Gutenkunst will be a very busy man
Packers have long combine to-do list
GREEN BAY - The annual scouting combine at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis features some schedule adjustments for the incoming rookie class, NFL front offices and coaching staffs largely due to the league’s detion sire for prime-time viewing of the workouts. But, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst feels like it can be an effective week for the organization.
“We’re all kind of cautiously optimistic it’s going to be a little bit better — at least for us,” he said. “I feel for the players a little bit just because of the night stuff.”
While formal interview time with prospects has been shaved from 60 to 45 minutes, informal interviews have been moved to the stadium and posicoaches will now have dedicated time to meet with players. That is one reason why head coach Matt LaFleur and his staff will be making the trip, even though some teams have elected to leave their coaches behind.
“I think that’s a really valuable process for me to get their (thoughts),” Gutekunst said. “This is really the first time they’ll have a chance to really sit down and get to know him. So that’s, their impression
of that is helpful. Obviously our scouts by this time have had a lot of time with these guys, they’ll get more time at the combine, but this is our coaches’ first time to really sit across from them and test their football knowledge and get a feel for the player. So it’s important to me. As the combine evolves, we have to evolve with it.”
As the Packers head into the 2020 draft season, these are the positions that the front office and coaches should be watching:
Wide receiver
Veteran Geronimo Allison will likely hit the free-agent market, which leaves a corps behind Davante Adams that features a fifth-round pick in Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who went from a starter to playing one snap in the NFC championship game; a sixth-round pick in Equanimeous St. Brown, who lost all of 2019 to injury; and undrafted players Allen Lazard and Jake Kumerow. Include practice squad player Darrius Shepherd, who made the initial 53-man roster last year, and that quintet has combined for 142 catches for 2,168 yards and nine scores. It is not a group heavy on experience, explosiveness or production, but Gutekunst feels there is more there.
“I’m excited just for Year 1 to Year 2 (in the offense) with our current players to see how they can expand on that, and then whatever additions we make hopefully will fit a little more with what they prefer to do,” he said.
Gutekunst pointed to the fact that it often takes receivers several years to reach their potential and he wouldn’t box himself into a certain type of pass catcher — though he acknowledged he likes bigger players at that position.
“You’d love to have a 6-4, 225-pound guy that can do it all,” Gutekunst said. “I do like tall, long athletes, and we certainly have some of those guys, and I’m excited about what they can do moving forward. I think you’ve seen across the league what a group of guys who can really run — with how the game is called today and the rules of the game and stuff — I think that’s something we’ll certainly put an emphasis on this year.”
It just depends at what point in the draft he emphasizes it.
Adams represents the last time the team took a traditional wide receiver before the fourth round when he was selected in the second round in 2014. Randall Cobb (2011) and Jordy Nelson (2008) were the last second-round picks before Adams. Greg Jennings (2006) and Terrence Murphy (2005) were also second rounders.
The Packers used a third-round pick to take James Jones (2007). The last first-round pick at the receiver position was Javon Walker in 2002.
Offensive tackle
Right tackle Bryan Bulaga is set to become an unrestricted free agent, and whether the club re-signs him or not, there is a notable lack of young depth at tackle. Since drafting Bulaga in the first round in 2010 the Packers have selected Derek Sherrod (first round, 2011), David Bakhtiari (fourth round, 2013) and Jason Spriggs (second round, 2016) at the position. Sherrod and Spriggs contributed little. To bolster their depth last season, the Packers claimed the recently unretired Jared Veldheer off waivers and signed undrafted tackles Adam Pankey (Tennessee) and John Leglue (New Orleans) off practice squads, but the team hasn’t invested much draft capital in the position.
And if Bulaga commands too much on the open market, the club could be looking for a starting-caliber tackle to replace him — which could force the Packers’ hand early in the draft.
“There’s no depth at tackle, that’s the issue,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. told “Really, after the top group, you’re not going to find one, unless you can develop a Saahdiq Charles at LSU, or you can develop a Matt Peart at Connecticut or an Austin Jackson at USC. The top five are pretty defined.”
Defensive line
Just under a year ago, the Packers cut Mike Daniels, and defensive coordinator Mike Pettine considered Montravius Adams his most improved player. But Adams, a third-round pick in 2017, dealt with injury and played just 17% of the snaps in 2019. Gutekunst called Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry the “pillars” of the unit a year ago and Tyler Lancaster is a solid role player, but one must wonder if it will ever click for Adams. Sixthround pick Kingsley Keke flashed at times in just 94 snaps. But with the issues stopping the run and a lack of sack production outside of Clark from the down linemen, the Packers could be looking for more bulk and pass rush up front.
“This league continues to trend towards being a passing league and rushing the passer,” Gutekunst said. “I’m a firm believer that’s how you affect the game the most. Looking back on last year, certainly (run defense) was an area where we didn’t perform like we needed to perform. It’s something we’re going to look at for sure.”
Linebacker
Inside linebacker gets the headline here, as Blake Martinez may command a free-agent contract too rich for the Packers to match. B.J. Goodson is also a free agent, which leaves Oren Burks as the only inside ’backer under contract who has played a defensive snap for the Packers. Second-year linebacker Ty Summers appeared only on special teams as a rookie in 2019.
“Obviously, with Blake being up, the inside linebacker thing is something we’re going to have to see how we’re going to do that,” Gutekunst said.
But the Packers only carried four outside linebackers in 2019 and Kyler Fackrell played 40.2% of the snaps — and will also be a free agent. As far as game experience, it’s a thin group that will need some bolstering with rookie contracts as the total cap number for Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith balloons to a combined $30.75 million in 2020.
And keep an eye on … quarterback
Gutekunst has long associated himself more with the Ron Wolf-style of talent acquisition when it comes to quarterback, feeling the more, the merrier. Yet over his first two drafts he has yet to select one, instead trading for DeShone Kizer and bringing in undrafted free agent Tim Boyle to back up Aaron Rodgers.
But, before electing not to draft a signal caller in 2019, the Packers hosted Drew Lock for a top-30 visit and tried to bring in Daniel Jones, but scheduling did not permit it.
“You guys have heard me say this before, everything I’ve been taught, that’s where you start, you start with the quarterback, so you evaluate them every year and I think it’s always on the table,” Gutekunst said. “It’s a good crop this year, it’s a good group of quarterbacks, I think it’s a little deeper than it has been in the past. It will be interesting.”