GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers used free agency to make sure they have same type of defense that held the San Francisco 49ers without an offensive touchdown in the NFC divisional playoff loss.
That leaves the draft to address the offense.
Even if they sign a receiver in free agency -- whether it’s bringing back Marquez Valdes-Scantling or signing one of the remaining veterans -- they need to rebuild that position after trading Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders. And after cutting veteran Billy Turner to save salary-cap space and losing Lucas Patrick to the Bears in free agency, there are holes on both the interior and exterior of the offensive line.
The only move the Packers made on offense was to re-sign tight end Robert Tonyan, whose late October ACL tear could make it tough for him to be back for Week 1.
Instead, general manager Brian Gutekunst made sure he gave defensive coordinator Joe Barry the key pieces to build on what was the ninth-ranked defense in total yards last season by re-signing linebacker De'Vondre Campbell and cornerback Rasul Douglas plus adding veteran defensive tackle Jarran Reed.
Good thing Gutekunst has plenty of resources in the draft.
By adding the Raiders’ first- and second-round picks (Nos. 22 and 53 overall), the Packers have the second-most selections (11) in this year’s draft. They have multiple picks in the first two rounds for the first time since 1967, with four inside the top 60.
In the first ESPN mock draft since the Adams trade, Mel Kiper Jr. has the Packers addressing the aforementioned positions in the first round: Texas A&M guard Kenyon Green at No. 22 and Arkansas receiver Treylon Burks at 28. Kiper admitted the Green pick “isn't the sexy pick that Packers fans will love after acquiring this selection” in the Adams trade. If the Packers take Burks or any other receiver on Day 1, it will be the first time they’ve used a first-round pick on a receiver since Javon Walker in 2002.
If Gutekunst wants to go bold, he could trade picks 22 and 28 and move into the top 10. According to most NFL draft trade value charts, those picks could get Gutekunst up to No. 8. At that spot, Kiper has the No. 2 receiver in the draft, Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson, being chosen.
Neither Gutekunst nor coach Matt LaFleur has spoken to reporters since the start of free agency or after the Adams trade. But during interviews before and during the combine, they expressed little concern about their ability to field a potent offense around Aaron Rodgers once again.
While LaFleur couldn’t have known at the time that he would lose Adams, he hinted that the Packers could become even more reliant on the running game with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon.
“That’s an important part to our offense,” LaFleur said earlier this month. “Certainly, I think you felt the effects of when we lost AJ in that playoff game [to a broken rib]; we were missing a little something there. We’re super excited about both those guys, and I think AJ is just kind of scratching the surface of what he can become.”
As for the offensive line, questions remain: Will left tackle David Bakhtiari ever be the same? Is Elgton Jenkins going to be ready for the opener? Who’s going to play right tackle?
Bakhtiari’s ACL rehab was a nightmare. He didn’t play until the regular-season finale, more than a year after his injury. He went 27 snaps and was shut down again for the playoff game. Still, Gutekunst said last month that “long-term, feel really good about him as our left tackle.”
There’s no heir apparent to Turner at right tackle, although Jenkins -- a Pro Bowler at left guard who filled in for Bakhtiari at left tackle until his own ACL tear -- is an option. But Jenkins might not be ready for the opener; he tore his ACL on Nov. 21 at Minnesota. Yosh Nijman, the No. 3 left tackle last year, also could move to the right side.
Patrick was a jack-of-all-trades on the interior, starting at center (11 games), left guard (one) and right guard (one) last season. A healthy Josh Myers should return to center, and the guard spots -- depending on Jenkins -- could remain in the hands of Jon Runyan Jr.. (left) and Royce Newman (right).
“If we didn’t add anybody to our offensive line, I feel really good about the guys coming back,” Gutekunst said. “Obviously, Elgton’s coming off a big injury, but if you’re saying, ‘Hey, he’s healthy, ready to go,’ I’d feel really good about our group coming back.”