Brian Gutekunst has made some bold moves in his tenure. Trading up for Jordan Love while Aaron Rodgers was on the roster? Bold. Making a deal with the Minnesota Vikings, of all teams, to land Christian Watson? Bold.
In an NFL offseason lacking blockbuster draft-pick trades, perhaps Gutekunst and the Green Bay Packers can provide the solution.
Our friends at Sports Illustrated have cooked up a dream draft-day scenario for the Packers. You think those previous trades were bold? You ain't seen nothing yet.
The MMQB's Matt Verderame put together an all-trade mock draft following two simple rules: Each team's deal must adhere to the Rich Hill trade chart, and the move must make sense — the Packers aren't trading up for Shedeur Sanders.
Verderame's plan is Packers perfection, with Gutekunst ending the Jaire Alexander era in the same way he started it.
The trade sees Green Bay move all the way up to No. 14 overall to land Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron.
Packers land Jahdae Barron in blockbuster draft trade we hope comes true
It's an expensive deal, there's no doubt about that, but Barron is a future star. It would be a dramatic and ironic ending to the Alexander era, which started with a big trade-up.
In 2018, Gutekunst's first draft as the Packers' new GM, he traded down from No. 14 to No. 27 and then back up to No. 18 to select Alexander.
Here, they would jump from No. 23 to No. 14 to land his replacement. And Barron is worth trading up for.
"Barron's versatility and ball skills are so impressive that it is looking less likely with each passing day that he makes it out of the first round," writes FanSided's Mike Luciano. "In a cornerback class generally regarded as subpar when compared to the rest of the positions on defense, Barron is a jewel worth chasing."
Think of the impact Xavier McKinney had at safety last season. Barron could become a similar game-changer at cornerback.
In fact, the Texas star can play all five positions. The Packers could use him at either cornerback spot, including nickel, or shift him to safety if injuries hit. It's an opportunity to undo last year's mistake of passing on Cooper DeJean.
Jeff Hafley would love him. He wants his defensive backs to go after the ball and create turnovers. McKinney achieved this with eight picks in his debut Packers season, and Barron can bring the same game-changing qualities, having intercepted five passes for Texas last year.
Green Bay shouldn't sit around and hope a difference-maker falls to No. 23. In a rookie class lacking star power at the top, it makes more sense than ever to make a bold move.
Gutekunst might not like parting ways with a second-rounder, but Barron is worth it.