The NFL Draft Comes to Green Bay

In this week's episode of The Wisconsin Sportscast, the NFL Draft is almost here and after months of preparations Green Bay is just about ready for action. Is the town of 105,000 ready for the draft? They have to be, Oates thinks. The NFL wouldn’t allow the Draft to come to town if they weren’t. The crowds shouldn’t overwhelm anything, and Appleton and the Fox Valley are just down the road. If you can’t find something to do in Green Bay, you can certainly find a bar in Appleton. Still, this is the first time in a very long time that the Draft has come to Wisconsin, and Oates thinks it might have taken some bargaining to happen. After all, the Packers didn’t want to play any international games until last year. But it’s Lambeau Field, so why wouldn’t it be in Green Bay? How many other stadiums are out there that people make pilgrimages to? It’s a great thing for the entire state, Oates says, just as long as people aren’t upset that the frozen tundra isn’t frozen in April… The Packers have pick number 23 this year, and plenty of names have been thrown around for the next potential name to wear the green and gold. But it likely won’t be any Badger players. Lucas and Oates agree that no one from Madison is being drafted in the first round. Maybe by Saturday, but not likely before then. The last time the Badgers had any first round draft picks was 2017 when T.J. Watt was picked up by the Steelers. It’s not that the Badger’s haven’t had solid players who are NFL ready. But ever since they had six offensive linemen drafted in one year, they’ve had a hit. But the Packers are the real star this week, and Lucas wants to know: how is Gutekunst as a drafter? He’s fine, Oates thinks, but he relies too much on pure athletics and RAS scores. The Packers have drafted a few great RAS players in recent years, and have they had a particularly dynamic time in the NFL? Did they even when they were in college? You can’t ignore the RAS, obviously, but playability needs to be a factor. Still, everyone has to pick a few busts every once in a while.  The Wisconsin Sportscast with Lucas & Oates is a Cap Times podcast produced by Nate Wegehaupt. Find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.