he would have traded up for had they fallen down the board, but they didn’t. Became obvious early that the Packers were going to either stay put or trade back.

Highlights from Brian Gutekunst’s pre-draft press conference

What to know from Brian Gutekunst’s pre-2024 NFL draft press conference on Monday.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst answered questions for 30 minutes ahead of the 2024 NFL draft on Monday.

Here are some highlights from Gutekunst’s pre-draft presser:

— On top 30 visits: Admits some subterfuge. “It’s about answering a question we don’t have an answer to.” Can be medical info. Football questions, off-field questions, getting to know a player. Calls the visits “really valuable.”

— Draft board is mostly set. Might have a final meeting Monday night.

— Stressful during the draft? Maybe not. Most of the work has been done, so decisions aren’t super difficult when they get on the clock. “Pretty boring” in the draft room, he says.

— More draft picks are always better. “More at-bats, more chances at hits.” Wants as much competition in every room to create growth for the team. “We have 11 now, but I’d love to have 13-14 or more.”

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— A lot of the work on trades, especially in the first round, are done pre-draft. Conversations with other teams on-going throughout Friday and Saturday.

— On having five picks in the top 100: “I think we’re in a pretty good space to move or just sit and pick.”

— On Andre Dillard: Likes the first-round pedigree, talent, starting experience. Packers lost depth along the offensive line, he’s hoping Dillard can compete for a spot.

— On Day 3 offensive line: Says Ted Thompson was “really good” at finding great linemen on Day 3. Points to athletic traits, mentality, play style as characteristics they look for.

— On raw athleticism in the draft: “Certain athletic traits, you have to have.” Says prospects with better athleticism have “higher ceilings” and improvement potential, lacking athleticism in some areas creates a lower ceiling, in general.

— On versatility: “We’re looking for well-rounded guys who can fit in any scheme and play multiple positions.”

— On Greg Joseph: “Competition.” Packers wanted competition at kicker, a “critical” position for the Packers in 2024 and beyond.

— Gutekunst on Cooper DeJean playing corner or safety: “He can do both. He’s very versatile that way.”

— Gutekunst notes that only 1.6 players per draft class re-sign with their teams across the NFL.

— Do the Packers have an edge in scouting? Gutekunst says the team has a long-standing process and a lot of people who have grown up within the process.

— Gutekunst: “The draft is the lifeblood of the organization…this is extremely important.”

— Gutekunst said he never feels like his team is a “couple of pieces away.”

— Gutekunst reiterated how important versatility is along the offensive line. Packers have had great success with guys who can play tackle and guard.

— Huge importance in making sure the board is valued right. “You have to be careful of falling in love with individual players.”

— Notes that during the 2023 draft, the Packers were comfortable taking Tucker Kraft in the second round after trading down (ended up getting Jayden Reed) and were surprised he was still available in the third round.

— On Jaire Alexander at the offseason workout program: “Everybody was eager to get back…he seems to be in a great space right now.”

— “At the end of the day, you have to be able to play the game.” Said the tape is always the best predictor of future success. Big part of the process is trying to project a college player into the pro game.

— Gutekunst said he wants to find an “interchangeable” safety to pair with Xavier McKinney. Play nickel, deep. Must be able to do it all.

— Gutekunst said he got to five or six pro days this year. Used to do 30 or more as an area scout. Valuable to him to see a prospect in their own comfortable environment. “I wish I could do more.”

— Would he give up a top 100 pick to move up in the first round? Only for a player that they wouldn’t normally have a chance to get most years in the draft.

— Gutekunst said analytics are “growing” inside the draft process. Helps support decision-making process. More data to use on the draft.

— On Brazil: Going to be some challenges, but he’s excited. Away game on a neutral field. Expecting home game in Week 2 for more recovery coming back. “Our players are excited.” Better than playing in Philadelphia.

Additions still needed but Packers seem comfortable with LB position

The Packers still have to add to linebacker but Brian Gutekunst feels better about the current state of that position group.

