We all know the NFL Draft is a little bit silly. What takes three days could be done in a handful of hours if the league really wanted to. They shouldn’t; the spectacle is enjoyable. But we can at least acknowledge that it’s silly.
And a good deal of that silliness is kayfabe — stagecraft we’ve all agreed to accept. One of my favorite bits of this stagecraft is how every team seems to get exactly the players they wanted exactly when they thought they would get them. Almost nobody ever deviates from their board (or, at least, nobody admits that they do), and everyone’s favorite prospect happens to be on the board when they’re ready to pick. It’s uncanny!
I also enjoy how nobody ever picks for need, just value. “We trusted the board” is the law of the land. The board just always happens to point teams toward what they happen to need. Again, it’s uncanny!
Kidding aside, it was refreshing to hear Brian Gutekunst openly address the Packers need for cornerback help in his pre-draft press conference this week. It would have been disingenuous to do anything other than that. Everyone knows the Packers need corners. They’ve needed cornerback help since the moment they signed Nate Hobbs a little over a year ago.
Saying it out loud isn’t disclosing some state secret. Every other team on the Packers’ schedule certainly knows cornerback is a weakness (just ask the Chicago Bears!). Sure, it breaks some of the illusion, but we’re all adults. There’s plenty of other draft-related silliness we can embrace this weekend.
If the Packers look to target their biggest needs, these would be some great options.
If Brian Gutekunst wants to move around, he has a little flexibility.
The Packers’ best lineman is on his way back to full health after successful surgery.
If the Packers add a linebacker, here are some Day 2 options.
The draft could go plenty of different ways for the Packers. Here’s one perspective on the best and worst options.
14,000 miles would be quite a road trip even on four wheels.