Green Bay Packers Draft Needs

Coming into the season, the Green Bay Packers had very high expectations and did not disappoint during the regular season. The Packers ended the regular season with a 13-4 record and earned the number one seed in the NFC. As a Packers fan, I was very worried when I found out they were going to face the 49ers. With hindsight being what it is, I was right to think that. Although the season did not finish how we expected, it is time to look into the future. So, I am going to talk about what the Packers need to address and how they can improve. 

Rodgers’ Future in Green Bay

After such a disappointing finish to the season, the last thing Packers fans want to hear is that their two best players may not return. Although there have been numerous reports about Rodgers leaning toward staying in Green Bay, I am not 100% convinced. I am going to discuss the options that Green Bay has surrounding an Aaron Rodgers trade. Personally, I think that Rodgers should get traded to the Broncos because it will benefit both teams. If Green Bay decides to do this, they should try to acquire pick 9 and 40 along with a few future draft assets.

Now the question is what they should do with these picks. I am all for giving Jordan Love an opportunity to prove he can be the next franchise guy. With this being said, if he doesn’t work out the Packers need to have a backup plan quickly. The 9th pick would put them in prime position for one of the top quarterbacks in this draft. If I had this pick and Matt Corral and/or Kenny Pickett are available I would pull the trigger. Personally, I would pick Kenny Pickett because he has a fantastic arm and can contribute immediately. I should also emphasize that I am not trying to run Jordan Love out of town. Love is a good talent, but at the end of the day not all good prospects work out. 

Davante Adams’ Future

As if potentially losing Aaron Rodgers wasn’t scary enough, the Packers may lose Davante Adams as well. If I were Green Bay, I would not let him go for free. If he refuses to resign with the Packers, I would franchise tag him and trade him away. There is one team that stands out as a trade partner more than others and that is the Las Vegas Raiders. Adams would love this trade because he would be reunited with his college teammate Derek Carr. On the other hand, although Green Bay will be devastated that Adams is gone, they could try to get Hunter Renfrow and a few picks in return.

I should mention that I am not very good at deciphering trade value, but I think getting Renfrow and a few picks would be a solid package for Adams. Personally, I would primarily want Renfrow, 2022 1st round pick and 2023 1st round pick and a few more assets as well if possible. If this trade were to happen, I would want to target a wide receiver with pick 22 to be a solid 2nd option behind Renfrow. Ideally, the player I would want the most is Treylon Burks because of how physical he is when on the field. 

Areas to Focus in the Draft

Ohio State WR Chris Olave

As I noted earlier, if the Packers make the two trades mentioned above, they will have picks 9, 22 and 28. With these three picks, I would target Pickett/Corral with pick 9. Burks or Wilson with pick 22. Finally, Bernhard Raimann with the 28th pick. So, in just one round of the draft, they potentially draft a new franchise QB, number one receiver and starting right tackle. 

However, I understand the appeal of wanting to further solidify the defense. But, I would focus on the offense in this round and defense in the later rounds. In a mock draft that I did on nflmockdraftdatabase, I had the Packers with 6 picks in the first 2 rounds and this is what I had them do. 

Round 1 Pick 9 (via Broncos): Kenny Pickett (Pitt QB)

Pick 22 (via Raiders): Chris Olave (Ohio St. WR)

Pick 28: Bernhard Raimann (Central Michigan OT)

Round 2 Pick 40 (via Broncos): Phidarian Mathis (Alabama DL)

Pick 53 (via Raiders): Trey McBride (Colorado St. TE)

Pick 59: Sam Williams (Ole Miss EDGE)

The Packers focusing on forming a young core on offense would make them very dangerous in a few years. Doing this while solidifying the defensive line would be a optimal for the Packers. Given that Green Bay is a small market team, and the fact that Rodgers and Adams are gone, they need to think about player development. 

The Defense

Going into the season, the Green Bay defense had very high expectations and man did they not disappoint. Even though they were cursed with injuries all season, players stepped up when they needed to. For example, when Zadarius Smith went down, Rashan Gary exceeded expectations. He finished with 27 total tackles and 9.5 sacks on the season. With his contract expiring soon, I would make sure to clear up a lot of cap space to sign him and De’Vondre Campbell. Also, I would make sure to pay the secondary whatever they request when their contracts expire too. Having a secondary with Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos is very special. As you probably noticed, I left one name off of that list and that is Kevin King. Although King shows glimpses of improvement from time to time, I think it is time to move on. Personally, I would promote Rasul Douglas to this spot and then draft a young corner to take Douglas’ spot. 

Run Game 

Packers RB AJ Dillon

The Packers’ run game was very impressive this last season. Although many people questioned why the Packers decided to draft A.J. Dillon in the second round of the 2020 draft, I loved it. I knew that he would be able to take some weight off of Aaron Jones’ shoulders and take the offense to the next level. In this last season, Dillon rushed for 803 yards and 5 touchdowns and Jones rushed for 799 yard and 4 touchdowns. 

Final Thoughts On Packers Draft Needs

Although there are many rumors surrounding the fact that Rodgers and Adams may stay in Green Bay, I would not bet on it. As a fan myself, I am looking into the future and loving what I see if the Packers play their cards right. Personally, I think that this offseason could be a win-win scenario in Green Bay. On one hand, if Rodgers and Adams come back, the Packers can make another Super Bowl run. Meanwhile, if they leave, the Packers can develop a young core that could be deadly in a few years. 

Packers Draft Needs Analyst-Matthew Lewis