Will Future Comp Picks Give Packers Confidence To Trade In 2020 NFL Draft?
The Green Bay Packers have a lot of ammunition to trade up in this year’s NFL Draft, and will be receiving more picks next year.
Throughout his short tenure as general manager of the Green Bay Packers, Brian Gutekunst has shown a willingness to move all around the draft. He made two trades in the first round of the 2018 draft alone. First, moving back and gaining an extra first-round selection from the New Orleans Saints, then moving up to nab their guy in Jaire Alexander.
The following year, he moved up from no. 30 (which he acquired from the Saints) to no. 21 and selected Darnell Savage.
Another trade could be in the works this year, as the Packers try to get over the hump of the NFC Championship game and get back to the Super Bowl. Although Green Bay took some good steps last season, they still have work to be done to be considered one of the elites.
They already possess 10 picks this season, giving them some wiggle room to move up in the first (or any) round. And so far this offseason, Gutekunst’s moves point to the team acquiring more draft capital for next year.
The Packers allowed right tackle Bryan Bulaga, inside linebacker Blake Martinez and outside linebacker Kyler Fackrell to walk in free agency. Instead of replacing them with traditional free agents, Gutekunst signed right tackle Ricky Wagner and inside linebacker Christian Kirksey after they were released from their respective teams. And because they were let go, they don’t count against the Packers in the formula the NFL uses to hand out compensation picks. That could net them a fourth, fifth and sixth-rounder in next year’s draft according to OverTheCap.com.
As it stands, Green Bay has their own picks in each of the seven rounds in 2021. If you add the three projected picks they’re likely to receive, that gives them 10 total selections; 20 if we’re counting this year and next year.
Next. Packers: A Surprise Selection In A Recent Mock Draft. dark
Despite not yet having those compensatory picks next year, Gutekunst could trade one of their own selections next year in anticipation of the extra resources they’ll be provided. That could give them the extra ammunition they need to move up from 30 to the early 20s (it cost Green Bay two fourth-round picks in 2019 to move up from 30 to 21). It’s worth keeping an eye on because the Packers might not be comfortable waiting for the action to come to them at the end of the first day.