Five biggest questions the Packers will answer during the NFL Draft

The draft, as general manager Brian Gutekunst said on Monday, is the lifeblood of the Green Bay Packers. So this week is the perfect moment for the external public to understand exactly what their plans are and what they think of themselves.

So, let's evaluate the five biggest Packers-related questions before the draft and wait for the answers.

What type of offensive lineman do they want?

Usually, the Packers tend to draft shorter offensive linemen (6'4, 6'5). That happens because it's nearly impossible to draft a 6'8, 6'9 tackle and later move him to guard, compromising the quarterback's view inside the pocket.

"We're looking for well-rounded guys that can fit any scheme," Gutekunst said. "That can play multiple positions".

But the Packers do have tall tackles on the roster. Caleb Jones is 6'9, Luke Tenuta is 6'8. The point is that Jones went undrafted, and Tenuta was claimed off waivers, so there wasn't any significant investment in them.

On the other hand, Brian Gutekunst hasn't drafted any first-round offensive lineman and this class is full of tall tackles. If he intends to draft a tackle early, he might be forced to choose a tall guy. And if he intends to play him at guard, the positional value becomes more questionable at that point.

If 6'7 is too much for the Packers, tackles like Joe Alt, Amarius Mims, Tyler Guyton, and Patrick Paul would be affected.

Are the Packers happy with their secondary pieces?

The Packers re-signed Keisean Nixon, Corey Ballentine, and Robert Rochell. At safety, they signed the top safety on the market, Xavier McKinney. But in both cases, the top of the units are questionable for a reason or another.

At cornerback, Eric Stokes has barely played since 2021 and, when he does, it hasn't been good. Keisean Nixon is a fine depth piece, but probably not an ideal starting slot corner.

At safety, the situation is tough behind McKinney. Last year's seventh-rounder Anthony Johnson Jr. is the projected starter, and there's not much after that.

Is Gutekunst happy with the depth? Perhaps, the Packers think the new coaching staff can get more out of these players than Joe Barry could. But they can also understand that they need more talent, for the short- and long-term.

Is there a reasonable answer at linebacker?

The Packers released De'Vondre Campbell and switched to a 4-3 base defense, so off-ball linebacker is an obvious need. But that's not a great class for that need.

"Not a good year to need off the ball linebackers," NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah posted on Sunday.

To get things worse, the best of the class is Edgerrin Cooper, but stylistically he's too similar to Quay Walker. If they get him, Walker would probably have to be moved to middle linebacker, which is not a great use of his talents.

The best true middle linebacker options are Payton Wilson and Junior Colson, but it's uncertain how well they would handle the task.

At the end of the day, the Packers might just get a developmental type, like Trevin Wallace, and hope that McDuffie can keep his ascending NFL trajectory under a defensive coordinator he knows really well — McDuffie played under Jeff Hafley at Boston College.

Is their WR room enough?

The Packers have good wide receiver depth with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Bo Melton, among others. It's unlikely that they will add a high-end receiver, but can they think about more depth pieces?

That would be an organizational decision, more about the future, because the receiver market is blooming and it's hard to keep good, not great receivers for a fair price. Watson and Doubs only have two more years under contract, so it makes sense to keep investing in the position to have more flexibility down the road.

What's the future of the defensive line?

Green Bay drafted Devonte Wyatt, Colby Wooden, and Karl Brooks in the last two drafts, so their defensive line is fine in terms of depth. But while Wyatt is a good interior rusher, he hasn't played to the level the Packers expected when they took him in the first round in 2022.

Kenny Clark is entering the last year of his deal. Maybe they find a way to give him an extension, but if it's not on their plans, the defensive line is more of a priority than the external perception would indicate.