As the NFL Draft approaches, the Green Bay Packers don’t have that many pressing needs, thanks to steadfastly committing to building through the draft and then making targetedly aggressive signings in free agency in recent years.
The Packers have invested significant draft capital over the past several seasons at wide receiver, tight end, and along the offensive line in hopes of building an offense led by quarterback Jordan Love that can be the backbone of a consistent contender.
As this year’s draft nears, there is, according to ESPN NFL Draft analyst Matt Miller, a feeling inside the league that general manager Brian Gutekunst and the Packers are about to set out to replicate that strategy to upgrade the defense.
“A rival scout told me that his team expects the Packers to focus on adding defensive players for Jeff Hafley’s scheme,” Miller writes for ESPN. “In the early rounds. He predicted that Green Bay would draft a cornerback in Round 1 and a defensive tackle in the second round before shifting to a value receiver pick in Round 3.”
While the Packers have the luxury of likely focusing on taking the best player available on the board, rather than forcing a pick based on need, there’s a very real chance that Green Bay’s needs could match up with the board, on the defensive side of the ball.
Given the wealth of pass rushers available early in the draft, Texas cornerback Jahde Barron or Georgia edge rusher Mykel Williams could be in play for the Packers to add a dynamic playmaker to Hafley’s defense.
If the scouts Miller spoke to are correct, this draft has the chance to be foundational for the Packers on defense in a way that the past several have been around Love and the offense.
