Packers have challenging trade decision in Round 1 of 2024 NFL Draft

The Green Bay Packers currently possess the 25th overall selection in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft. There are going to be plenty of options available to the Packers, considering that their pick is toward the end of the first round. But what should Green Bay do? Stand pat, move up, or move down?

One option is to do nothing.

It's simple, really. The Packers have plenty of picks in this draft (11 total), and getting as many chances as possible to add contributing players to their roster would be highly beneficial. There will still be quality players available at this point in the draft, so there is not necessarily an urgent need to move up to get one.

This would not be the most exciting course of action for the Packers to take, but it would be a wise one. Green Bay is coming off a season that saw them make the postseason, and that is encouraging for their future. However, it required a late-season rally to do so.

Not pressing fast forward on their team-building process and letting things play out naturally with their current draft capital would allow them to continue their gradual progression in competitiveness. Taking a risk-averse approach would also give them a larger margin for error with their picks rather than attempting to go all-in on someone with a risk of things not working out.

Why the Packers could trade up in the first round

Who wouldn't want the Packers to move up for a blue-chip prospect who may still be available much longer than anyone anticipated? This team proved last year it is ready to take steps forward from a competitive standpoint, and adding an instant difference maker to its current roster could see it leap from Wild Card team to where it rightfully belongs: atop the NFC North.

Green Bay has the picks to move up should the opportunity arise, and there is a very good chance this could happen. Having a pick in the mid-20s is usually a prime position to move up into the teens to go and get someone they covet. The Packers have multiple picks in the second and third rounds, which could help their chances to trade.

It will come down to how aggressive the organization wants to be if they have identified someone they want to select who is still available as their pick approaches. If there is any reason to believe that someone could jump ahead of them to take that player, they should not hesitate to move up by using one of their additional picks to ensure they get the player they truly want.

Why the Packers could trade down in the first round

Trading down and possibly out of the first round is not particularly exciting, especially for those who stay up in an effort to see who the Packers will select, only to see them pass on making a pick that night. However, this has been a hallmark of successful organizations for years now and would not be the worst idea for the Packers.

Acquiring more draft picks via a trade-down will open up more avenues to add talent to the roster by either making additional draft selections or using those picks to move around in this or future drafts.

There is also the option to trade any picks to acquire a proven commodity and eliminate the risk of the entire draft process. This could help Green Bay's chances in the short and long term, as it elevates their talent floor right now with a proven NFL player while also using their other picks to acquire younger players on less expensive rookie contracts.

Taking this route would provide the organization with the most flexibility in terms of roster construction, and it would be hard for them to turn down this opportunity if they were approached with it.

More Packers news and analysis