Defensive tackle and cornerback remain the Packers’ biggest needs in the eyes of both fans and sportsbooks.
Brian Gutekunst has doubled down on the same position within the first four rounds of the NFL Draft in each of the last three years. In 2022, he picked wide receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs in rounds two and four. In 2023, it was the tight end group, as he selected Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft both on night two. Then last April, he did it twice, selected a pair of linebackers (Edgerrin Cooper and Ty’Ron Hopper) and two safeties (Javon Bullard and Evan Williams) before the 150th pick came up on the board.
This season, the draft board could set up similar for the Green Bay Packers’ general manager to make multiple early picks at a single position.
Which position the Packers draft first is a different story, one that FanDuel sees as largely a two-position race. Well, it’s three, technically, with the oddsmakers lumping defensive linemen (both ends and tackles) together, and FanDuel has that spot as a slight favorite at +110 odds, followed closely by cornerback at +130. You have to go all the way down to +750 to reach the next position, wide receiver, and it’s a sharp decline after that.
But the double-up is a question we have been thinking about at Acme Packing Company, and we asked you, our readers, if and where Gutekunst might attempt that this season. The results are in, and more than 70 percent of you do believe that a double-up is coming, with defensive tackle and cornerback neck-and-neck for the lead.
28 percent of the overall voters expect a defensive tackle double-dip, with that position therefore accounting for about 38 percent of the vote among those respondents who expect a double-up somewhere. Cornerback is close behind, however, with 25% of the vote overall and 35% of the position votes.
Bringing up the rear are wide receiver and defensive end with 10% overall each, accounting for the remaining votes.
Here’s the full breakdown:
Join us at APC next week to see which group of respondents was right about this question and our others from over the past few weeks.