The Green Bay Packers stayed put at No. 23 on Thursday night and drafted Texas wide receiver Matthew Golden in the first round.
Brian Gutekunst said they received calls about moving back, but ultimately decided to stay and select.
Packers president Mark Murphy doesn’t expect the same strategy moving forward.
Speaking with Kay Adams on the “Up and Adams Show,” Murphy was asked to make a prediction. He provided one hell of an answer.
I predict we will trade up once and down twice.
Adams appeared shocked that Murphy revealed something so direct, while Murphy chuckled.
It shouldn’t be surprising that the Packers plan on shuffling around, as it’s become par for the course under Gutekunst.
Naturally, the mind wanders to where they could slide around and who they could target.
If the Packers move up in the second round from No. 54, they may target Michigan cornerback Will Johnson or Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku.
Johnson was a no-doubt, first-round pick before some medical reports surfaced that have scared teams away.
Many thought Ezeiruaku would be a first-round selection and was recruited to Boston College and coached by Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley.
If Green Bay slides back in the second round, they might target South Carolina defensive lineman TJ Sanders or Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison.
Wide receiver became far less of a need after Golden’s selection. If Green Bay deems the value to be genuine with any of the players mentioned above available, it would be a value pick that also targets a need still present on the roster.
Jaire Alexander is still a Packer for the time being as well. Don’t be surprised if the Packers try to find a trade partner during the festivities.
Murphy predicting one trade-up and two trade-backs is one hell of a specific prediction. Let’s see what happens.
