Green Bay Packers NFL Draft Live Blog
The NFL Draft starts tonight, and Packer Central will have you covered with every pick of the three-day party.
The Green Bay Packers hold the 30th pick in the first round on Thursday. They also own No. 62 of the second round and No. 94 of the third round, which will be held on Friday. In Saturday's third and final day of the draft, they possess No. 136 of the fourth round, No. 175 of the fifth round, Nos. 192, 208 and 209 of the sixth round and Nos. 224 and 242 of the seventh round.
General manager Brian Gutekunst has shown a propensity to move up and down the board.
“I’d love a bunch more picks. You can never have enough,” he said this week. “I think we’re going to be able to help our football team this year and in the future with what we have right now. Whether we come out of it with 10 picks or more or less, we’ve got enough ammunition to move around a little bit and do what we’ve got to do. It’ll be interesting to see how it falls and if there’s some unexpected players that come close to where we’re going to be. I feel good that we’re going to have some really high-caliber that’ll hopefully be around.”
Predraft reading
- Here's why I went with Arizona State receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
- Here are a bunch of mock drafts.
- As usual, I wrote a lot of words about a lot of prospects. You won't find previews like these anywhere.
Trade value chart
There are a few different versions of this used by teams. But this is handy to know how much a team can move or if the team got good value in a trade. For instance, if Green Bay wanted to move up in the first round, its second-round pick could get it up around No. 18. Obviously, basic economic rules of supply and demand apply.
The case to trade back
In a last round of calls, a longtime NFL scout envisioned these numbers for the first round:
- Seven offensive tackles (and perhaps Michigan center Cesar Ruiz).
- Seven defensive backs.
- Seven receivers.
- Four quarterbacks.
Not included in those numbers is Ohio State edge rusher Chase Young and Clemson linebacker Justin Simmons – by far the best defensive players in this draft, in his mind – and defensive linemen Derrick Brown and Javon Kinlaw. He also had first-round grades on linebackers Kenneth Murray and Patrick Queen. That’s a full round of 32 players – a list that doesn’t include any additional edge rushers to go in the first round.
Throwing the running backs in with the glut of receivers and defensive backs, the front-line talent should run into the 40s. The point? If the guy they want has been selected, the Packers would be prudent to move out of the first round, collect an extra third-round pick and still get a highly ranked player. Of course, it takes two teams to make a trade.
Not feeling the Love
Maybe it’s because it generates clicks, but Utah State quarterback Jordan Love has been linked to the Packers throughout the draft process. Before the Scouting Combine, Gutekunst said he’d consider a quarterback in the first round – even though that first-round quarterback would do nothing to help a championship-caliber team get over the top.
“I think it’s such an important part of what makes this thing go. It’s quarterbacks,” he said about two months ago. “I know what you’re saying. Aaron didn’t play for three years and for three years people were probably saying, well, that was a total waste. I just don’t think developing a young quarterback is a waste.”
Love is considered the fourth-best quarterback in the draft behind LSU’s Joe Burrow, Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Oregon’s Justin Herbert. Love has a lot of talent; he also threw 17 interceptions in 2019.
I asked a scout this afternoon to put himself in Gutekunst’s shoes. What would he do if Love were available? “Not draft Love,” he said via text. Why? “Both because of who Love is as a quarterback and the situation in Green Bay. I’d find someone who will contribute now.”
Moving on up?
I want to be clear. Gutekunst no doubt has talked to teams about moving back in the draft and he’s talked to teams about moving up in the draft. Those are the typical conversations that take place before every draft.
If Gutekunst is looking to move up, linebackers Kenneth Murray and Patrick Queen and receiver Justin Jefferson would be obvious targets. Another name to keep in mind, according to a source, is USC offensive tackle Austin Jackson. Despite missing most of last offseason after donating bone marrow to his sister, Jackson earned first-team all-conference last year. With gifted feet and NFL pedigree – his grandfather was drafted by the Packers – he’s got a shot to become just as good as the top-tier tackles in this draft. That he could watch and learn behind veterans David Bakhtiari and Rick Wagner would be ideal.
Jackson is our fifth-ranked offensive tackle.
Ten-minute time limit* in first round
Teams will have 10 minutes to pick in the first round, 7 minutes in the second round, 5 minutes in the third through sixth rounds, and 4 minutes in the seventh round.
In this unprecedented draft, there might be a bit of leeway on those times.
