Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst revealed on Friday night that he had tried to trade back into the third round. We now know who he wanted: Dani Dennis-Sutton.
Gutekunst confirmed on Saturday that the Penn State pass-rusher was his trade-up target. Turns out, he didn't need to worry, as Dennis-Sutton surprisingly fell into the Packers' lap at No. 120 overall.
Various mock drafts had Dennis-Sutton going as early as No. 52 to the Packers, including ours, while The Athletic's Dane Brugler had the Penn State product 60th on his big board. Steal. And it's easy to see why Gutekunst wanted to draft him so badly.
"First of all, his production is really, really good. His size, his speed. I just think he's got so much in front of him as far as his best football goes," Gutekunst said.
"He's an elite athlete for a guy that's almost 6-6, played around 265. But his ability to come off the edge and rush the passer. He can bull-rush, he can win with speed, his length affects the passer, he can set edges. He's got a lot to offer and a lot of really good football in front of him."
Packers landed Dani Dennis-Sutton despite failing to trade up for him
Gutekunst noted on Friday that he "took some cracks" to get back into the third round, which would've taken a pretty significant leap from No. 120 overall. It could've cost the Packers a decent chunk of change in terms of draft capital.
What Gutey didn't specify on Friday was whether the player he wanted was still available entering Day 3. The answer was yes, and the Packers got him without even needing to make a deal.
Green Bay's interest in Dennis-Sutton is about as unsurprising as it gets. He is a very Packersy prospect.
Gutekunst said it himself. Size. Athleticism. Speed. Strong run defense. Potential as a pass-rusher.
It goes further than that, too. Green Bay will love the effort Dennis-Sutton brings on every play, which couldn't be said for every Packers pass-rusher last season.
How he slots into the depth chart on Day 1 remains to be seen. Dennis-Sutton is talented enough to make an immediate impact, and he will likely compete with Lukas Van Ness for snaps right away. Where it leaves Van Ness is now the $13 million question, with the Packers facing a May 1 deadline to pick up his fifth-year option.
The reality is that Dennis-Sutton had the tools to be a Day 2 pick. The consensus boards aligned with that thought, and so did Gutekunst. He even tried to make it happen, but unable to strike a trade, Gutey had to wait.
And it couldn't have worked out any better.
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