Packers should hope for Eagles win in divisional round
Green Bay Packers fans should hope for a Philadelphia Eagles victory in next week’s divisional round.
Just eight teams remain in the playoffs, and while the Packers aren’t one of them, they have a rooting interest in the divisional round.
On Sunday the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Chicago Bears to advance in the wild-card round, setting up a game at the same time next week against the NFC’s No. 1 seed, the New Orleans Saints.
This game has some importance for the Packers. Green Bay has two first-round picks in April’s draft. The first will be 12th overall. The second will be determined by the Saints’ results in the postseason.
The Packers traded down in last year’s draft, giving New Orleans the 14th overall selection in return for the 27th overall pick, a fifth-rounder in the same draft, and the Saints’ first-rounder in 2019. The Saints selected edge rusher Marcus Davenport at No. 14.
If New Orleans goes on to win the Super Bowl, Green Bay’s additional first-rounder will of course be 32nd overall. But if the Eagles defeat the Saints next week, the Packers would get the 28th overall pick from New Orleans, which is the best-case scenario.
Due to their 13-3 record, a league-best, the Saints’ first-round selection will be no higher than 28th overall.
If they defeat the Eagles and move within a game of the Super Bowl, that pick will be no higher than 30th overall.
The best-case and worst-case scenario is only a matter of four draft picks, but who knows, maybe that’ll be the difference between finding a star at a position of need or not.
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With the Packers already eliminated, cheer on the Eagles next week against the Saints. A loss for New Orleans will ensure general manager Brian Gutekunst has two selections inside the top-28 to work with on the draft’s opening night in April.