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Cheese Curds, 4/20: Lots of picks could help Packers move up again, but not that far

Green Bay can’t really get all that high in round one even if they sacrifice a bunch of their later draft picks to do so.

2018 NFL Draft Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

Ten picks in the NFL Draft should be plenty of ammunition to throw into a trade up, right? After all, the Green Bay Packers famously love moving up in round one under Brian Gutekunst, doing so to draft Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage, and Jordan Love in each of the past three years.

With lots of picks at their disposal, a move up could be in the cards once again. But just how far can the Packers practically get?

A look back at each of those trades shows that the teams on both sides generally came out about even according to the two major draft pick value charts, the classic Jimmy Johnson scale and the more modern chart published by Rich Hill of Pats Pulpit. The Alexander trade had the Packers and Seahawks coming out almost evenly, with just five points or so separating the two teams’ hauls either way; the 2019 move for Savage saw the Packers get the better of the deal, again with Seattle; and in 2020, the move up for Love also was a positive for the Packers.

So where could Green Bay get to in 2021 to come out even (or as close to it as possible) on the charts? Well, if they really want to get crazy and send a second-round pick, they might be able to get as high as about 17. The third-round selection would probably have the Packers up around 22 overall, while the two fourth-round picks should get Green Bay to around 25.

By mixing and matching some picks, the Packers should still be able to move up the board. But ultimately, there probably isn’t that far that they can go without unloading one of their day-two picks.

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