How Joe Flacco-to-Broncos trade impacts Packers in draft

How the Joe Flacco-Denver Broncos trade impacts the Green Bay Packers in the 2019 NFL Draft.

The more teams needing to draft a quarterback, the better for the Green Bay Packers.

But it now looks like there will be one less team searching for a new quarterback in the draft this April.

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Baltimore Ravens have an agreement to trade Joe Flacco to the Denver Broncos when the new league year begins next month.

The Broncos own the 10th overall selection in this year’s draft, and could now have an impact on the Packers’ first selection.

Without needing to use a first-round pick on a quarterback, the Broncos will likely address one of their other positions of need. That could be selecting a tight end, which could mean the Packers miss out on Iowa’s T.J. Hockenson. That’s one possibility. Another is that Denver strengthens its offensive line, which is also a need for the Packers.

Another impact this could have is with potential trades. With one less team needing a quarterback it’s possible teams picking after Green Bay, such as the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins, don’t feel it’s necessary to trade up to get a quarterback in the first round, instead staying at their current position.

In an ideal world, multiple teams picking ahead of the Packers would need a quarterback, allowing the top prospects at other positions to drop to the 12th overall selection.

On the field, this trade means the Packers will play against Flacco when the Broncos visit Lambeau Field next season. Will Flacco be able to help Denver return to the postseason?

It’s possible this trade doesn’t impact Green Bay’s draft, but with quarterback no longer a need for Denver, it could result in one of Brian Gutekunst’s top targets no longer being available at No. 12.