Green Bay Packers’ NFL Draft headquarters: Picks, needs, predictions for a team that has options

The Packers own pick No. 29 in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, which begins April 29. Green Bay’s 10 total selections are tied for the second-most in the league.

Fourth-year general manager Brian Gutekunst has traded up or back in the first round of each of his first three drafts in charge.

In 2018, he traded down, from No. 14 to No. 27, then back up to No. 18 before selecting Louisville cornerback Jaire Alexander. In 2019, he stayed at No. 12 and drafted Michigan defensive lineman Rashan Gary before dealing up from No. 30 to No. 21 to take Maryland safety Darnell Savage Jr. Last year, he moved up from No. 30 to No. 26 and shocked everyone by drafting Utah State quarterback Jordan Love.

So what will Gutekunst do in the first round this year? It’s anybody’s guess.

The draft picks

Full draft order

All 259 picks. In order. Right here.

Predicting the Packers’ picks

NFL Draft details

• Round 1: April 29, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC, NFL Network)
• Rounds 2-3: April 30, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN/ABC, NFL Network)
• Rounds 4-7: May 1, Noon ET (ESPN/ABC, NFL Network)

About the Packers

• General manager: Brian Gutekunst
• Head coach: Matt LaFleur
• Last year’s record: 13-3

Packers’ needs in the draft

Cornerback: The Packers re-signed Kevin King to a one-year deal, but they still need a second starting outside corner opposite Jaire Alexander for the long term. If King plays well enough to warrant a bigger contract next offseason, it’ll likely come from another team. And if King gets hurt again this season, the Packers could have an early draft pick to fill in. Alexander proved this season to be one of the game’s best at his position en route to second-team All-Pro honors. But as the Buccaneers showed in the NFC Championship Game, Green Bay having one shutdown corner is only so effective against a good offense. Chandon Sullivan, Josh Jackson and Ka’dar Hollman don’t seem ready to handle the responsibilities of a starting outside cornerback in the NFL.

Offensive tackle: There’s no way to accurately tell how many games David Bakhtiari will miss in 2021, if any, after he tore his ACL on Dec. 31. But if the Packers project that their first-team All-Pro left tackle may not be ready for the start of the season, and even if he is, they need more bodies at offensive tackle. Besides Bakhtiari, Billy Turner and Yosh Nijman are the only true tackles currently on the roster. We saw last season how injury-prone the Packers’ offensive linemen were, and how important tackle depth can be to a team’s Super Bowl hopes. Few things are more important for the Packers in 2021 than protecting their 37-year-old reigning MVP at quarterback. This past season proved how good the Packers and Rodgers can be if he’s kept relatively spotless.

Defensive line: The Packers were better against the run in 2020 (112.8 rushing yards allowed per game) than in 2019 (120.1), but they still don’t have a defensive lineman outside of Kenny Clark who is consistently capable of rushing the passer. Kingsley Keke flashed promise with four sacks last season, but Dean Lowry and Tyler Lancaster haven’t proven to be threats to opposing quarterbacks. According to Pro Football Focus, Lowry (21) and Lancaster (four) combined for just 25 quarterback pressures in 538 combined pass-rush snaps last season. This defensive line needs a jolt, and that might come in the form of an early draft pick.

Inside linebacker: Not only are Krys Barnes and Kamal Martin both just 22 years old and likely in need of a veteran presence in the inside linebacker group, but they’re both slightly injury-prone. Martin has missed time with knee injuries in each of his last two seasons, including the first six games of his NFL career in 2020. Barnes battled multiple nagging injuries during his rookie season, but none overly significant. The Packers released Christian Kirksey to clear cap space and might be in the market for a similarly experienced veteran to mentor the aforementioned two but also play in new defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s base defense. If they don’t pick up a veteran, however, the Packers might look to draft an inside linebacker early to give Green Bay the playmaker the franchise has lacked at the position for so long.

Packers’ last five top picks

(Photo: Rich Graessle / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)