Gutekunst stays true to form with another baffling pick
By GERY WOELFEL
GREEN BAY – Some news and views after Day 2 of the NFL draft:
Brian Gutekunst did it again.
It seems each and every NFL draft, Gutekunst, the Packers general manager, makes some baffling choice.
Friday, during the second round of the draft, Gutekunst decided to select Anthony Belton … an offensive left tackle.
Nobody, and I mean nobody saw that coming. After all, the left tackle position seemed in good shape.
Veteran left tackle Rasheed Walker did a commendable job last season and Jordan Morgan, who Gutekunst expended a first-round pick last year, was expected to challenge him for the job.
Belton may turn out to be a good player, maybe a great player. He is a mountain of a man; He stands 6-foot-6 and crushes the scales at 336 pounds. He is a strong man and capable of being a force in the running game.
But with Walker and Morgan on the roster, the Packers didn’t need another offensive tackle. They have more pressing needs, most notably a competent cornerback, someone who can upgrade a suspect – and I say that charitably – cornerbacks unit.
Does Gutekunst really believe the current cast of cornerbacks — Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and Nate Hobbs — can neutralize the potent passing attacks just in the NFC North?
Not me.
The Packers are on the cusp of being a Super Bowl contender and need players who can contribute ASAP and not projects.
There’s an arms race in NFC North
The NFC North boasts some of the most impressive receiving corps in the NFL. To wit:
- The Vikings have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson. All were first-round selections.
- The Lions have Jameson Williams, Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta. Williams was a first-round pick, LaPorta was a second-round choice and St. Brown was a fourth-round selection.
- The Bears’ receivers cast includes Roma Odunze, DJ Moore, Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III. Odunze, Moore and Loveland were first-round selections. Kmet and Burden were second-round choices.
- The Packers receiving crew features Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Tucker Kraft and Matthew Golden.
Golden was selected in the first round of Thursday’s draft, while Reed was a second-round pick and Tucker was a third rounder. Doubs was taken in the fourth round.
The correct call
It’s hard to criticize the Packers for selecting Matthew Golden with the 23rd overall pick on Thursday night.
Golden was clearly the best receiver still on the board..
A number of observers, including yours truly, thought the Packers might corral a cornerback instead and fill an obvious hole.
But all of the top CBs had injury-riddled college careers and were too risky to select.
As it turns out, the first receiver taken after the Packers picked Golden was Maxwell Hairston of Kentucky. He went to Buffalo at 30.
Trade in the works?
Cincinnati All-Pro defensive end Trey Hendrickson has requested a trade and sources told me he is definitely interested in joining the Packers.
Interestingly, the Bengals, with the 17 overall pick, tabbed Shemar Stewart, an edge rusher from Texas A&M.
Stay tuned.
Job well done
The Packers’ biggest offseason loss will be the departure of their president Mark Murphy. The man simply did a fantastic job for the organization in so many ways, not the least of which was bringing the 2025 NFL draft to Titletown.