Linebacker is still a need that the Green Bay Packers have to address, but GM Brian Gutekunst is more comfortable now with where that position group is at than he was at the NFL Combine.

The linebacker position is currently made up of Quay Walker and Isaiah McDuffie. As I wrote about recently, it’s looking like McDuffie is going to play a very large role for the defense this upcoming season.

McDuffie played over 500 snaps last season, and was particularly sound as a tackler and against the run—not to mention that McDuffie played his final college season with Jeff Hafley as his head coach. Free agent options are also running very low and the draft class overall at the linebacker position is so-so.

The Packers would re-sign Eric Wilson, who has played almost 2,300 career defensive snaps and saw playing time last season on obvious passing downs. Kristian Welch, a core special teams contributor, was re-signed as well.

“I feel really good about Isaiah,” said Gutekunst at the NFL Owners’ Meetings. “We obviously signed Eric Wilson back. We signed Kristian Welch back. Two guys who were here last year and played a lot on teams. Eric’s got some history playing linebacker in this league.

“So I feel much better now. But again, we’ll add, whether it’s the draft or later on in free agency, I’m sure we’ll add to that competition in that room. But I do feel better about it today then when I spoke with you guys last.”

More depth at the linebacker position is something that is going to be needed. At the NFL Combine, Gutekunst mentioned that in shifting to a 4-3 defense, while he didn’t expect a big change personnel-wise, he did anticipate needing more bodies, both to get through training camp and in building out the 53-man roster and practice squad.

On paper, it’s easy to make a case that linebacker remains a major need for the Packers. And while I don’t doubt that, to a degree, Gutekunst feels that way as well, it also seems that, on the inside, there isn’t as much of a concern about the current makeup of this group.

The new Hafley defense should really benefit Walker and his skill set, especially with Hafley making it clear that his intention is to put Walker in positions to make plays. As alluded to, McDuffie proved to be a capable starter last season, and although the Packers’ new “base” defense will be a 4-3, they will still primarily be playing out of nickel, which requires only two inside linebackers.

On top of all that, with salary cap flexibility, not that the Packers would deviate from their free agency evaluations and what they feel is an appropriate contract, but one would think they would have acted with a bit more urgency in addressing the need if they felt there was a major hole on the roster there.

“All three of those linebackers are pretty interchangeable in my mind,” said Gutekunst. “You know, that extra linebacker, it’ll be interesting how we go about it this year, but he’s only on the field 15 percent of the time or less of the time. I think the most a team utilized that was close to 20 percent, so it’s not a lot. All three of those guys, I don’t know if there’s a whole lot of different skill set. They’ve got to be able to do everything we’re asking them to do from an instinctual, in the run game and pass game.”

As the roster is constructed at the moment, Walker would likely slot in as the weak-side linebacker when in base, with McDuffie in the middle. The strong-side linebacker role is still up in the air, but as Gutekunst goes about continuing to build out this position group, he’s focused more on finding interchangable skill sets, rather than trying to fill a specific role.

“Quite frankly for me,” added Gutekunst, “and I’ve talked about this a lot, you’ve got to be very careful pigeonholing guys in positions that can only do certain skill sets. We have so many injuries in this game that he may be the strong-side linebacker today but he may be starting at Will or Mike for five or six games, he’s got to be able to do all of that. So from a personnel man’s perspective, I want those guys as versatile as can be so that when those things do pop up we don’t have to change the way we play.”

With few options remaining in free agency, we probably won’t see the Packers make any more additions in that capacity until after the draft, and only if Gutekunst feels that linebacker is still a need at that time.

As far as the draft goes, PFF has five linebackers ranked in the top 100, this includes Payton Wilson, Edgerrin Cooper, Junior Colson, Jeremiah Trotter, and Marist Liufau. North Carolina’s Cedric Gray is another name to know. In terms of potential impact, this is where the biggest potential upgrade will come for the Packers, but very likely only in a rotational role.

On two occasions this offseason Gutekunst has brought up the idea of using the surplus of draft capital that they have to make a trade for a veteran. While he never specifically said for a linebacker, that of course is a position that makes sense to add to, but again, options are likely very limited, or maybe even non-existent.

