Packers 2021 Draft: 5 potential trade-up targets for Green Bay

As we draw closer to the 2021 NFL Draft, there is a lot of hype surrounding the Green Bay Packers trading up from pick 29 into a range where they can get one of their top guys in this draft class.

As we know by now, being aggressive on the first night of the draft is nothing new for Brian Gutekunst. He has traded up in all three drafts since he took over from Ted Thompson in 2018, doing so from a pick in the late 20s on all three occasions.

Before starting, just so I don’t have to reiterate it, there’s always a chance that some of these players fall to the Packers at pick 29, albeit an unlikely one.

1 – WR Rashod Bateman, Minnesota

We are starting to hear A LOT of rumors about the Green Bay Packers having heavy interest in Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman. A first-round receiver has been a long time coming for Packers fans, and it would make sense that the WR who the Packers finally pull the trigger on is about the closest thing to Davante Adams that you’ll find in this class.

Bateman could very well be available at pick 29 in the draft as he was in ESPN’s team reporter mock draft where Rob Demovsky snatched him for the Packers.

When you watch Bateman’s tape you see a player who looks extremely NFL-ready and can make an impact from day one. With an 8.05 relative athletic score, he meets the Packers’ athletic thresholds and has the upside to develop into a superstar in future years. This suits the Packers who currently have no wide receivers under contract after next season.

2 – OT Tevin Jenkins, Oklahoma State

The 24-year-old right tackle might be the best-case scenario for the Packers in the first round. Unfortunately, a lot of other teams will say the same thing. The Raiders, Bears and Jets are three teams picking 17th, 20th and 23rd respectively who could all be vying to add the hard-nosed Jenkins to their roster.

Even if he were to fall past them all, the Ravens recently just sent their starting right tackle Orlando Brown Jr. to the Chiefs, so it would be extremely unlikely to see Jenkins still on the board after pick 28.

Whether they need to trade up 10 spots, or only two, the Packers would be securing their long-term future at the right tackle position, opposite David Bakhtiari.

3 – EDGE Jaelen Phillips, Miami FL.

This one would be a surprise but when you give it more thought, it actually makes sense for the Packers.

Green Bay have always valued premier positions in the first round of the draft and edge rusher is one of them. Phillips is the best pass rusher in this class and is a top-10 pick based on talent alone, however severe concussion issues which briefly forced him into football retirement at UCLA will make a lot of teams look elsewhere.

If Phillips begins to fall into the 20s, GM Brian Gutekunst may find the short-term benefit Phillips possesses as extremely valuable to the Super Bowl-contending Packers and could trade up above other contending teams to draft him.

Players in important positions are the players who win Super Bowls. This past Super Bowl was decided entirely in the trenches, so while it isn’t a position of immediate need, drafting Phillips could ultimately be the biggest needle-mover for Green Bay, and if he manages to stay healthy, the Packers could reap the long-term rewards of this pick too.

4 – CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama

This is the least likely scenario, but it would also require the biggest move up the board for the Packers. Patrick Surtain II is the consensus CB1 in this year’s class and Brian Gutekunst would need to trade up into the early teens to get the All-American. Even then, Surtain would be falling a few spots as many are projecting him to the Cowboys at pick 10.

If the Cowboys opt for physicality over polish and select South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn, we could see Surtain fall at least a little bit. I have a hard time imagining the Eagles, who traded back to pick 12, would not sprint the card in for Surtain, so no matter what happens the Packers would need to offer up a premium for him. But make no mistake about it, Surtain and Jaire Alexander would form the best young CB duo in the league.

5 – CB Greg Newsome II, Northwestern

Newsome is a cornerback prospect who is a little more in Green Bay’s range than Surtain is. He was a fringe first-round prospect early in the process but after a really strong pro day performance and the injury issues surrounding other top CB Caleb Farley, Newsome’s value has increased to where he may hear his name called as early as pick 16 to the Arizona Cardinals.

Newsome has had past injury concerns of his own but after coming back all clear at the NFL’s medical combine, he’s almost a lock to be off the board before pick 29. I think the Packers may want to get up ahead of their rival Chicago Bears at pick 20 who let go of Kyle Fuller in free agency and could be planning on pairing Newsome with 2020 second-round pick Jaylon Johnson.