GREEN BAY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Green Bay is the center of the National Football League (NFL) world this week with more than 200,000 people expected to flood the streets for the NFL Draft. Hosting adds a few layers of stress for the Packers, but after years of trying to bring the event to Lambeau Field, it’s well worth it.
“It’s been really cool to see the organization, the city rally around," said Packers General Manager Brian Gutekunst. "This is something I don’t think a lot of people thought could happen. Just really excited to see how this comes together.”
The Packers have eight picks this year including #23 overall. Everyone wants to hit a home run with their first-round pick but the Packers are willing to be patient
“It’s great when they do, but that’s not always the case," Gutekunst said. "The transition to the National Football League is tough. A lot of times it’s determined by opportunity. We try to stay away from drafting for need, we try to take the best player available.”
This will be a unique draft. Thanks to COVID and the rise of NIL, some players stayed in college longer than usual meaning there are more NFL ready prospects. So what will make this a successful draft for the green and gold?
“We take a lot of pride in the people we bring into this locker room. We’re obviously chasing things that are really big around here. Guys we bring into this locker room to me need to be the kind of guys that fit into that culture," Gutekunst said.