Packers GM Brian Gutekunst says Transfer portal impacting scouting process

Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said the new era of the transfer portal is making life more “difficult” for his scouts on the road, as well as scouts around all of the league’s other 31 teams.

Gutekunst explained that NFL scouts begin seeing prospects as underclassmen, but the portal has made it more difficult when it comes to gathering background information on prospects. The new era, he explained, makes the combine all the more beneficial, especially the player interviews taking place late in the evenings.

“When you first start scouting a player, they’ve been there three or four years,” Gutekunst said. “They were recruited by that staff possibly. They’ve seen them when they came in at 17 or 18 years old. They’ve seen them grow. Now guys are hopping around a bit more. Now we get the chance to sit down and talk to them about some of their past experiences, see how they take accountability, and see how they handle themselves in the interview process.”

Gutekunst also explained the importance of cognitive testing and the role it plays in player evaluation. He said while the cognitive tests are not as relevant with player selection, they are relevant to how the Packers plan to maximize a player’s potential.

“If we happen to have guys who don’t take our cognitive test, or the league’s cognitive test, because there’s multiple, we’ll probably test them once we bring them into Green Bay,” he said.