“I think the one thing that as we we’ve gone through, once that starts to get to a certain time limit, you just worry about if all of a sudden there’s going to be some kind of communication breakdown that might get in the way,” Gutekunst said. “I think the league is going to give you a little leeway if you’re in the middle of a trade or something like that, the way they kind of described it. I’ve got a lot of experienced guys on staff so I feel pretty good we’ll be able to operate pretty close to normal.”
All quiet through 10 picks
Incredibly, no trades have been made. One of the scouts I talked to this afternoon expected a free-for-all of trades. So, no trades. No surprise picks through the first hour. That's the first time in 2015 that there wasn't a trade in the first 10 picks. No receivers, either.
Finally, at No. 12, a receiver
The Raiders picked Alabama's Henry Ruggs. Once upon a time, the Raiders were all about speed, speed and speed. This fits.
From my predraft feature: Henry Ruggs is fast. There is no doubt of this fact, with a 4.27 in the 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine.
Where there is some doubt is who is the fastest in his family. His mom, Nataki Ruggs, says she ran a 40 in 4.23 while in high school in Junction City, Kan.
“I knew you were going to say that,” he said with a laugh at the Scouting Combine. “If you ask me, she never ran that time. I knew she was pretty fast. She used to run in the neighborhood, run against guys all the time and beat them. And we used to race when I was young, but I was young. I was small, didn’t have long legs, didn’t really know too much about running. Her track background helped her out when we were racing to the car at the grocery store, stuff like that. But ultimately, she’ll tell you that she’s not faster than me. Maybe in her prime, she felt like it. But … no.”
Fifteen picks down, two receivers off the board
The Raiders took Henry Ruggs at No. 12 and the Broncos took his Alabama teammate, Jerry Jeudy, at No. 15. Here's what Gutekunst said about receiver on Monday: "It’s a deep class this year, I think that’s been talked about at length, but at the same time you don’t really know when the runs are going to happen. It’s going to go one of two ways: either it’s going to go fast or everyone is going to think they can get guys later and it’s going to go slow." So far, it's slow, but we're a long way from 30.
First curveball
The Falcons took cornerback A.J. Terrell with the 16th pick. Not that my opinion amounts to anything but I had him as the sixth corner, mostly because he's a bad tackler. Regardless, every unexpected pick pushes one more player down to the Packers.
And another curveball
With the second of their first-round picks, at No. 19 overall, the Raiders selected Ohio State cornerback Damon Arnette. I didn't even put Arnette on Green Bay's list of options because of arm length. So, as I said earlier, for every unexpected pick, that's one more good player that will fall to 30.
Vegas, not Green Bay, will host 2022 NFL Draft
Goodell accidentally said 2020 but Las Vegas will host the 2022 NFL Draft after losing this one to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Packers were hoping to get the 2022 draft. Here's my story on that. Future drafts: 2021 in Cleveland, 2022 in Vegas and 2023 in Kansas City. That means the next opportunity for the Packers will be 2024.
Closing in on No. 30
The Eagles just selected TCU receiver Jalen Reagor at No. 21. That means there's eight teams picking ahead of Green Bay. In no particular order, a best-available list at Green Bay's top positions of need:
- WRs Justin Jefferson, Brandon Aiyuk, Tee Higgins
- LBs Kenneth Murray and Patrick Queen
- OT Ezra Cleveland
- DT Ross Blacklock
So, that's a good list - and it doesn't include someone taking quarterback Jordan Love and other positions.
(The Vikings, at No. 22, took Jefferson. He replaces Stefon Diggs.)
(The Chargers, at No. 23, took Murray. He was my favorite prospect.)
(The 49ers, at No. 25, took Aiyuk. I felt pretty darned good about that prediction when I hit publish this morning.)
Love still available
Meanwhile, with the Patriots trading the 23rd pick to the Chargers, there's nobody ahead of Green Bay that needs a quarterback. Would GM Brian Gutekunst take Utah State's Jordan Love?
This is from my story from February.
Gutekunst said it’s a “good crop” of quarterbacks in this year’s draft. If one falls, he said he wouldn’t be afraid to make a bold move, even though Rodgers is under contract through 2023 and, in Gutekunst’s words, “has got a lot left” despite finishing 12th in passer rating, 21st in completion percentage and coming up empty in both games against the 49ers. Gutekunst acknowledged the pressure is to win “now, now, now” but he also must keep the long-term good of the franchise in mind – like Thompson did by drafting Rodgers.
I pressed Gutekunst, saying it would be a wasted opportunity to improve a team that reached the NFC Championship Game last year. After all, drafting a quarterback in the first round does nothing to help the team for 2020 or beyond. His response?
