The Green Bay Packers were wheelers and dealers in Doug Farrar’s latest three-round mock draft for Touchdown Wire.
Trades involving the Packers and quarterbacks helped shape the first round and gave Green Bay plenty of ammunition to completely reshape the roster around new starting quarterback Jordan Love.
Here’s the breakdown:
– The Packers traded Aaron Rodgers to the Jets and then took Ohio State wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba at No. 13 overall.
– The Packers traded down from No. 15 overall with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who moved up to get Kentucky quarterback Will Levis. The deal: No. 15 for No. 19, No. 50 and No. 82.
– The Packers took Oklahoma offensive tackle Anton Harrison at No. 19.
– The Packers took Georgia edge rusher Nolan Smith at No. 45.
– The Packers took Boise State safety JL Skinner at No. 50
– The Packers took Wake Forest receiver A.T. Perry at No. 78.
– The Packers took Notre Dame interior offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson at No. 82.
The Packers turned two trades into six total picks in the top 100. The end result was two new wide receivers, two new offensive linemen, a hugely intriguing edge rusher and a massive safety.
Smith-Njigba and Perry would team with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs and give Love a quartet of impressive receivers to build around long-term.
Harrison could be the long-term starter at left or right tackle, while Patterson provides depth at center and guard. The strength of the offensive line will be very important in front of a young quarterback.
Smith at No. 45 could be tremendous value, even if he’s undersized. He’s a freak athletically and a terrific all-around front-seven player. Skinner is a massive defensive back (6-4) with the profile of a future starter at safety, one of the Packers’ biggest need areas. Adding more talent to the defense is necessary despite all the recent investments. To bring this back to Love once again, a consistently high-performing defense could be exactly what is needed to take some pressure off a first-year starter.
Alright, let’s forget about the players selected here for a second. This scenario – where the Packers get a first-round pick for Rodgers and then trade down from No. 15 – is a fascinating one to consider. General manager Brian Gutekunst needs to replenish the talent level of this team, and adding six top-100 draft picks would be a terrific way of checking that box. Finding a way to add more high picks could be a priority as Gutekunst negotiates a trade for Rodgers and assesses his options at No. 15.
