Packers address key offensive needs on Day 2 of 2019 NFL Draft

By selecting Elgton Jenkins and Jace Sternberger on Day 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers have gone a long way to fixing two of their biggest offensive needs.

Guard. Tight end. Edge rusher. Safety. Four of the Green Bay Packers‘ top needs ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft. They have all been addressed in the opening three rounds.

On Friday night, it was the offense’s turn to get some help.

The Packers didn’t trade on Day 2, instead happy to stay put and pick Mississippi State’s Elgton Jenkins with the 44th-overall pick, a versatile offensive lineman who can play at multiple spots. The Packers then found their tight end with the 75th-overall pick, bringing in Jace Sternberger from Texas A&M.

Jenkins brings versatility to offensive line

Brian Gutekunst made addressing the offensive line a top priority on his to-do list this offseason, and he’s brought in two versatile linemen via free agency and the draft.

Billy Turner can play at tackle or guard. It’s possible the Packers view him as Bryan Bulaga‘s successor beyond 2019, but he could start early on at guard. Jenkins entered the draft as a center, but it’s notable that the Packers list him as a guard on their official website. That tells us all we need to know about where they see him fitting into the offense.

For an offense that gave up 53 sacks in 2019, here’s a stat the Packers will love: according to Pro Football Focus, Jenkins gave up just three sacks over the past four seasons at Mississippi State. Outstanding. Considering his ability to play all across the offensive line, the Packers have to be delighted with this pick.

Too early for a guard? Just ask the Indianapolis Colts and Andrew Luck. Last year, they selected two guards in the first two rounds. Quenton Nelson went on to become a first-team All-Pro as a rookie, while Braden Smith made the PFWA All-Rookie Team. The Colts went from giving up the league’s most sacks in 2017 (56) to the fewest in 2018 (18).

Sternberger gives Packers receiving tight end threat

Jimmy Graham‘s play fell short of expectations in 2018, but a new offense under head coach Matt LaFleur could be just what he needs to bounce back this season. But even if he does, Graham turns 33 in November and could be playing his final year in Green Bay.

Enter Jace Sternberger, the Packers’ third-round draft pick on Friday night. He’s going to need time to develop areas of his game, which is to be expected. But as Joe Marino of The Draft Network noted in his draft profile, he’s a “true seam-busting threat that will stress defenses in the middle of the field”. Marino believed he had second-round value.

Having caught 10 touchdown passes in 2018, it’ll be interesting to see whether Sternberger can become a red-zone threat for the Packers. And if Graham can return to form in the red zone, the Packers could have two tough covers at tight end inside the 20.

After addressing the defense on Day 1, Gutekunst needed to use a couple of picks on offense. That’s exactly what the Packers did on Friday night, and they look to have successfully addressed two of their biggest offseason needs.