“I think it’s such an important part of what makes this thing go. It’s quarterbacks,” he said. “I know what you’re saying. Aaron didn’t play for three years and for three years people were probably saying, well, that was a total waste. I just don’t think developing a young quarterback is a waste.”
As I mentioned early in the blog, I asked a longtime scout to put himself in the shoes of Gutekunst. What would he do if Love were available? “Not draft Love,” he said via text. Why? “Both because of who Love is as a quarterback and the situation in Green Bay. I’d find someone who will contribute now.”
Packers on the Clock
Green Bay sent No. 30 and No. 146 to Miami for No. 26. LSU linebacker Patrick Queen among those available.
But they took Jordan Love. My predraft story.
And my commentary - still awaiting Gutekunst and Love calls.
Love quotes from Scouting Combine
How are you working on all that since the season ended?
I’ve been training hard every day with my quarterback coach, just trying to become a better quarterback, whatever it is. Footwork, fundamentals, being able to break down defenses on the board and stuff like that. I’ve been doing everything I can do.
How do you explain this past season to teams?
The biggest difference for me was obviously the turnovers, they went up. I was trying to do too much and force the ball downfield. Thinking I could make throws into tight windows. There were situations where I could have checked the ball down, but I was trying to make that play.
Were you forcing throws because of turnover on offense?
Some of the games, we got into situations where we got down, and I did feel like I had to make those plays. As a team, we knew that – we knew we have to make plays to get back in the game.
You have described your interceptions as 17 learning moments. How do you express that to NFL teams?
Obviously, that’s what it is – 17 learning moments. Things I learned from – you’ve got to go back and break it down and see why I made those mistakes. Some I have to learn from, and I can’t keep letting it happen, and that’s what I tell teams right there. They play the game, so they know. You’ve got to learn from your mistakes.
How do teams break down film with you?
Every team is a bit different. But I’ve definitely had some interception film. You’ve got to break it down and take it step by step. What my read was, and why I threw the ball.
Do you like that opportunity?
Yeah, it’s a great opportunity. They see it from watching film, but when you give them your perspective, as far as how you read it and what you saw, it’s definitely a bit better.
How adversity in his life helps him keep football in perspective
In my life, I’ve had to face some real stuff. I just look at is as – football is what I love to play. It’s fun. It’s my passion. All that stuff comes easy for me, and I never let a moment of football get bigger than what I’ve had to face in my actual life.
What are you improving?
The most important thing to be is to be more consistent. You watch my film, there are some plays where I make an incredible throw, and the next thing you know, I miss a swing route on a checkdown. Being more consistent in all my throws, my footwork, in the pocket, under center, doing dropbacks and things like that. It’s something I’ve practiced since the season ended.
How do you balance shot plays with being mistake-prone?
It just comes from learning. You have to learn when to take those shots, when to fit the ball into those windows, and when to check it down, and when to take off and run. Knowing the game, and something I’m going to continue to get better at.
Who did you watch as a kid?
As a kid, I watched everybody. Mike Vick, Brett Favre, Peyton Manning. You name any quarterback, I was watching them.
How he’s able to make throws outside of structure…
That’s something I feel is a huge part of my game. When the play breaks down, being able to make off-schedule plays and get out of the pocket. Throwing on the move, and being able to take off and run. So, that’s just an instinct from growing up and playing backyard football. You either have it or you don’t, and I feel that I have that playmaking ability.
When you talked about the interception tape, you were smiling. Why is that?
I didn’t really notice that I smiled, but it’s just one of those things. It’s something I’ve watched plenty of times on my own, so it’s not hard to sit down with these teams and be able to talk through them.
How much pressure with Brady’s replacement have?
(an interesting question as he'll replace Rodgers, presumably)
Those are some big shoes to fill, but that’s the job of a quarterback. Step in and fill those shows, and that’s why we’re here.
Who would you compare yourself to?
I get asked that a lot. I’d say Patrick Mahomes, based on arm talent and what he can do. I’m not saying I’m Patrick Mahomes, calm down, but Patrick Mahomes, Deshaun Watson, guys who can make plays.
What he did at the line…
I had a lot of control, whether it’s getting into pass plays, whether we were going to be in quick game or a dropback play. Deciding which play I wanted to get into. In the run game, I didn’t have much control over that. With the protections, the center’s going to be making all those adjustments. Protection slides and things like that.
Most NFL-ready attribute
I’d say my arm strength. I feel that I can make any throw.
After that?
My playmaking ability.
