The Green Bay Packers are going to be a very interesting team to keep an eye on in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. If there is one thing general manager Brian Gutekunst has shown since being in charge of the team, it is that he is not afraid to be very aggressive with trades in the draft. He has traded up, traded down, and has also stood pat.
Now, the Packers will have to decide what to do in the first round again. Should they trade up to improve their roster or stick with the No. 29 overall pick?
CBS Sports has predicted that the Packers will trade up from the No. 29 overall pick to the No. 24 pick. With that selection, they have Green Bay beefing up their secondary by selecting Northwestern cornerback Greg Newsome II.
Trade details: Packers give up first-rounder (No. 29) and third-rounder (No. 92) for No. 24 and fourth-rounder (No. 140). Packers GM Brian Gutekunst has moved in the first round in each of the past three years so why not make it four? With the Browns needing a corner at 26, the Packers trade with another storied franchise for the best CB remaining after a down year from Kevin King.
Newsome would be a very intriguing addition for the Packers. As the quote mentioned, Kevin King was torched by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship Game. Many were surprised that the team even considered bringing him back, but they did so with a one-year contract.
While he is a very raw prospect, Newsome has the physical ability to be a star in the NFL. For a team like the Packers, they could sit him behind King to start the season, but if King struggles they could replace him with the rookie.
In his three-year career at Northwestern, Newsome racked up 71 total tackles to go along with an interception and 24 defended passes. The numbers don’t look amazing, but teams did stay away from throwing at him. Newsome has a lot of work to do, but the talent and work ethic is there.
Standing in at 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds, Newsome is a big cornerback with physicality and speed. He seems like a perfect fit on the outside looking in for the Packers.
Expect to see Green Bay remain active as the NFL Draft draws closer and get underway. Trading up is always an option and Newsome would be worth moving up for in this draft class.
