The Green Bay Packers will be heading into the 2024 NFL Draft with five picks in the first three rounds. That is an incredible amount of firepower is exciting for any general manager, let alone one who is eager to keep building for the future.
However, if the Packers were interested in acquiring a second first-round-draft pick, there seems to be a pretty straight forward way to get one.
The Green Bay Packers Could Work Their Way Back Up Into The First Round
According to Peter Bukowski of Locked on Packers:
The #Packers extra Day 2 picks are roughly the equivalent of the 31st overall selection.
If they package 41 with 88 or 91 (value close enough), they can slide back into the first round if they want to.
The Packers are likely to target defense or offensive line in the first round of the NFL Draft.
If the Packers address one of those spot with their #25th overall pick, and there is someone else available near the bottom of the first round they are interested in, trading back up wouldn’t be surprising.
Who Would The Packers Draft With A Second First Round Pick?
Specifically, Safety, Inside Linebacker, and Offensive Tackle are the three biggest positions of need for the Packers. According to Matt Schneidman of The Athletic:
Safety: The Packers spent big on McKinney in free agency, but they still need a second starting safety after their top two from last season signed elsewhere in free agency. General manager Brian Gutekunst said at the league meetings that he prefers a younger player with his best football ahead of him to pair with McKinney, so it appears more likely Green Bay will add that second starter early in the draft (or via second-year safety Anthony Johnson Jr.) rather than sign one of the remaining veteran free agents at the position.
Inside linebacker: Gutekunst said last month at the NFL Scouting Combine that the Packers were “pretty thin” at inside linebacker. Since then, they released De’Vondre Campbell and re-signed special-teamers Eric Wilson and Kristian Welch at the position. Gutekunst said he feels “really good” about Isaiah McDuffie playing significant snaps in 2024, though the Packers need more bodies at the position and maybe even another starting-caliber player for Hafley.
Offensive tackle: The Packers seem confident in 2022 seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker, who filled in admirably on Love’s blind side after David Bakhtiari suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1. He’s likely the betting favorite to start there again in 2024, but the Packers will add another offensive tackle to compete with him and, at the very least, provide depth at the position after swing tackle Yosh Nijman signed with the Carolina Panthers in free agency.
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