Don't forget MarShawn Lloyd, who was an excellent receiving back in college.
Malik Heath is probably as good as quite of few of this (weak WR) draft.

GB also has an excellent history of acquiring top level talent receivers in the 2nd and later rounds (Jordy, Greg Jennings, Driver, Antonio Freeman, etc.)

Now, if there was another Sterling Sharpe still available at #23, sure, go ahead and grab him. But those guys are long gone by the late 1st Round where the playoff caliber teams pick.

The Packers philosophy is taking "big guys" or DB's in the 1st round. By the 20's in the draft order, most of the flashy, shiny objects are picked over, and they're left to build with the "meat and potatoes " menu of talent.

That's a good plan, unless you pick the wrong guys when your turn finally rolls around. In their defense, GB certainly isn't the only team that misses on their 1st round picks. It just seems magnified when they do.

It just seems like there's a lot more "Datone Jones's" than there are "Clay Matthew's".

It's a good thing they make up for the misjudgements early with some great picks late.

Some fans and local pundits always want a splash skill player every year it seems. It’s so much more exciting to discuss. This year we have a need for WR help, with contracts for 3 of them approaching completion, Watson being effectively out with injury and questions about Doubs’ concussions. The result is that this year the punditry In particular seems to have become obsessed.

I look at this draft and I look at our overall needs and it seems pretty clear that the strength of this draft is DL to an unusual extent. It also seems fairly accepted that DL is at least as big a need for us as WR.

Moreover, I don’t see a generational receiver in this class. In fact, I see the strength and value of receivers lying in rounds 2 through 4 and several permutations for getting a versatile Z and a size/speed threat X. Of the anticipated first rounders there are in fact only 2 I would consider in round one. Only 2 I think would have a significant chance to help this season and neither would be my top choices to play X: McMillan and Egbuka.

Both are versatile, both fairly polished. Neither is a pure slot (despite Egbuka’s college role). McMillan can play X, he’s just not the physical burner despite his size. Ultimately he is not the best X for now I see and his value is as a moveable piece. Egbuka is not an X. He’s a polished route runner who projects to a Z who can play slot and the odd situational X snap.

Both increase our flexibility and depth. I think both have good careers and are the 2 first round projections that have a good chance to help now (away from the slot). Neither seem canton quality to me, but to upgrade our depth and options now and in future. One, perhaps both, are likely gone when we pick.

Then I look at our needs. This draft is either going to have to go very well for us (a drop) or badly (meaning the first level DL are all gone) before we pick. There are good odds that there should be a top DL available. If that’s the case go there. There are too many other options at WR, some of which I think
may be better solutions in fact over time or in a narrow X role initially.

Of course it’s harder to write about big guys, so no doubt more attempts to whip up the topic will be made, but there is no Jefferson type in this draft, there’s a lot better chance to make a bigger difference away from WR in round one this year.

I find myself yet again wishing the draft had not been pushed so late. It’s the incredibly barren period before it now that spawns these type of pieces for lack of anything tangible to discuss.

The WR talk is interesting. This has been going on since Jordy left but especially the last couple of years since Davonte left. I like our current receiver room but I'm always open to adding potential upgrades. The passing attack involves a whole lot more than just receivers. It's the OL blocking, it's the play calling and play design, it's the timing, it's the QB. It all has to work in concert. Same group of WR's from 2023 were deemed awesome and on the rise. A few extra drops doesn't suddenly make them bad. The Packers put extra emphasis on the run game last year, mostly because 10 was injured. Those two factors were more relevant to the less than spectacular passing attack. Even then, some metrics still ranked the GB passing attack in the top 10. The Packers have worked hard to stabilize their roster prior to the draft and have starters at EVERY position. BPA (best player available) is the strategy and one of the reasons Packer fans get so angry with Gute over the draft. He looks for BPA to build depth and create competition. If by the end of next season one or more picks have worked their way into heavy playing time, well, that's business as usual for the Packers. If Jordan can stay healthy I believe many of the passing issues will disappear. All this said I do think the Packers will target a specific type of receiver early in the draft to fill the deep threat role that Christian Watson filled. It almost certainly won't be the hyped guys projected at the top of the draft because none of them fit that role. Look for the tall fast deep threats like Issac TeSlaa or Donte' Thornton Jr to get called in the 2nd or 3rd round while also picking a DT to replace Slaytons snaps on the DL. GPG!

The top end quality of this draft's WRs is so weak, and the middle round quality so solid, that I wouldn't be surprised if NO receivers are picked in the first round. I think a few will, but I wouldn't be SURPRISED.
I think there is going to be a run on DT, ED, and CB in the first round.
It's quite possible that the top five (or more) of each will be gone before the Packer's pick.

