The Green Bay Packers could potentially be in a very advantageous position when the first-round of the NFL draft rolls around later this month. The Packers hold the 30th overall pick and may be able to leverage that position for more draft capital.
"Melvin Gordon still on the board when the Packers are up do they draft him, trade the pick or take someone else?" a Green Bay fan tweeted at ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky for his weekly mailbag.
"It sure looks like Melvin Gordon will be there when the Packers pick at No. 30 in part because running backs just aren't valued in the first round much anymore. In his latest mock draft, Todd McShay did not have Gordon going in the first round. But it's unlikely, if not almost completely out of the question, that the Packers would take him. If Eddie Lacy didn't have two more years left on his rookie contract, it might be a different story. If Lacy had durability issues, it might be a different story. But neither of those things is a reality, so the Packers would be better served going in another direction."
That direction could be downwards on the draft board.
There are several running back needy teams that have been linked to Gordon. The Dallas Cowboys need to replace DeMarco Murray with someone other than Darren McFadden. The Arizona Cardinals know that Andre Ellington is best suited for a complimentary role. The San Diego Chargers just lost Ryan Mathews. It's more than possible that any of these teams sees Gordon still available at the tail end of round one and decides to move up the draft board to snag him.
The Packers, who rely almost exclusively on the draft to build their team, would presumably be very open to the idea of adding more picks.
