No. 29 GREEN BAY PACKERS (14-4)
LAST SEASON: The Packers followed up a 13-3 regular season with an NFC championship game loss for a second straight year. QB Aaron Rodgers earned league MVP honors while leading a potent offense that also featured three other first-team All-Pros: OT David Bakhtiari, C Corey Linsley and WR Davante Adams. Linsley has since left for the Los Angeles Chargers. Bakhtiari’s status for the start of the 2021 season is uncertain after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament on Dec. 31.
FREE AGENCY: Lost DE Montravius Adams, QB Tim Boyle, C Corey Linsley, G Lane Taylor, RB Jamaal Williams. Released LB Christian Kirksey, TE John Lovett, OT Rick Wagner. Signed LS Joe Fortunato. Re-signed RB Aaron Jones, CB Kevin King, TE Marcedes Lewis, DE Tyler Lancaster, S Will Redmond.
THEY NEED: CB, DL, OL, WR.
THEY DON’T NEED: QB, RB.
POSSIBLE FIRST PICK: Alabama DT Christian Barmore, Minnesota WR Rashod Bateman, Kentucky LB Jamin Davis, Florida State CB Asante Samuel Jr., Georgia CB Eric Stokes.
OUTLOOK: GM Brian Gutekunst has traded within the first round each of the last three years, so don’t be surprised if the Packers move out of the No. 29 spot. The Packers focused on long-term development rather than short-term needs last year with a draft strategy that included trading up four spots to take Utah State QB Jordan Love in the first round. After coming so close to the Super Bowl the last two years, do they concentrate this time on guys who can help immediately? The NFC championship game loss underscored Green Bay’s need for cornerbacks to complement Pro Bowl selection Jaire Alexander, though the return of King provides some help there. The Packers haven’t selected any wideouts in the last two drafts. They may want to boost their offensive line depth after losing Linsley.
