ESPN's Bill Barnwell believes Packers should trade up in 2023 NFL Draft

ESPN's Bill Barnwell believes the Green Bay Packers should trade up in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst loves trading up.

In recent years, he has moved up for Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage, and Jordan Love in the first round and Christian Watson in the second.

Gutekunst isn't afraid to make a bold move if an opportunity presents itself.

ESPN's Bill Barnwell believes the Packers should trade up in the first round. He notes that while receiving the New York Jets' 13th pick for Aaron Rodgers in a straight swap is unlikely, one solution would have the Packers and Jets trade their first-rounders.

Green Bay moves up two spots, while New York takes the Packers' pick at No. 15.

Potential trade-up scenarios for Packers in first round

Barnwell's trade scenario makes a lot of sense. A swap of first-rounders as part of the Aaron Rodgers deal could work.

Here's another solution: Green Bay packages the No. 15 pick with a second-rounder to move into the top 10.

The Packers could net one of the Jets' second-rounders in the Rodgers deal, so why not pair that with No. 15 and move up? What's better than a top-15 pick? How about a top-10 selection?

That's exactly how our recent seven-round mock draft played out. Green Bay sends the No. 15 and No. 42 (from Jets) selections to the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for the No. 7 pick.

The result? Green Bay lands one of the best pass rushers in the class, Tyree Wilson out of Texas Tech.

Which prospects could Packers trade up to get in 2023 NFL Draft?

Trading up for the sake of it doesn't work. To make a move, the Packers need to identify a prospect worth trading for. Ideally, they should play at a premium position.

Tyree Wilson checks that box. You can never have enough pass rushers. It's one of the most important positions in football, and it also happens to be an area of need for the Packers this offseason.

Barnwell discussed the possibility of moving ahead of the New England Patriots for a tackle. That works, too.

As Barnwell notes in the article, David Bakhtiari has only played five complete games since tearing his ACL on New Year's Eve 2020. There's no guarantee he will play the entire 17-game schedule.

Even if he does, upgrading the right tackle spot would make sense. Prospects like Ohio State's Paris Johnson Jr. and Georgia's Broderick Jones are possible trade-up candidates for Green Bay. Either player can start at right tackle in 2023, with the long-term view of moving them to left tackle.

A bold trade-up can work for the Packers, but only if they are adding a top prospect at a premium position.