Brian Gutekunst couldn't just gush about his draft picks and celebrate a successful night. Oh no. He had to drop in a little cliffhanger ahead of Day 3.
Gutekunst revealed that he attempted to trade back into the third round but failed to find the right deal. That leaves the Green Bay Packers deliciously poised heading into the fourth round on Saturday.
"We took some cracks at maybe getting back into the bottom of the third round. It didn't happen, but we're excited for tomorrow as well," Gutekunst said.
The real question is who they wanted to move up for, and whether Gutekunst will try again on Saturday.
Brian Gutekunst may have hinted at a potential Packers trade on Day 3 of the NFL Draft
Gutekunst faced a similar scenario in 2022. He tried to trade back into the first round to select Christian Watson, but the Minnesota Vikings said no. The following evening, the Vikings agreed to trade their other pick at the top of the second round to the Packers.
Could something similar happen here?
It all comes down to who the Packers wanted to trade up for. Is that player still available? A few potential Packersy prospects came off the board at the backend of Round 3.
Indiana running back Kaelon Black had a visit in Green Bay. He went 90th overall. Texas A&M offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III has the five-position versatility and athleticism the Packers love. He went 91st. Arkansas cornerback Julian Neal checks a ton of boxes for the Packers. He went 99th.
So Gutekunst's trade-up target may be off the board. But not necessarily.
Arkansas' Mike Washington Jr. had a pre-draft visit with the Packers and is arguably the only top running back prospect available on Day 3. He'd fit perfectly as the RB2 behind Josh Jacobs. Penn State pass-rusher Dani-Dennis Sutton is one of the draft's premier athletes and would fix another need on defense.
Texas A&M corner Will Lee III was a pre-draft visitor, while Arizona State's Keith Abney II is surprisingly still available. Then there is Tennessee's Jermod McCoy, who would've been a top-10 pick had it not been for injury concerns. Now available on Day 3, could Gutekunst move up in an almost no-risk trade to select McCoy?
Gutekunst must've loved someone in that range because trading from No. 120 back into the third round is quite the leap.
If the player(s) the Packers loved are still available, will Gutekunst pick up the phone and take another swing on Saturday afternoon? The Watson trade-up in 2022 suggests he might not be done yet.
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