As the NFL Draft inches closer, tidbits of information continue to leak out. Whether or not to invest in each report or rumor is up to the individual.
However, Green Bay’s need at wide receiver isn’t up for debate. The consensus top true wide receiver is Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan. Would Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst trade up to snag the belle of the ball at wide receiver?
Before last week, thoughts of Green Bay linking up to get McMillan weren’t even being whispered about. The Packers first-round selection sits at No. 23, and some mocks have McMillan going in the top 10.
Green Bay doesn’t mind shuffling around its draft positioning, but typically, it hasn’t been to move up in the first round.
That idea pivoted ever so slightly following Jordan Reid’s report last week.
Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan held a private workout for scouts Monday afternoon, participating in the 40-yard dash and running routes, Reid noted. The three evaluators I talked to were very complimentary of his performance. Times ranged in the 4.52-4.56 range for McMillan, which matches the speed scouts projected for him. Brian Gutekunst of the Packers was the lone NFL general manager in attendance, per sources.
It’s that last part about Gutekunst that raised eyebrows.
Some have suggested on the always reliable outlet X that Gutekunst and the Packers could be putting on a front and bluffing on their interest in McMillan.
Ask yourself this: Would a general manager fly out for a private workout of a prospect just to try and fool other front offices? What purpose would that serve? How does that help Green Bay in any facet?
It doesn’t, and it’s a dumb concept.
Gutekunst’s presence at the private workout indicates the Packers have some level of intrigue with McMillan.
Would Green Bay be willing to trade up for McMillan?
That’s another ordeal.
Green Bay has navigated around past drafts with Gutekunst at the controls, and he has made no secret of how he prefers to stack up picks.
The Packers have traded up in the first round as recently as 2020.
In a move that stunned many, Gutekunst and Co. traded picks 30 and 136 to slide up to 26 and select quarterback Jordan Love.
The year before that, Gutekunst orchestrated a trade that sent picks 30, 114, and 118 to the Seattle Seahawks to move to 21 and select safety Darnell Savage.
So, for all the talk about the Packers moving back to stockpile picks, there have been two occasions where Gutekunst has not only moved up but also did so in the first round.
If McMillan slides past the top 10, Gutekunst could be itching to move up and snag the Arizona product. He moved up nine slots to get Savage in 2019. Moving up 13 or so to get into top 10 territory might be too rich for Green Bay. Anything past that? All bets are off.
The second element of this is the running joke about Green Bay not selecting a wide receiver in the first round since 2002.
Gutekunst clarified again at the NFL Combine that it’s not an organizational philosophy.
It’s funny, it’s not a philosophical thing we’ve talked about through my time in Green Bay, which goes back quite a while, Gutekunst said. It’s never something like ‘Hey, we don’t want to take wide receivers in the first round’ or certain opportunities we’ve had, we thought that was gonna happen and for whatever reason it didn’t.
I don’t blame those who have an, I’ll believe it when I see it mindset on this one.
Still, Gutekunst hasn’t scurried away from the questions about it. He has been direct in his responses.
So, how could this all realistically work out?
Expecting Green Bay to leapfrog from No. 23 inside the top 10 to snag McMillan is a stretch. The draft compensation it would cost alone isn’t something the Packers would likely entertain.
McMillan has seen his status slip by some outlets because of a 40-yard dash time that ranged between 4.52 and 4.56 seconds. The Packers have shown they value various things over the years in draft prospects. In recent years, there’s been an emphasis, or maybe a coincidence, on high RAS scores with many of their picks.
Still, the 40-yard dash time has never been the be-all, end-all for Green Bay.
- Davante Adams ran a 4.56 40-yard dash back in 2014, and that worked out pretty well for Green Bay.
- Romeo Doubs ran a 4.50 at his pro day in 2022.
- Dontayvion Wicks ran a 4.62 at the combine in 2023.
McMillan’s times may have some look another direction but not Green Bay. The Packers are likely salivating over seeing a 6’4″, 220-pound receiver.
His size would play well in head coach Matt LaFleur’s system, and his ability to go up and get a contested catch only enhances that.
If you expect Green Bay to dive head-first into the top 10 of the draft to select McMillan, you’ll likely be disappointed.
The real show will begin if McMillan isn’t selected in the top 10. After that, seeing Gutekunst wheel and deal his way up wouldn’t be surprising.