Perhaps because of the circumstance that the Packers find themselves in, Gutekunst has no choice but to be okay with where they stand at linebacker. But, my guess is that in a defense that will still predominantly have two linebackers on the field, the Packers are comfortable with Walker and McDuffie as their starters, along with Wilson and a rookie as their depth.

”To me, inside backers are inside backers,” said Gutekunst. “Certainly they will be asked to do slightly different things but a lot of that is crossover. Either they’re going to have to play off the ball, defeat blocks, and go make tackles and they’re going to have to cover guys out of the backfield. But at the same time the majority of the time we are going to be in nickel. That’s really your base defense now is nickel. Base has become a sub-package.”

Packers prefer to turn to draft to address remaining needs at safety

Even with some impact free agents still available at safety, it sounds like the Packers would prefer to address that need through the draft.

The Green Bay Packers still need to add to their safety position, but even with a few big-name free agents still available, it sounds like GM Brian Gutekunst is planning on addressing the need in the draft for now.

“Certainly, I think we’d always prefer a young guy that’s always going to have his best football ahead of him,” said Gutekunst at the NFL’s Annual Meeting. “But we will look at all options as we go forward. Certainly, with the draft coming up, which is important, we’ve had some success finding guys after the draft in the free-agent market that have fit us very well.

“I’ve spoken to you guys in the past about how this never stops, so we’ll continue to look at ways to add to our football team. Kind of keeping this year and the years to the future in mind.”

Free agency has just about come to a halt at this point, but there are still several players available at the safety position who could step in and make an immediate impact.

On PFF’s list of available free agents, Justin Simmons is listed as the best remaining player, regardless of position. Julian Blackmon is ranked ninth. Also unsigned are Tashaun Gipson, Micah Hyde, Jayron Kearse, and Rudy Ford, who makes sense to bring back.

The Packers do still have operating room when it comes to the salary cap. According to Ken Ingalls, who independently tracks the Packers’ cap situation, when factoring in incoming expenses, such as signing the draft, class, the practice squad, and having in-season reserves, among other costs, the Packers’ effective cap space is $13.57 million.

However, every deal made today has future salary cap implications. And while the Packers’ have the ability to make another fairly significant addition at safety, from the sounds of it, Gutekunst wants to see how the draft unfolds first.

“You can do whatever you’d like,” said Gutekunst when it comes to spending. “It’s just there’s going to be consequences to that, not only within this year but in future years. I feel really good about our roster right now. Our numbers are higher than they usually are going into this time.

“Certainly, we’ve got a number of players who are entering the prime of their careers, so I feel really good about it. But at the same time, if there becomes a player that fits what we are looking for, not only as a player but financially as well, then we’ll consider it. We can do that, but I do think there are ramifications to that.”

With Xavier McKinney able to provide the most value to this defense as a post-safety, adding a box safety to the mix, especially in a Jeff Hafley defense that will utilize more Cover-1, would be a nice complement to McKinney’s skill set.

But with that said, the priority for Gutekunst is going to be versatility. He mentioned at the NFL Combine that he wants the two safety positions and the nickel to be “interchangeable.”

On Daniel Jereamiah’s big board, he didn’t have any safeties ranked in his top 50 overall prospects. Below is how PFF sees the top-10 of the safety class shaking out:

25. Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
48. Javon Bullard, Georgia
61. Jaden Hicks, Washington State
87. Kamren Kinchens, Miami
97. Calen Bullock, USC
99. Dadrion Taylor-Demerson
101. Sione Vaki, Utah
117. Tykee Smith, Georgia
118. Cole Bishop, Utah
159. Beau Brade, Maryland

“I think it’s a pretty good safety class this year,” said Gutekunst. “The draft is unpredictable. It’s how these things fall, whether it comes to you, but it’s a pretty good safety class. But I don’t think going into the draft is anything you can count on just because you never know how it’s going to fall.”

