Green Bay Packers: 3 takeaways from 2019 NFL Draft

The Green Bay Packers appear to have had a fairly successful 2019 NFL Draft. Here are three things we can take away from this year’s class.

The Green Bay Packers ended up making eight selections in the 2019 NFL Draft and appear to have come out with one of the better classes. They used their top overall pick to select Rashan Gary out of Michigan and also traded up in the first round to select safety Darnell Savage. Savage will likely start right away, as Gary will have to work on his game first.

Green Bay then went with offense on Day 2 in selecting offensive guard Elgton Jenkins and tight end Jace Sternberger. Jenkins will have every opportunity to fill their hole at guard while Sternberger will likely have to earn his playing time behind Jimmy Graham and Marcedes Lewis.

Day 3 was another defensive heavy day, as the Packers went defense with three of their four picks. They selected defensive lineman Kingsley Keke in the fifth round, before going with cornerback Ka’Dar Hollman and running back Dexter Williams in the sixth. They finished the draft by grabbing linebacker Ty Summers out of TCU.

When it was all said and done, here are our three takeaways from the Packers’ 2019 draft class:

3. Packers are confident in their young receivers

Green Bay only selected three players on offense and that included an offensive lineman, a running back and one tight end. Some thought they might go with a receiver early and there was certainly that possibility as there were a couple on the board with the Packers selected Jenkins in the second round.

However, general manager Brian Gutekunst ignored the position altogether. He must have a lot of faith in the trio of receivers he selected last year; J’Mon Moore, Equanimeous St. Brown and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. The Packers also have Geronimo Allison and Jake Kumero competing for playing time behind Davante Adams. Outside of Adams, there are question marks everywhere in the receiving corps.

2. Packers weren’t satisfied with their defense

Green Bay used five of their eight picks, including their first two, on defense. They selected players at all three levels and hopefully got at least one immediate starter in Savage. The Gary pick will take a couple of years to play out before we truly understand if it was a good selection or not.

With the additions through both free agency and the draft, Green Bay will see at least four new starters on that side of the ball. There could potentially be more depending on how the competitions along the defensive line and inside linebacker spots play out.

1. Packers prioritized athleticism

There’s no question the Packers are a faster team after the draft. Players like Gary, Savage, Sternberger and Hollman are all pure athletes that can strike fear in their opponent’s heart. It’s been well-documented how slow the Packers have become at some of their skill positions and that’s probably the reason Gutekunst went this direction.

However, players such as Gary and Hollman are very raw and must work on developing their skill. That’s where the coaching staff will come into play, as they’ll need to help these players refine their technique. If that happens, however, watch out!