The Green Bay Packers are clearly building the future franchise around young, talented players obtained through the NFL Draft and are expected to part ways with a few longtime veterans this offseason.
Why?
They need to free up salary cap space to continue to add to a roster that is clearly trending in the right direction. Luckily, Gunekunst and company stuck gold in last year’s NFL Draft and won’t have to think about locking down several of their top receivers, tight ends and a few key defensive pieces as they are all contributing at a high level on their rookie deals.
The Green Bay Packers should probably consider inking Jordan Love to a long-term deal sooner rather than later. Love recently signed a one-year extension to his deal in May 2023 worth $13.5 million with $13 million guaranteed which runs until the end of the 2024 season according to Spotrac.
Three sources told ESPN”s Rob Demovsky Love’s projected long-term deal could range from $30MM on the low end to upwards of $50MM on the high end. It would come as little surprise if a contract fell somewhere in between those extremes, but questions will obviously linger about a lack of sample size.
Either way, any major extension stresses the importance of landing immediate starters in the NFL Draft, as Gunekunst and company pulled off brilliantly
In a recent piece for PackersNews.com, Insider Pete Dougherty wrote about the upcoming difficult decisions the Green Bay brass will have to make due to salary cap hits coming from Aaron Rodgers and other recent moves that won’t have them free and clear until 2025.
Doughtery speculates the salary cap will raise by an estimated $31 million in 2024 (noting the true number won’t come out until the offseason), but in that instance, the Packers would be roughly $15 million over the ‘24 cap.
While parting ways with veterans like David Bakhtiari and De’Vondre Campbell will save Green Bay a ton of cap space in 2024, hitting on top-tier talent in the NFL Draft will pay major dividends.
This season’s draft class may go down in history with the contribution the Packers have received. From receivers Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks playing prominent roles throughout the season and into the playoffs, to the duo of rookie tight ends who have both proven themselves as reliable blockers and pass-catchers, Gunekunst deserves praise.
He’s even gotten tremendous production out of 7th round DB Carrington Valentine, who was thrown into the fire due to injuries and has held his own. Karl Brooks has produced in the limited action he’s gotten as a backup DL, while first-round pick Lukas Van Ness hasn’t even scratched the surface of what he can be long-term.
Fourth Round DL Colby Wooden has played in 10 games and has 17 tackles and half a sack in limited action.
Sure, there have been issues with Anders Karlson at kicker, and late picks like WR Grant Dubose and Anthony Johnson Jr. are currently on the practice squad, although Johnson did get elevated In November and has recorded 18 tackles, 3 pass deflections and an interception against the Steelers in his second NFL game.
While the current focus is on the 49ers, the Packers front office can only hope to replicated this year’s production from the 2024 rookie class.
Green Bay Packers Projected To Select Top Alabama DB In NFL Draft, According To Two Top Mock Drafts With Varying Opinions
Even with the emergence of Valentine — who isn’t polished but has shined enough to show promise — the Packers need help at defensive back.
They currently have the 21st passing defense in the NFL and rank 21st in interceptions (7). They have allowed opposing quarterbacks to have an average completion percentage of 64.1 percent while giving up an average of 7.3 yards per catch.
With the status of Jaire Alexander’s future with the Green Bay Packers unknown, they need to secure a No.1 lockdown corner who can start immediately.
Since taking over as general manager in 2018, Brian Gutekunst has used three first-round picks on defensive backs. A path that he could take once again on the 2024 NFL Draft.
If Gutekunst decides to walk down that path again on April 25, he could turn to the Alabama secondary to add premium talent to Green Bay’s secondary.
PFF has Green Bay selecting Alabama Crimson Tide CB Terrion Arnold according to their latest mock of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Allow me to introduce you to another starting-caliber cornerback: Terrion Arnold.
Kool-Aid McKinstry was the top star in Alabama’s secondary to begin the season, but Arnold has emerged as a potential first-rounder, as well. He is a very impressive athlete who has the long speed, quickness and body control to mirror receivers of all shapes and sizes. He recorded five interceptions with 14 forced incompletions this season.
While PFF has McKinstry rated behind Arnold, CSB Sports NFL Draft Analyst Chris Trapasso believes he’s the top CB in the 2024 class and will end up in Green Bay.
McKinstry is the exact cornerback the Green Packers probably need moving forward in their secondary,” Trapasso wrote.While in a vacuum it’s hard to knock the Packers for taking arguably the best cornerback in the draft, in the greater context of the Gutekunst era this move would be infuriating for fans.If Green Bay drafted McKinstry, as this mock suggests the Packers would, he would go down as the eighth defensive first-rounder in the Gutekunst era and the fourth defensive back (cornerback Jaire Alexander in 2018, safety Darnell Savage in 2019 and cornerback Eric Stokes in 2021).
Either way, it appears most experts peg the Green Bay Packers taking one of the two first-round caliber Alabama corners in April.
