Packers have great opportunity to strengthen roster in 2019 draft

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst will have an excellent opportunity to strengthen the roster in the 2019 NFL Draft next spring.

The Packers have a lengthy to-do list this offseason, one that includes finding the right head coach and being aggressive in free agency.

But Brian Gutekunst, in his second year as the team’s GM, will have the opportunity to make a big impact in the draft.

According to Tankathon, if the season ended now the Packers would own six selections inside the top 115 overall, including four in the opening three rounds.

At 4-7-1 with just four games to play, Green Bay has a good chance of earning a top 10 selection, which would be the team’s first time picking that high since 2009. If the Packers were to lose all four of their remaining games, there’s a good chance they’d land pick inside the top five.

But that’s not all. The Packers will also receive the New Orleans Saints’ first-round selection after a draft-day trade last offseason. The way it’s looking, that could wind up being the 32nd overall pick. But who knows, maybe the Saints will be upset in the divisional round and give the Packers a pick in the mid-20s.

Green Bay also owns an additional fourth-round pick from Washington from the Ha Ha Clinton-Dix trade, as well as a sixth-rounder from Seattle as part of the Brett Hundley trade.

The Packers likely won’t just be picking high in each round, but will also enter the draft with around 10 selections, assuming they don’t receive any compensatory picks.

In Tankathon’s draft power rankings, the Packers are ranked third based on the value of their picks. Gutekunst will have opportunities to add more talent to the defense, particularly at edge rusher and safety, early on.

Gutekunst’s first draft class looks to be a good one so far. First-round pick Jaire Alexander has the potential to become a star at cornerback. Wide receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown have already shown their potential and could become big parts of this offense moving forward.

Josh Jackson still has areas to improve, but whether he plays cornerback or safety next season, he has a lot of potential to become an important player on defense.

It will be important for Mark Murphy to hire the right head coach, and for Gutekunst to add talent in free agency.

Once those two boxes are ticked the attention will turn to the draft. The Packers will have a great opportunity to add difference makers on both sides of the ball.

With a few free agent signings and a strong 2019 draft class, the Packers could return to the playoffs next year.