
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst doesn't have a first round pick in this week's NFL Draft.
The Green Bay Packers don't have a first round pick in this year’s NFL Draft.
The Packers won't select until No. 52 overall and have eight total picks.
Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday, though, that he believes he has enough firepower to move up in the draft if the right player is available.
“I do feel like if, if the right player were there, that we would be able to go get him,” Gutekunst said.
Gutekunst has conducted eight drafts in Green Bay and has made 80 selections overall — an average of 10 per year. So Gutekunst has less ammunition than the typical year.
What could help the Packers, though, is they’re expected to receive a bevy of compensatory draft picks in 2027 for their free agent losses this offseason.
Green Bay is projected to receive a third- or fourth round pick for quarterback Malik Willis, who signed with Miami, and a fourth rounder for wideout Romeo Doubs (New England). The Packers are projected to receive a fifth round pick for linebacker Quay Walker (Las Vegas) and potential sixth rounders for offensive tackle Rasheed Walker (Carolina) and linebacker Kingsley Enagbare (New York Jets).
Green Bay also traded defensive end Rashan Gary to Dallas for a fourth round pick in 2027, and acquired a fifth round pick this year and a sixth rounder in 2027 for wideout Dontayvion Wicks.
Many believe the 2027 draft will be much stronger than the 2026 draft. So the Packers’ 2027 picks could hold significant value and potentially help Gutekunst maneuver around the draft board this weekend.
“We're sitting with eight picks right now,” Gutekunst said. “I think, you know, the compensatory formula, we won't know exactly what we have for next year, but we feel pretty good about the amount of picks we're going to have next year.”
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