As Gutekunst alluded to, depending on how the draft goes, we could see the Packers active in the free agent safety market if they feel that they need to raise the floor of the position group and add some competition with a veteran. Recent post-draft signings who came in and made an impact include De’Vondre Campbell, Dennis Kelly, and Jonathan Owens.

Even with the addition of McKinney, safety remains a top need for the Packers. The only other players on the roster are Anthony Johnson, a second-year seventh-round pick. Benny Sapp and Zayne Anders, two special teams players if on the roster, and Tyler Coyle, who was signed to a futures deal in January.

Packers edge rusher Brenton Cox Jr. ‘ready for his opportunity’ in Year 2

Edge rusher depth is a sneaky need for the Packers, but the Year 2 emergence of Brenton Cox will help alleviate that potential issue.

Edge rusher depth is an under-the-radar need for the Green Bay Packers, but a jump from Brenton Cox Jr. in his second season can alleviate that potential issue.

While at the top of the depth chart the Packers do have Preston Smith, Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness, this is a heavily rotated position with four and sometimes even five players seeing snaps each week.

Beyond those three, Kinglsey Enagbare is recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in the playoff game against Dallas. A timetable for his return his still unknown.

So, going off of last year’s roster, that would put Cox as the next player in line to potentially take those snaps. Other edge rushers on the current roster are Keshawn Banks and Arron Mosby, both of whom spent 2023 on the Packers’ practice squad.

“I feel like any player should be more ready after Year 1 going into Year 2,” said Brian Gutekunst on Monday when asked about Cox. “He had a really good training camp where he flashed a lot. And really, we stayed fairly healthy in that group most of the year, which really prevented some of those younger guys from getting on the field because we had a few of them that we were very excited about, and sometimes that’s the way it goes.”

Cox was signed following the 2023 NFL Draft as an undrafted rookie out of Florida. As Gutekunst mentioned, Cox would flash during training camp fairly often and made the initial 53-man roster as a result. The 2023 season ended up being more of a red-shirt year for Cox, as he was inactive in all but three games.

Cox would play just five total defensive snaps against New Orleans, Denver, and Detroit in Week 12. He did not total any pressures or tackles.

Cox is at his best when he can get after the quarterback. However, run defense and contributing on special teams are two areas where he will have to become more consistent if he’s going to see regular playing time.

If you recall, with Enagbare out for the NFC Divisional round against San Francisco, the Packers elevated Banks from the practice squad so he could help on special teams while Cox remained inactive.

“I think he’s got a bright future,” said Gutekunst about Cox. “He’s shown through college and his time with us that he can rush the passer. He’s got a lot of physical traits that we are looking for. I think he will be ready for his opportunity when it comes.”

In building out the edge rusher position, Gutekunst has always preferred bigger-bodied defenders. Gary is listed at 277 pounds, Van Ness at 272, Smith at 265, and Enagbare at 258.

As the Packers transition to a 4-3 defense under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, if we look at other 4-3 defenses who will operate a similar style defense as the Packers, such as the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers, they’ve shown a willingness to go smaller at the edge position.

However, as the Packers look to potentially add to their edge rusher room in the draft, while Gutekunst won’t rule anything out as there are benefits to having a lighter presence at the position, preferably, that isn’t a change he wants to make.

“I prefer bigger guys on the edge,” said Gutekunst, “but at the same time, if they have a skill-set that can work, some of those 240-250 guys, maybe it will help on special teams more than a 270 guy can.

“So I think it just depends on the player. What I don’t want to do is get small. I think we’ve seen some of these 4-3 teams, the way they play, particularly in some of the sub-packages where they may move ends inside, they can get small in a hurry, and I don’t want that to happen. Certainly, it will be something we focus on as we move forward.”

Regardless of the defensive scheme, the name of the game is getting after the quarterback. While Hafley has shown in his time at Boston College very much a willingness to blitz on third downs, he has relied fairly heavily on his defensive front to create the havoc on early downs by winning their one-on-one matchups.

Xavier McKinney checked all the boxes for Packers as a ‘unique’ free agent opportunity

Young difference makers rarely get to free agency in the NFL. When Xavier McKinney got to the open market, the Packers pounced.

