The Green Bay Packers might see trading down in the first round as the solution to the problem of taking a tight end so early in the 2023 NFL draft.
According to Albert Breer of SI.com, the Packers are a team that “would consider moving back” during Thursday night’s first round, with the thinking that a tight end such as Michael Mayer of Notre Dame or Dalton Kincaid of Utah would be the target after trading down from No. 13 overall.
“I’ve heard Green Bay linked to both of the top tight ends in the class – Notre Dame’s Michael Mayer and Utah’s Dalton Kincaid – and 13 would probably be a tad high for either of them,” Breer wrote.
Breer also mentioned the Philadelphia Eagles – who hold the No. 10 pick – as another team interested in trading down.
In most cases, especially in the middle of the first round, trading down can make good sense. Teams only have a certain amount of players with blue-chip or first-round grades, and the best players at premium positions usually fly off the board early. Moving back creates extra draft capital. But a team trading down needs to find a team willing to trade up, and that can be the challenge.
Is there a team willing to aggressively move up to No. 13? It’s possible a team picking in the late teens or 20s would be interested in moving up for a quarterback, cornerback or edge rusher in this draft class.
The Packers, with holes to address all over the roster, could use an extra pick or two gained in a trade down to add players around first-year starter Jordan Love.
But the Packers also have a desperate need at tight end, where only Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis return from last year’s 53-man roster.
Taking a tight end in the top 15 picks would be risky. It’s a non-premium position where only the very few elite players make a legitimate difference. Trading back, gaining extra capital in later rounds and selecting a tight end deeper into the first round is probably the smart play if the Packers are dead set on getting one of the top tight ends in the class.
