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Packers entering 2021 draft rich in picks, poor in capital

The Green Bay Packers are one of only seven teams with 10 or more picks in the 2021 NFL draft, but total number of picks doesn’t necessarily equal capital in the draft.

Assigning value to each pick can help determine capital. And the Packers’ 10 picks aren’t very valuable overall.

According to Tankathon, the Packers rank 25th in the NFL in draft capital based on the Jimmy Johnson model of valuing draft slots.

The Packers finished 13-3 in 2020 and pick 29th overall in each round of the 2021 draft. And of the team’s 10 picks, seven are on Day 3. Green Bay has only three picks in the top 100. In fact, the Packers have just as many picks in the 200s as they have in the top 100, helping highlight why the team lacks capital.

Possessing a lot of draft capital doesn’t guarantee good players, but lacking capital can make it harder to find the best players in a draft. The idea here is that the Packers, even with 10 picks, may find it more difficult to find the premium talent.

Also, while general manager Brian Gutekunst is confident he can use his picks and move around the board freely, the Packers’ lack of total value in picks could hamper the team’s ability to trade up aggressively.

For instance, the Indianapolis Colts look like an ideal trade partner for the Packers in the first round. The Colts hold the 21st overall pick but only have six picks overall. However, the Packers may have to give up a third-round pick to move up eight spots because the team’s two fourth-round picks aren’t valuable enough – at least based on the Johnson valuation – to make up the eight-spot difference in the first round.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have the most capital entering this year’s draft, while the Seattle Seahawks have the least.

In the NFC North, the Detroit Lions are seventh and the only team in the division inside the 10 for capital. The Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears rank 17th and 19th, respectively.

List

Highlighting ideal first-round scenarios for Packers in 2021 NFL draft