QBs, RBs, and WRs may go later than expected.

I think it's possible that the BPA at 23 is going to be an OL or LB Jihaad Campbell (or a TE or S, but I don't think the Packers would pick them).

My mind goes a couple ways in making sense of this off-season with the pass-catchers...
1. Gute and LaF really aren't all that concerned about the WR room...or maybe better said: about the pass-catchers in general. I say that because they made no moves in FA to raise the talent level or by trade to bolster the depth with known commodities. I don't view Hardman as a player that really does that. But if they were really concerned and they see this team as ready to contend (with the FA additions), not supporting the pass game in a position group they view as deficient is mismanagement.
2. the braintrust just didn't feel that there was talent on the WR market that was worth paying for and would produce the results the money would lead us to expect. If true, this is good cap management, even if it forces readjustments in the roster and offensive direction.
3. they have their eye on a couple pass-catchers (and it would need to be more than one) in the draft that they see as being able to make a significant impact right away. This I think is the least likely of the three due to the perceived weakness of this WR class and planning this way on guys you don't know you can get without overdrafting them seems too risky for this management group.

I think it's really a combination of 1 and 2, added to the fact that they felt like they needed to bolster other positions. How they used free agency argues that they're going to lean further into ball control/play defense as their calling card. The OL got better, but not deeper--they replaced a starter (Myers) with a starter (Banks). They bolstered the secondary by adding a CB. Otherwise they're doing what they need to do: find young guys who can play and get the most of those rookie contracts, sign the guys they feel they need to keep, and let others go for comp picks (if they merit them).

Excellent analysis on GB's receiving talent and possible usage moving forward. Great receivers are certainly a luxury which GB has enjoyed in years previous, only to fall short in the playoffs. The Bengals have two great receivers and stud QB only to fail to make the playoffs that last two years.
You can have three stellar receivers and a hall of fame QB which would be the envy of the NFL but if you don't have a defense that can produce in the playoffs, you will be going home sad.

I don’t think the Packers would be well served to take a WR in the first round either. Hopefully Jayden Higgins is still there for the Packers at pick 54, but if not there could be Isaiah Bonds (4.39 forty) or Ayormanor. I like Jack Bech a lot but I’m not sure the Packers would consider him at 54 without him running a 40 for them.
Also, we may have to scale back the talk about Jayden Reed being a number 1 receiver. At least until we find out whether or not he really can’t get open against man coverage as Justis Mosqueda has said. He has disappeared quite a bit last season and until we know otherwise, I’m likely to take Justis’ word on this.
Hopefully the Packers draft at least a couple receivers with contracts coming up for Watson and Doubs. Tory Horton, Isaac TeSlaa and Bru McCoy would be nice to see in Green Bay.

Good article, but TCU receiver's name is Bech.

An analysis by ESPN producer Paul Hembekides of first round draft selections from 2000-2019 showed the "hit rate" of 43% overall.

A "hit" was defined as the first rounder signing a second K with his drafting team. The best positions were C at 92%, followed by OT @ 59%, then G @ 50%.

Next were LB @ 48%, QB @ 46%, Edge/DE @ 44%, DT @ 40%.

Next lowest hits were from CB and RB @ 38%, S @ 34%, TE @ 33%.

The lowest positional hit was WR @ 27%.

These are all averages so the top of the first round selections all fared better in hit rates at all positions than the later rounds. So a WR at #23 is even less a hit rate.

I think Team Gutey knows this too. These stats match the Packers needs and the draft quality this year at DL and OL.

I still believe a DT, DE, OT, IOL (in that order of BAP priority) will tell the tale at #23. And if some of those BAP big boys are appearing to slide into the 2nd round, expect a trade down.

Gutey would (so far) have a defined hit rate of his first 5 First Round selections of 60% (Alexander, Gary, Love) and misses on Savage and Stokes. Well above the 43% average while also selecting in the bottom half of the first rounds (exception was Gary at #12).

Too soon to call Walker, Wyatt, Van Ness or Morgan.

If the Packers have any intention of getting closer to the Super Bowl, they're going to need a more reliable offense. You simply cannot go out in a playoff game and score 10 points and expect to win. You can't score 20 and expect to win.

We're deficient in that regard. In the elimination games during the LaFleur Era, we don't score enough points, or the offense doesn't get off the bus until halftime, or both.

If you think you can fix that with Day 3 picks, fine. I disagree. I think we need to add weaponry.

Our current WR situation, for example, starts with Jayden Reed, who had his problems in 2024 and was injured in the playoff loss. Then you have Doubs, who has a troubling concussion history AND who is in the final year of his contract. Then, you have Droptayvion Wicks, who is fast, elusive, runs good routes, etc. and does everything well right up to the point that the ball gets there. That's our Big 3.