Top players under the age of 25 so rarely become available in the NFL, so when the New York Giants let ascending safety Xavier McKinney hit the open market in free agency, Brian Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers pounced.

McKinney, 24, signed a four-year deal worth up to $68 million to go from the Giants to the safety-needy Packers earlier this month.

“I think he’s a unique player to come available,” Gutekunst said Monday from the league meetings. “He’s 24 years old, one of the top safeties in the game, a guy that can be a game-changing type player. He really fits the criteria we’re looking for in a free agent, not only as a player but as a leader back there. Extensively scouted him through college and liked him quite a bit coming out, and he’s done nothing in his time in the NFL to change that. Again, not a lot of these guys come available, so when they do, it’s important for us to go down that road and see if we can acquire them.”

Gutekunst said players with McKinney’s profile are usually only available via trade. Entering free agency, the team’s list of targets dwindled quickly with re-signings and the franchise tag, but the Giants let McKinney test the waters without restriction, opening the door for the Packers to make a big move.

“There were very few guys that fit the criteria he did that come available,” Gutekunst said. “We’re just really excited. His next three years should be the best football he plays in our mind and we’re excited about that.”

At Pro Football Focus, McKinney graded out as the No. 4 overall safety in 2023, trailing only Antoine Winfield Jr., Jessie Bates III and Jevon Holland. He earned the best overall coverage grade and second-best tackling grade while producing 26 stops, three interceptions and allowing zero touchdown passes across over 1,100 total snaps.

McKinney played all over the formation for Wink Martindale, with almost 500 snaps at free safety, a little under 400 in the box and over 150 in the slot.

A second-round pick in 2020, McKinney doesn’t turn 25 years old until August.

He is talented, ascending as a player and entering his football prime. McKinney was also a team captain for the Giants.

In desperate need of a safety to fit Jeff Hafley’s new defense, the Packers aggressively chased a unique opportunity and, as a result, landed one of the top free agents available.

Things to know from Brian Gutekunst’s appearance at NFL league meeting

The Packers GM answered questions for roughly 25 minutes at the 2024 NFL league meeting in Orlando.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst answered questions from the media for roughly 25 minutes at the 2024 NFL league meeting on Monday in Orlando.

Here are the big things to know from Gutekunst’s appearance:

— On releasing Aaron Jones: “Really tough. The business of football never stops.” Confirmed the team asked Jones to take a pay cut. Believed releasing him and signing Josh Jacobs was in the best interest of the team.

— On Josh Jacobs: “Proven back, runs with a lot of violence, big back, durable back.” Believes Jacobs can “flourish” as a runner, blocker and receiver. “Really excited to have the player and the person added to our football team.”

— On Xavier McKinney: “Unique player to come available.” Said McKinney fits the “criteria” of what the Packers want in a free agent. Young, difference maker, leader…the Packers thought highly of him coming out of Alabama.

— Veteran safety or draft pick? Said Packers would prefer a younger guy but they will look at “all options,” including the free agent market following the draft.

— On safety class: “It’s a pretty good safety class this year.”

— No blame for Aaron Jones not accepting pay cut: “He’s always done right by us.” Situation just didn’t work out.

— Any consideration to keeping Aaron Jones and Josh Jacobs: Packers discussed the idea, but Gutekunst didn’t like the cap ramifications on the cap in 2025.

— On bringing back Keisean Nixon in Jeff Hafley’s defense: “He’s very excited to have him back.” Gutekunst’s likes having stability and versatility in the nickel spot. Nixon returned on three-year deal. Expects adding competition there but also anticipates Nixon being starter again.

— Gutekunst said he’d like to have the kickoff return to the game.

— On extension for Jordan Love: Had “preliminary discussions” on a new deal but expecting it to take “some time.”

— On linebacker position: “I feel really good about Isaiah (McDuffie).” Feels better now that Eric Wilson and Kristian Welch are back, still expecting to add to linebacker via free agency and the draft. Believes linebacker positions in 4-3 are interchangeable.

