The NFL Draft is about a month away, but this time the annual three-day NFL party is in Green Bay.
Does that mean that Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst is under more pressure to produce?
I don’t think Gutekunst should feel like he has to hit a home run just because he will be within a nine-iron of cheese curds the moment he steps on the draft stage.
This is a pivotal draft. The Packers have their quarterback, they have a No. 1 running back, a budding tight end in Tucker Kraft and a lot of options at wide receiver. This team is two to three players away from getting to the NFC title game. Granted, that won’t be easy because the Eagles, Lions and Rams should be the top three teams on paper in the NFC.
There’s no reason to reach for a prospect at No. 23 just to grab a headline and “Win the draft.” If University of Texas left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. is still available at 23, then it would be obvious. This is Rasheed Wallace’s last year under contract and the Packers can always use reinforcements to protect their $55 million investment.
But if there isn’t anybody on the offensive or defensive line, Gutekunst needs to do the smart thing and just trade back for more picks. I get it, that will be about as exciting as clapping with one hand but it’s the right move.
There are a lot of people that get frustrated when they hear the word Gutekunst. They think that he has done a terrible assembling the roster. But frankly, he’s done a very good job. And the reason why I like it is because he isn't afraid to take chances. He brought in Preston Smith, Za’Darius Smith, Adrian Amos and Josh Jacobs. Those players have had big roles and it’s also a direct contrast to how former general manager Ted Thompson built rosters.
The NFC North hasn’t been this competitive in a long time and the Packers have remained consistent throughout. I agree that it is concerning that the Packers went 4-3 against 2023 playoff teams. And that counts a flimsy Dolphins team that looked like it wanted no part of that chilly Thanksgiving night game.
The Packers are closer than a lot of people think. The reason why the Eagles claimed the Super Bowl this past February was because they owned the line of scrimmage. You can talk about getting a No. 1 wideout until next week but the Packers just have to get better at the line of scrimmage.
So if you’re going to the draft, don’t be disappointed by boring. Embrace it. Just as the Packers didn’t get attracted to the shiny object in free agency, they likely will not do something just for a splash. Leave that for the Giants, which is why they are perpetually drafting high in the draft.
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Cory Jennerjohn is a graduate from UW-Oshkosh and has been in sports media for over 15 years. He was a co-host on "Clubhouse Live" and has also done various radio and TV work as well. He has written for newspapers, magazines and websites. He currently is a columnist for CHTV and also does various podcasts. He recently earned his Masters degree from the University of Iowa. He can be found on Twitter: @Coryjennerjohn
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