Packers: 2018 rookie class given solid grade by NFL.com
Brian Gutekunst’s first draft as Green Bay Packers general manager was a decent one, and a recent article gave the class a solid grade.
We’re only one year in, but Brian Gutekunst’s first attempt at the NFL Draft brought back mixed results.
Gutekunst deserves a lot of praise for the first round alone. He looks to have hit a home run with first-round pick Jaire Alexander, but that’s before we talk about the trades.
By moving down from No. 14 to No. 27, then back up to No. 18, the Packers were able to get the player they wanted while also adding a 2019 first-round pick from the New Orleans Saints. And Alexander lived up to his first-round selection, finishing his rookie season with 66 tackles, one interception and 11 passes defended.
But outside of the Packers’ excellent first round, the rest of the draft class had mixed results. As a result, Jeremy Bergman and Nick Shook of NFL.com gave Green Bay’s 2018 class a B grade, which was good for just 16th in the league.
Josh Jackson, Oren Burks and J’Mon Moore all need to improve in their second seasons. Moore had the most disappointing rookie year. Despite being selected in the fourth round, he finished with just two catches for 15 yards.
Where Gutekunst looks to have done well was with the selections of receivers Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown in the fifth and sixth rounds. The duo both made big plays throughout the season, and could both take on bigger roles in the new-look offense under Matt LaFleur next season.
It’s hard to argue with their B grade for the class. Alexander has the potential to be a star at cornerback, and MVS and EQ both have a lot of potential. I still have high expectations for Jackson and Burks, too.
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What do you think of NFL.com’s grade for Brian Gutekunst’s first draft as GM?