— On Brenton Cox: He “flashed” during training camp and has a “bright future.” Opportunity at edge rusher with JJ Enagbare coming back from injury.

— On Sean Rhyan: “He really grew a lot from Year 1 to Year 2.” Capitalized on opportunities at right guard last year. Best football is ahead of him. Experience gained should help Packers there entering 2024.

— Will go Packers go lighter at edge in the 4-3? “I prefer bigger guys on the edge.” Would rule out going lighter. “Depends on the player.” Said he doesn’t want to “get small” in the defensive front.

— On A.J. Dillon: Was a little unexpected to get him back, nice to use the four year player qualifying tender. “That was a nice surprise.”

— On Carrington Valentine: Played “very consistent football” as a rookie. Needs to get a little stronger. “Answered the ball” in situations last year. “I like the way the competition there is shaping up.”

— On paying a quarterback big money after one year: Had Love in the building the last four years. “We know how he is going to respond and react and work.”

On McKinney: “His next three years should be the best football he plays in our mind, and we’re excited about that.”

— On David Bakhtiari: “He did everything he possibly could do to get back out there and he’s still doing that.” Gutekunst thinks Bakhtiari could still make the Hall of Fame if he makes it back.

Top 30 visits tell us a lot about Packers’ draft strategy

Teams will host 30 prospects for official visits in the pre-draft process and those meetings tell us a lot about the Packers’ draft strategy.

As reports of NFL draft prospects taking official top 30 visits begin to come out, pay very close attention to who the Green Bay Packers are having in because, under GM Brian Gutekunst, there’s been a strong connection between who visits and who the Packers select.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Of course, there is a strong connection between visits and draft picks. That’s why the Packers have them in—they are interested, to at least some degree.

And while, yes, that is true, the correlation between top 30 visits and eventual draft picks isn’t as strong with other NFL teams. Even with former Packers GM Ted Thompson, there wasn’t a ton that could be gleaned from top 30 visits and who he was going to select.

Last year, four of the Packers official 30 visits ended up as draft picks by Gutekunst, with three more eventually joining the team as either an undrafted rookie in Kadeem Telfort and Camren McDonald, or Ben Sims, who was claimed off waivers when released by Minnesota.

In 2022, six of the top 30 visits ended up as Gutekunst selections, with three more being signed as undrafted rookies. So, in the last two years, 16 of the 60 visits (or almost 27 percent) have been members of the Packers.

The 2021 offseason was the outlier for Gutekunst, where no top 30 visitors ended up being drafted. But in 2020, there were two. In 2019, three, and in 2018, there were again six.

These visits provide the team and the prospects with the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the general manager, coaching staff, and even scouts. The organization gets the chance to know each player a bit better. They’ll also go over film with them to learn about their thought and decision-making processes on the football field.

These visits also give teams a chance to address any red flags that may have popped up, go through medicals, and get an idea of how that player would fit within the locker room.

“I think any time you have a chance to sit down with players in your facility, (you) get to know them a little bit better,” said Gutekunst. “I just thought for me and how I wanted to go about it, yes, I wanted to have some face-to-face time with individually. I also think getting them with our coaching staff and seeing how they might fit in our room and our team locker room was important.”

Thompson would often bring in many late-round or even potential undrafted prospects for these visits, and while Gutekunst still does that as well, he has also prioritized meeting with prospects who are going to be selected in the top 100 as well.

The Packers currently hold 11 draft picks in total, which is tied for the most in the NFL, with five of those selections coming within the top 100.

With the first wave of free agency behind us, there are several positional needs that the Packers still have to address, including building out the safety and offensive line depth, finding a starting-caliber linebacker, and adding more competition to the running back room, among others.

Click here to stay up to date with all of the reported top 30 visits the Packers will have this draft cycle.

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst in attendance at Wisconsin Pro Day

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst was in attendance at the Wisconsin Pro Day on Friday. Here is who was participating and who may be of interest.

Green Bay Packers’ GM Brian Gutekunst was in attendance at the University of Wisconsin Pro Day on Friday, where two players in particular may have his interest.

