Chad Reuter of NFL.com takes a look at the Packers' NFL Draft strategy for the upcoming 2019 NFL Draft, as the Packers pick twice in the first round. Reuter also takes a look back at the final years of the Ted Thompson era, and offers some thoughts on the first draft class of Brian Gutekunst.
Regarding the upcoming draft, Reuter says that there's more flexibility with the number of high picks the Packers have, meaning that they can go after a top talent or package for additional selections as the roster continues its makeover. The late first-rounder from the Saints could be valuable to the right team that wants to lock down a player for an extra year of team control at the end of the first round, as the Packers did when they traded back to pick Kevin King a couple of years ago.
Reuter discusses that move to pick King and pass on T.J. Watt in detail, explaining the typical strategy of an NFL team in that part of the Draft, saying that teams will often have multiple players of similar value on their board, and will almost always opt to get the extra picks. While the deal looks bad in hindsight, it's also only been two years, and King hasn't played much yet, which is more bad luck than bad drafting.
In terms of Ted Thompson drafts, it's fair to be critical of how they went as of late, says Reuter, saying that in situations where you flip a coin and the pick pans out or it busts, it came up bust nearly every time.
Reuter appeared on The Mike Heller Show on Thursday afternoon.