Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst stayed put as six wide receivers came off the board before his team was ever even on the clock. Sure, Gutekunst could have used the 22nd and 28th overall picks to move up and select his most desired receiver, but instead, he let the board come to him.
“We worked through some scenarios, and there were some conversations, but at the end of the day, we have four picks in these first two rounds and felt really good about sitting and picking,” said Gutekunst. “We certainly explored some options, and there was a little run on receivers, and once that happened, we thought we would stay and pick.”
And with those two first-round picks, the Packers strengthened their defense. First, they added Georgia linebacker Quay Walker and then his teammate Devonte Wyatt, an extremely explosive defensive tackle.
Bolstering a defense that was already pretty good might be the prudent approach, but there is a strong inclination that Green Bay needs to surround quarterback Aaron Rodgers with talented pass catchers. Since trading Davant Adams and losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency, the team has only added one new face (Sammy Watkins) to the room.
When examining the Packers’ current depth chart, it is clear they do not have a true number one receiver. But Gutekunst is not feeling any outside pressure to reach for a guy in the draft. The Packers GM is as cool, calm, and collective as they come, and while most people think they have to add at least one wide receiver during the second or third round on Friday, his stance is clear.
“I don’t think we have to.”
“I think there are some really good receivers left in this draft, and we’ll see how it plays out,” Gutekunst said. “We have nine picks left, so we’ve got a lot of ammunition.”
Gutekunst really likes how Green Bay’s roster looks on paper, noting that’s it not because they de-value wide receivers. In fact, he confirmed the team must add more pass catchers at some point.
“It’s extremely important,” Gutekunst said of the receiver position while acknowledging the time they have plenty of time until the start of the regular season. “We play in September, and like I said, we have nine picks the next couple days and a whole summer before we play our first game, so certainly by the time we get to that first game, we’re going to add to that room some way or another.”
For those bummed about the team not landing a first-round wide receiver for the 20th year in a row, Gutekunst and the Packers have no regrets. And if you think Gutekunst is guaranteed to take a receiver on day two, you are also sorely mistaken.
“Hopefully (the board) will fall right to us, but if it doesn’t, I don’t think we can reach and make bad decisions just because they have a WR by their name,” Gutekunst said.
