ESPN predicts Packers draft direction and the reasoning behind it leaves little doubt about what comes next
Green Bay does not have a first-round pick this year, but general manager Brian Gutekunst still has a lot of draft capital to reinforce the roster and address its biggest issues.
The Green Bay Packers will have a different experience this year, compared to their modus operandi. After trading for edge defender Micah Parsons last year, the Packers will not select any player before the 52nd overall pick, barring a trade up. Therefore, the exercise to predict what the team will make in the draft is much more complex — after 51 picks, there are many more variables to consider.
ESPN’s Draft Day predictor, though, is a useful tool to understand what may happen. Utilizing it, and based on Packers’ needs, we can project which players are more likely to be available in each pick of the first three rounds.
Second round, Pick 52
- DT Christen Miller, Georgia
- RB Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
- G Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon
- CB D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
- EDGE R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma
Defense is still more likely than offense here, because defensive tackle and cornerback are probably the two most pressing needs on the roster. Christen Miller is a likely option here, especially considering Gutekunst’s willingness to select Georgia defensive players throughout his tenure as a general manager.
Running back and guard would be less likely due to positional value, even though Gutekunst has already taken players at this two positions in the second round — in both instances, though, they had a first-rounder or two with higher positional value.
Third round, Pick 84
- T Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern
- RB Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas
- T/C Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M
- T Gennings Dunker, Iowa
- CB Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State
If defense is more likely in the second round, it sure feels like the Packers are about to address the offensive line depth with the 84th overall pick. Zuhn III in particular is a very interesting prospect for Green Bay, because he has left tackle and center flexibility — that scenario brings both short- and long-term possibilities for the team.
The Packers are set to have seven draft picks this year. They don’t have a first, sent to the Dallas Cowboys, but they got an extra seventh-rounder for losing center Josh Myers to the New York Jets last offseason. The resources aren’t the same as usual, but the front office will still have a lot of darts to throw in a class that isn’t exactly known for being top-heavy.
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