Packers tip their hand by protecting valuable resources despite aggressive moves to round out the roster
General manager Brian Gutekunst has a calculated plan to protect valuable 2027 draft capital.
The Green Bay Packers made an unusual sequence of trades ahead of Sunday’s roster cuts, and the moves tell a revealing story about how general manager Brian Gutekunst intends to deploy his resources. Green Bay moved on from quarterback Kyle McCord, receiving a sixth-round pick in 2028, while also acquiring running back Kaleb Johnson from the Pittsburgh Steelers and tight end Mark Redman from the Los Angeles Rams. The transactions themselves were notable, but the real signal was in the draft currency Gutekunst chose to spend.
The 2027 capital has been preserved
Both trades to acquire players were made using 2028 selections, not 2027 picks. The Packers sent their original sixth-round pick in 2028 for Johnson and a seventh-round pick in 2028 for Redman. The sixth-rounder used for Johnson is Green Bay’s own selection, not the one acquired from Miami (originally from the Jacksonville Jaguars) in the McCord deal. That means the Packers will carry a Jaguars sixth-rounder in 2028 but will be without their original sixth and seventh in that class.
The deliberate choice to spend 2028 capital instead of 2027 picks is the key detail. Gutekunst made sure the Packers’ 2027 draft haul remained intact through these moves.
A stronger class deserves attention
The Packers have already parted with a first-round pick and a sixth-round pick in 2027, both from trades completed in 2025. The first was part of the package to acquire Micah Parsons from the Dallas Cowboys, and the sixth went to the Philadelphia Eagles in the Darian Kinnard deal. Outside of those two selections, Green Bay’s 2027 capital is stacked.
The Packers are projected to receive as many as four compensatory picks in the 2027 draft. That group could include a third-round compensatory selection for Malik Willis to the Miami Dolphins in free agency, a fourth for Romeo Doubs going to the New England Patriots, a fifth or sixth for Quay Walker going to the Las Vegas Raiders, and a sixth for Kingsley Enagbare to the New York Jets. On top of that, Green Bay acquired a fourth-round pick from the Cowboys in the Rashan Gary trade.
That volume of mid-round capital in a draft class widely regarded as one of the strongest in years gives the Packers enormous flexibility. Gutekunst can use those picks to select high-value contributors, package them to move up the board, or leverage them in future trades. Burning any of that capital on late-August roster transactions would have undermined the long-term strategy.
Gutekunst’s front office philosophy allows the Packers to spend on the margins to make the roster more complete and well-rounded. At the same time, though, the team is protecting the infrastructure that allows Green Bay to remain a consistent winner. The Packers built their current core through the draft, and a loaded 2027 class gives them a chance to add another wave of impact talent.
