With 10 picks in the 2019 NFL draft, including four in the top-75, the Green Bay Packers could be poised to make an aggressive move up the draft board on Apr. 25. After spending big money on free agent acquisitions Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Adrian Amos and Billy Turner, GM Brian Gutekunst is set up to draft the best available players as opposed to drafting for specific needs at the expense of optimal value.

While the team addressed a number of primary needs through free agency, there are still plenty of holes on the roster that will need to be addressed through the draft. Here are three players I think the Packers should consider moving up for in the first round:

(AP Photo/Doug McSchooler)

Why he makes sense for the Packers:

  1. The Packers haven’t had a consistent receiving threat at tight end since Jermichael Finley last donned the green and gold in 2013.
  2. He’s one of the best and most complete tight end prospects in recent memory.
  3. He has the potential to become a premier NFL tight end (I think his level of play will be somewhere between Tyler Eifert and Travis Kelce).
  4. He’ll be an asset in the run game with his blocking.
  5. He’ll give Aaron Rodgers a reliable target outside of Davante Adams.
  6. The cost of acquiring him shouldn’t be too steep if he’s available where I expect him to be.

Why he could be available near the end of Round 1:

  1. He plays a non-premium position and this year’s draft class is loaded with talent at positions that are typically valued more highly (i.e. offensive tackle, defensive tackle and edge rusher).
  2. When some teams inevitably reach for quarterbacks, it will push other more talented players down the board.
  3. Tight end draft value is often difficult to pinpoint. O.J. Howard, who, in my opinion, was a better prospect than any of this year’s tight ends lasted until the 19th pick of the 2017 NFL draft, despite receiving top-12 projections from the majority of draft pundits.
  4. He’s a good, not great athlete. Hockenson tested above average in most measurements of athleticism at the NFL Scouting Combine in March, but his 4.7-second 40-yard dash time was merely average for a player at his position group. That number alone could turn teams off in the top 20.
  5. This year’s tight end class appears to be a fairly strong one, so teams might think they can get better value in a later round.
  6. He might not be the first player off the board at his position.

Given the aforementioned reasons, I feel that there’s at least a decent chance Hockenson lasts into the 20’s. If the Iowa tight end does, in fact, slide into the 20’s, Gutekunst should not hesitate to pick up the phone and inquire about the cost of trading up.

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Why he makes sense for the Packers:

  1. Noah Fant makes sense as a target for Green Bay for many of the same reasons former Iowa teammate T.J. Hockenson does: the long-standing need for a reliable receiving tight end, his high upside, and potentially, the low cost of moving up to acquire him.

Why he could be available near the end of Round 1: 

  1. Again, Fant could slide into the 20’s for many of the same reasons as Hockenson: strength of the draft class at more highly valued positions, tight end class depth and quarterback demand being the primary culprits.
  2. He might not be the first tight end off the board because his skill set isn’t as well-rounded as Hockenson’s. Fant is a better overall athlete and superior deep threat, but he’s not a great in-line blocker and he’s had a fair number of focus drops over the past two seasons at Iowa.

If drafted by the Packers, Noah Fant could provide a Jared Cook-like deep threat at tight end. If he’s still available into the 20’s, inquiring about a trade up should be a no-brainer.

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Why he makes sense for the Packers:

  1. Jaire Alexander appears to be their only quality starter at cornerback.
  2. Kevin King has been injury prone and his play on the field has been inconsistent thus far.
  3. King and Josh Jackson were both second-round picks at one of the toughest NFL positions to translate to from the college level, so the odds of both of players becoming quality starters seems unlikely.

Why he could be available near the end of Round 1: 

  1. Some of his measurables are average. At the NFL Scouting Combine last month, Murphy measured in at 5-11, 190 lbs. with 30 1/8″ arms, and ran the 40-yard dash in a mediocre 4.55 seconds. Average-sized corners with 40 times north of 4.5-seconds typically get drafted outside of the top 20.
  2. He’s not an ideal fit for a press-heavy defensive scheme. Murphy has the ability to excel in a variety of coverage techniques (zone, press-bail, off), but if there was one aspect of coverage that he struggled with in college, it was bump-and-run situations against larger receivers. Murphy possesses excellent fluidity, short-area quickness (6.83-second 3-cone, 4.14-second 20-yard shuttle) and technique to mirror receivers and limit separation out of route breaks, but he lacks ideal length for a press-man corner and he was occasionally bumped off of routes when he tried to jam bigger receivers in college.

Just to clarify, I’m not saying that the Packers should give up on either Kevin King or Josh Jackson. It’s still entirely possible that one or both of those players develops into a quality starter. I’m simply saying that if they have the opportunity to acquire a cornerback of Byron Murphy’s talent, they should absolutely do it.

I believe Murphy is one of the safest selections in the draft, and I think he’ll become a Pro Bowl-caliber player early in his career. If the Packers are able to acquire Murphy and pair him with Alexander, they could have one of the best young cornerback duos in the entire NFL.