With the 2021 NFL Draft at the end of the month, fans of the Green Bay Packers wait with bated breath, especially after the fiasco that was their 2020 draft class. Green Bay has done nearly nothing in NFL Free Agency, so clearly the front office is confident they will be able to improve the team enough in the draft to bring the Lombardi Trophy home.
Still, with no outside free agents brought in to improve the starters or the team’s depth, it feels like many holes need to be filled in a small amount of time. It’s possible the Packers acquire more draft picks prior to the end of the month in order to accomplish this. With a few obvious players they could shop, let’s discuss these three players the Packers could trade for more NFL Draft picks.
Packers Trade Candidates for 2021 NFL Draft Picks
Dean Lowry, DE
Dean Lowry is in an interesting situation. He clearly did not earn his contract last season. Still, he is a decent role player that only costs $6.3 million. This could give some teams a reason to bring him in for a late-round draft pick. There is an out in Lowry’s contract after this season, meaning any interested team will not need to make a long-term commitment if the same player shows up as last season.
Lowry is a cut candidate for the Packers anyways. While this probably should have happened before the top free agents were already signed, releasing Lowry would save $3.3 million against the Packers cap this season. Can the Packers find someone $3 million or cheaper that can give them 21 pressures and 24 tackles? I would certainly hope so.
Josh Jackson, CB
Josh Jackson simply has not panned out. It could be due to the Packers playing him out of position or constantly moving him around during camp early in his career, limiting the opportunity he actually has to develop. Still, he is a player that has shown talent, who is also on the final year of his rookie contract. Another team may look at Jackson and think they could develop him correctly.
For the Packers, it’s an obvious move. Jackson isn’t contributing on Sundays anyways, so Green Bay may as well pick up a late-round pick to assist with moving up to draft someone, as GM Brian Gutekunst has again said he wants to do.
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Jace Sternberger, TE
Speaking of not panning out, he’s another miss in the draft for the Packers. Jace Sternberger has more missed games (14) than career receptions (12). Sure, he was a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but most understood that was a reach then, and the tight end can’t reach for anything without getting hurt now.
The Packers front office has an arrogance about their ability to scout and overall develop in-house talent. Clearly, it’s false confidence. Still, they need to find a way to swallow their pride and get something, anything, for Sternberger. There’s a good chance another team feels he could fill a role for them eventually. He was a third-round pick, so there’s at least some talent there.
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