What would Gutey do? Packers 7 Round Mock Draft Based on Past Trends
By Paul Bretl
How these draft picks align with the Packers’ past draft tendencies and thresholds
Trading up: With my first pick, I was hoping to land one of two receivers, either Jameson Williams or Chris Olave. Williams was off the board at 16, and with Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New Orleans, and New England ahead of me — all teams who could take a receiver — I decided to move up to ensure that I got one of my top targets. With 11 draft picks, a major need at receiver, and Gutey’s history of trading up, the ingredients are once again there for him to be aggressive.
RAS: Each draft pick registered on the RAS scale and scored above 8.0, just as a majority of past Gutekunst draft picks have done.
Premier positions: The Packers just don’t select certain positions in the first round. Now, as I mentioned initially, an exception had to be made given the state of the wide receiver room, and we also know that Gutekunst tried to move up in the 2020 draft for Justin Jefferson–so it’s not as if he is completely against it either. Meanwhile, a first-round offensive tackle — one of the most important positions in football — fits the Packers’ typical first-round mold.
Three of a kind: Offensive line depth was key to the Packers’ success last season, but it is lacking at the moment. Outside of the preferred starters who are healthy currently, the remaining offensive linemen on the roster include Michal Menet, Cole Van Lanen, and Jake Hanson. Gutey has selected three offensive linemen in each of the past two drafts, and given the need, it very well could happen for a third time.
Age in Round 1: Anyone who is 23 years of age or older was not considered in the first round of this draft, given the Packers’ recent draft history. Both Olave and Smith are currently 21-years-old, which has been the age of all but one of Green Bay’s first-round picks since 2015.
Pairing free agent signings with early-round picks: I went through a few past examples of this at the beginning, so with Sammy Watkins and Jarran Reed being two new additions for the Packers this offseason, I wanted to make sure that I added a receiver and an interior defensive lineman early on.
Planning ahead/building depth: I accomplished this by making sure to add to the safety, tight end, and edge rusher positions. As it stands, Vernon Scott and Josiah Deguara are the only players at their respective positions under contract in 2023–so beginning to add to those positions now should absolutely be on Gutey’s radar. While at edge rusher, Green Bay does have an excellent one-two punch, depth is needed at this heavily rotated position, so I made sure I addressed that somewhat early on as well.