Brian Gutekunst's Latest Pre-Draft Comments Add to Packers Trade Buzz

The Green Bay Packers are fortunate heading into the 2024 NFL Draft that they don't have any desperate needs. They of course need depth in various key positions, including safety, linebacker, and offensive line, but their starters on both ends are mostly locked in for next season.

Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst still has 11 picks at his disposal to add more depth in the draft. This is tied for the most number of draft picks in the entire league. The five picks in the top-100 of the draft will be especially valuable to address the needs mentioned above.

However, Gutekunst doesn't seem to think 11 picks is enough. In his latest remarks to the press, he highlighted his intention to add a few more.

Packers Draft Rumors: Trades May Be Coming

According to ESPN reporter Rob Demovsky, the Packers would "love to end up with 13 or 14". This signals potential draft-day trades that involve Packers trading down from their picks to add more selections.

This is in line with the overall drafting strategy of Gutekunst. The 50-year-old decision-maker likes to prioritize competition in every position. Taking flyers in mid and late-round prospects and having multiple players for a position to create training camp competitions have been a staple of this front office.

There were some speculations about the Packers packaging some of their draft picks to trade for veteran help. However, Gutekunst seems set on doing the exact opposite.

There is certainly some value in not rushing the process. The Packers are still a very young team. Taking as many flyers as possible in the draft is a reasonable strategy for a team like the Packers.

But this strategy also puts a ton of pressure on Gutekunst. If he doesn't nail his draft picks, he will surely draw a ton of criticism. Whether this gamble pays off for him remains to be seen.

On FanDuel Sportsbook, the odds (-180) for the position of first-drafted player by the Packers suggest an offensive lineman is the likeliest pick there. We'll see on Thursday whether Gutekunst feels the same way.

More Packers news and rumors:

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.