GM Brian Gutekunst showed us with his free agency signings that he is committed to winning now – not building up for 2020 or 2021. For this and other reasons, Green Bay should be aiming to send one, or possibly two, of its 2019 draftees out on the field as starters on September 5.
It’s financially advantageous to get as much playing time as possible out of all players while they are operating under their rookie contracts. Finances aside, it’s a waste of resources to plant a first-rounder’s butt on the bench for a year or two. It’s also been established over and over that every year there are many more than 32 college players who have the ability to start from Game 1 – especially if you look to premier college football programs, like Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, Michigan, and Notre Dame.