Beyond that, we have Melton and the newly arrived Hardman.. This is not a championship arsenal. Love has a window, and it won't stay open for ever. We should get him the help this year so it'll be around during open window.

Egbuka in the first. Checks all the boxes. Good level of competition, great program, durability,size, speed, polish. Helps our offense more than any other player we could get at #24.

There are only a few good possibilities for the Packers at WR in the first round, but if one of them is there, they should take him. I don't want to watch another dismal display of WR skills like we saw at the end of last season, including the playoff game.

Everyone has been talking about the Eagles defense and the Eagles offensive line, but they have invested a lot in their WRs. Devonta Smith was a #10 overall pick, and A.J. Brown was acquired in a trade for a #18 overall pick. Brian Gutekunst's piecemeal approach to building the WR group has not been good enough. When you try to do things on the cheap, you usually get what you pay for.

Derrick Mayes? or Donald Driver?

Your choice.

I hate it when you boil things down and it's all just window dressing. So frustrating even if you are a fan of window dressing. It also makes me tired of arguing.

I'm really out of the loop if everyone thinks that Mecole Hardman is going to command a large role in the Packers’ offense and everyone wants to pair a first round wideout with Love. I guess that's why at the end of the day when you compare apples to apples, the other shoe is going to drop and Gute will either find an irresistible force to counter an immovable object or he'll draft an edge or a DT or a CB, but it won't be someone just for name recognition because the Packers tried that and even though fans recognized the names, the players weren't very good so name recognition is no longer a metric used by the Packers in assembling their big board.

The biggest mistake Gute has done in the Offense is not having a #1 WR to take over from Adams and another rookie that could be a #2 WR. Gentlemen we have no #1 WR and no #2 WR....We have a bunch of guys that ALL drop the pass far too often. We are missing what most teams have in either a FA or past draft pick. LH is right this problem is all about Gutes unwillingness to give the past 2-QB's the most basic need.....a quality 1 AND 2 WR...It has cost us 2 Super Bowl runs with AR and possibly 1 with JL already in 2023. Like I have stated many times here Rodgers started his career with 1. Driver 2. Jennings 3. Jones 4. Nelson and Don Lee TE.....Just what the hell has Jordan Love had besides 1. Kraft , TE 2. Jacobs, RB to work with CONSISTENTLY....Crickets. The first 2 picks need to be 2 top WR's or WR and top TE we can work our OL into a smash mouth run and gun offense....10 points and every recent playoff appearance is just as pathetic when we get knocked out of it.... There are at least 5-6 WR's of GB current favorable type and if you watch Higgins he may go in the first also....and I would not wait for the player to drop...that's how Jefferson got picked at #20 and Aiyuk and Deebo were jumped ahead of Gute being too conservative with his Offensive picks. Musgrave has not proven much and Kraft is by far our #1 TE. We need more Offensive talent and that means 2-top WR's...to compete in our division or piss away another year of a QB's time.

Get Higgins in the 2nd and Thornton in the 4th. I think Higgins could be a stud and Thornton is a 6'4" burner. You have expect that one or both of Watson and Doubs won't be back next year.

Watson/Doubs, Higgins, Reed, Wicks, Thornton, Heath & Melton will give you all you need from the wr room. Without Watson and Doubs, I'd still be content with the remainder.

Hardman won't even make the roster unless he kills it on returns. Melton also has return experience from college, assuming Nixon doesn't keep the return job when Hardman flames out.

I think the 1st pick has to be either Grant or Landon Jackson after a trade back to end of the 1st or early 2nd. Might be worth trading next year's 1 to get back into early 2nd and get both of them. Clark doesn't have much tread on the tires and there isn't another nose on the roster. Jackson would be a clear upgrade over LVN. Maybe another option would be Ezirauku in the 1st as a new flavor of pass rusher on the edge.

Pick a receiver in the first round?
Are you kidding me?

This is the Packers.
There have only been 2 offensive players taken in the first round going back to 2012.

Matter of fact, both of those 1st round players barely got on the field after being drafted.

I don't have a problem with going defense in the first round, but can the Packers hit on a 1st round pick one of these years.

I stated several times during the season, that the offense was off. The stat that floored me was that no 3rd down conversions happened by throwing to TE or RB last year. I dare say that the Packer's passing attack should have that happen 2-3 times a game.
That is a major issue with either game planning or implementation. A new receiver, should be drafted, but not a priority. Fix the gameplay, and let's see what happens.
Just MHO

Julian Hicks
Cornelius Johnson
How good are they?