Running back Braelon Allen is Wisconsin’s highest-rated draft prospect and plays a position that the Packers still need to address. Josh Jacobs will, of course, be the Packers’ new feature back, but Emanuel Wilson remains largely unproven, while AJ Dillon signing a one-year league minimum deal (from a salary cap perspective) shouldn’t alter whether or not Gutekunst addresses the position in the draft.

Allen rushed for over 1,000 yards during his first two years at Wisconsin and fell just 18 yards shy of hitting that mark again in 2023.

For his career, Allen averaged 5.8 yards per rush, including 5.4 this past year, and scored 35 touchdowns. Allen was also a bigger role in the passing game this past season, with 28 of his 49 career receptions coming in 2023.

“I bring a lot of physicality and a downhill running style,” said Allen at the NFL Combine. “A more old school style, but I can also catch the ball and run routes, pass protect, and I think I bring a lot of value in that way. Just being versatile.

“Of course, there’s a lot of things I want to work on and get better at, more consistent, at the end of the day, I’m young and have a long way to go until I’m fully developed. In the right system, at the right place, I can be a great player.”

Gutekunst has previously mentioned that he wanted a “bigger back” on the roster. At 6-2 and 245 pounds, Allen certainly checks that box. However, perhaps Gutekunst will go a different route in the draft with Dillon and the physical Jacobs already on the roster.

Interior offensive lineman Tanor Bortilini gave his draft stock a boost at the NFL Combine, posting a near-perfect Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 9.97 out of 10, which included a 4.94-second 40-yard dash, along with elite explosive and agility scores.

Bortolini played just shy of 2,000 career snaps at Wisconsin, the bulk of which came at center, although he may be better suited at guard in the NFL. This past season, Bortolini allowed only one sack and 11 pressures while ranking 28th in the country in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric.

Along the interior offensive line, the Packers could have their starters already on the roster in Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, and Sean Rhyan, but what they need is depth and competition with Royce Newman the only other interior lineman on the roster, and it’s still possible he could get released.

Also of note participating at the Badger Pro Day was linebacker Maema Njongmeta, a combine invitee. Njongmeta did not register a RAS at the combine but measured in at just under 6’0″ – 229 pounds and ran a 4.91 40-yard dash.

Njongmeta played over 1,000 snaps in the last two seasons, generating 48 pressures as a blitzer during that span. In 2023, he missed 14.1 percent of his 78 tackle attempts, which is slightly on the high side, and allowed 11.6 yards per catch on 7-of-12 targets with one pass breakup.

Not that the Packers won’t bring in young, developmental talent at the linebacker position, but what they really need right now is immediate Day 1 contributors.

A very under-the-radar name is edge rusher Justin Blazek from D-III UW-Platteville. Blazek made Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List back in August for his athletic abilities. He was the only D-III player to make Feldman’s list and has totaled 17.5 sacks and 29 tackles for loss the last two seasons.

Blazek, with his athleticism, is the type of late-round flier we’ve seen Gutekunst take in the past.

Other participants included quarterback Tanner Mordecai, outside linebacker CJ Goetz, safety Travian Blaylock, tight end Hayden Rucci and cornerback CJ Siegel.

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst to speak at NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday morning

Packers GM Brian Gutekunst is scheduled to answer questions from the NFL Scouting Combine at 9:00 a.m. CT on Tuesday morning.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst will be made available to the assembled media at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday morning.

Gutekunst is scheduled to speak at 9:00 a.m. CT at Podium 4 from the Indianapolis Convention Center. He is one of five decision makers who will kick off the media availability on Tuesday morning.

The sessions typically last around 15 minutes at the combine.

Gutekunst, who is preparing for the 2024 NFL draft, will be answering questions for the first time since his end-of-year press conference in January. He will also speak with local media from Green Bay before the appearance.

The Packers have five picks in the top 100 of the 2024 draft and may need one more terrific draft class to go from good to great among NFL contenders.

As was the case last year, coach Matt LaFleur will not be attending the combine. More and more, NFL coaches are deciding to skip the combine.