The benefit of drafting poorly? You don't take on the inevitable stress of trying to re-sign multiple key players when their rookie contracts expire in the same offseason.
You may have noticed the Green Bay Packers' lack of urgency to re-sign their own players. Free agents have flooded out of 1265 Lombardi Ave this spring, including their top two 2021 draft picks, Eric Stokes and Josh Myers. It places the ugliest of bows on arguably Brian Gutekunst's worst draft class.
The Packers' relatively stress-free start to the offseason is an unwanted but bizarrely beneficial consequence of poor drafting.
Gutekunst should enjoy it while he can. Next year, the bill is due for his slam-dunk 2022 class.
Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, Sean Rhyan, and Kingsley Enagbare are among the impending free agents. Good luck.
We need to talk about the offensive line. Three starters, including both tackles, will have expiring contacts, making it nearly impossible to retain them all. It didn't help that Gutekunst drained $77 million from the rainy-day fund by grossly overpaying Aaron Banks.
Extending Tom is priority number uno, but Walker? Less so. Even if the Packers hope to bring him back, they must prepare for his possible departure, especially considering the soaring offensive tackle market.
Packers may need to draft another tackle early in the 2025 NFL Draft
Draft analysts have understandably zeroed in on pass-rushers, interior defensive linemen, cornerbacks, and even wide receivers when predicting the Packers' first-round choice. We should add tackle to the list.
The Packers drafted Jordan Morgan, a college left tackle, in the first round only a year ago. He could be the team's future left tackle, but there's at least some pause for concern. Many analysts predicted he would need to move inside due to his arm length, and he played right guard, not tackle, in Year 1 with the Packers.
Morgan is a potential replacement for Rhyan at right guard, either this season or in 2026, should he depart in free agency.
Gutekunst won't worry about making an unpopular pick for the future.
In 2019, he drafted Rashan Gary, knowing he wouldn't start a game as a rookie with Za'Darius and Preston Smith ahead of him on the depth chart. Gutekunst shocked the world a year later by trading up for Jordan Love, understanding he might not start for several seasons.
The Packers will have an eye on their 2026 free-agent class, which could mean getting a head start on fixing a potential void along the offensive line.
"We're always going to continue to address the offensive line because there's just never enough of them," Gutekunst said at the NFL Scouting Combine in February.
A recent mock draft had the Packers selecting Ohio State tackle Josh Simmons. He offers experience on both sides of the offensive line and would make a ton of sense at No. 23. The mock is one of the only examples predicting a tackle to Green Bay in the first round.
But it shouldn't be overlooked. Gutekunst may opt to upgrade the pass rush or interior defensive line, but selecting an offensive lineman is probably likelier than a wide receiver or cornerback. It might not please fans a year after selecting Morgan, but it would be a smart investment for the future.