Packers pair Aaron Rodgers with superstar in recent 2018 re-draft

Imagine a world where the Green Bay Packers were unable to select Jaire Alexander in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

I know, it doesn't bear thinking about, does it?

But it easily could've happened. Before making two first-round trades, the Packers owned the 14th overall selection of the draft. A trade-down then trade-up resulted in Green Bay moving to 18th, selecting Alexander.

As a result of the two trades, the Packers also netted a future first-round pick from the New Orleans Saints, a genius move.

But what if Alexander wasn't available? What direction could the Packers have gone in?

Packers land star running back in 2018 re-draft

Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport put together a 2018 re-draft, making each pick in the first round based on what we know now.

Unsurprisingly, two-time All-Pro Jaire Alexander didn't make it to the Packers' selection, instead going fourth overall to the Cleveland Browns. This shows what incredible value Green Bay got by selecting Alexander 18th overall. He would be a top-five pick in a 2018 re-draft.

With Alexander gone, the Packers decide not to pull off the double-trade, instead selecting running back Saquon Barkley with the 14th overall pick. Barkley went to the New York Giants second overall in the real draft.

Davenport wrote: "Now, the Packers are keeping the pick and using it to upgrade a backfield that (at the time) was short on talent and explosiveness. When healthy, Saquon Barkley is loaded with both."

There's no denying Barkley's talent. He has rushed for 4,249 yards and 29 touchdowns in 60 games, making two Pro Bowls. He is also a talented pass-catcher, with 1,820 career receiving yards and eight touchdowns.

But it still would've been a strange pick. While it's true that Aaron Jones hadn't reached his Pro Bowl-best in 2017, he had shown more than enough in his rookie season, turning 81 attempts into 448 yards and four touchdowns at an impressive 5.5 yards per carry.

The Packers had drafted Jones and Jamaal Williams only a year earlier. Investing a top-15 pick at the position just 12 months later would've been a tough move to justify. Going for a wide receiver like D.J. Moore would make more sense.

Still, it's fun to imagine the possibilities of an Aaron Rodgers-led offense featuring Saquon Barkley, Davante Adams, Aaron Jones, and Jamaal Williams.

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