Packers trade up, draft safety Darnell Savage at No. 21 overall
General manager Brian Gutekunst moved up in the 2019 NFL draft to get his guy.
Packers Draft Coverage
With Green Bay’s second pick of the first round, the Packers traded up from No. 30 overall to select safety Darnell Savage out of Maryland with the 21st pick.
Green Bay gave up its 30th overall pick and two fourth-round selections (No. 114 overall, No. 118) to move up in the first round and take Seattle’s place at No. 21.
Savage compiled 181 tackles, nine tackles for loss, one sack, 22 passes defensed and eight interceptions over his four-year collegiate career at Maryland. Recruited as a cornerback, Savage moved to the safety position as a sophomore and started 36 games there for the Terrapins from 2016-18.
Savage was named to the second team All-Big Ten in 2018. The 5-foot-11, 198-pound safety ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at the NFL combine.
Safety was a need for the Packers this offseason after they traded Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, a former first-round pick himself back in 2014, to the Washington Redskins on Oct. 30. Green Bay addressed the position in free agency, signing former Chicago Bears safety Adrian Amos to a four-year deal in March.
With their first pick of the night, the Packers selected former Michigan defensive lineman Rashan Gary at 12th overall. Gary will play outside linebacker in defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s 3-4 defense.
