2024 Class of Wide Receivers Will Be Hard for Packers to Ignore
Brian Gutekunst may not be able to help himself from adding another wideout to an already strong group.
By markoldacres
The Green Bay Packers have a plethora of young, exciting wide receivers to build around as they look to return to 'Super Bowl contender' status, but that does not mean they will shy away from adding another player to the mix.
Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, general manager Brian Gutekunst remained open to drafting another wideout, despite the strength of his current group, emphasizing the benefit competition had on the entire receiver room.
He told Larry McCarren of Packers.com: “All those players did a really nice job in 2023 of competing and taking advantage of their opportunities, but 2024 is a new year and they will need to do the same thing again. We are going to bring in players to compete with them”.
If that is the case, this draft is another great chance to add real talent to the wide receiver position. This was driven home by the impressive performance of so many players who competed at the Combine, especially in the athletic testing.
All told, there were 18 players who scored at least a 9 out of 10 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) last week, compared to all receivers who previously tested. An additional 4 receivers scored between 8 and 9.
The Packers have their own athletic thresholds of course, which players historically must have cleared to be drafted. At present, there are a whopping 17 receivers who have already qualified or are on course, pending agility testing:
- Javon Baker - UCF
- Jermaine Burton - Alabama
- Jalen Coker - Holy Cross
- Ryan Flournoy - Southeast Missouri State
- Cornelius Johnson - Michigan
- Xavier Legette - South Carolina
- Luke McCaffrey - Rice
- Jalen McMillan - Washington
- Bub Means - Pittsburgh
- Adonai Mitchell - Texas
- Rome Odunze - Washington
- Ricky Pearsall - Florida
- Ja’Lynn Polk - Washington
- Brenden Rice - USC
- Brian Thomas Jr - LSU
- Devontez Walker - North Carolina
- Johnny Wilson - Florida State
This gives the Packers plenty of viable options if they wish to add a receiver, whether it be early or late in the draft. Perhaps crucially, there are a handful of players who would bring a different skillset to the wide receiver group.
Legette may be the player people thought Treylon Burks would be; a powerful, athletic receiver who can win at the catch point and excel after the catch. At 6'1'' and 221lbs, Legette ran a 4.39 in the 40-yard dash, jumped 40 inches in the vertical and 10'6'' in the broad.
Rice, the son of Hall of Famer Jerry, is another physical wideout who had strong tape at USC. The questions about his top end athleticism were answered at the Combine, with Rice scoring a 9.13 RAS.
Wilson, the behemoth 6’6”, 231lb receiver from Florida State, arguably had the most eye-opening testing of all, running a hugely impressive 4.52 40 for his size and performing extremely well in both the jumps and the shuttle drill on the way to a 9.88 RAS.
If Gutekunst wants to bring a power forward into the wide receiver group without compromising the usual athletic thresholds, he has every opportunity to do so.
Baker could be this year’s Dontayvion Wicks; a well-rounded yet underrated receiver who makes an immediate impact in the NFL. He tested well enough, earning a 7.85 RAS. Pearsall is another wideout in the same mold, although he surprised many with a brilliant 9.78 RAS.
There are more pressing needs on Green Bay’s roster, but the Packers prioritize a ‘best player available’ approach to drafting more than most NFL teams.
Gutekunst may not be able to stop himself from adding to the receiving corps due to the sheer volume of quality options in this year’s draft.
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Mark Oldacres is a sports writer from Birmingham, England and a Green Bay Packers fan. You can follow him on twitter at @MarkOldacres
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Comments (76)
gsd3
March 05, 2024 at 12:11 pm
Gutey should talk to Reed about Keon Coleman as they were running mates for a year.
Cheezehead72
March 05, 2024 at 01:36 pm
Not that he will not do that but do you think Reed will give him an unbiased answer.
cdoemel
March 05, 2024 at 05:16 pm
Depends on how you ask the questions
golfpacker1
March 05, 2024 at 06:26 pm
Coleman looked bad and uninterested @ the combine. He couldn't catch anything and ran a quite slow 40. Nope.
SicSemperTyrannis
March 05, 2024 at 12:17 pm
There's some 70 players with 4.50 speed or better. Yes it will be hard to ignore but with 8 WRs in the system, are you really going to draft anyone so good that you're glad you pushed somebody else out?
I don't think so. Double up on IOL, RB, S, ILB, CB, and yes we need a LS.
Cheezehead72
March 05, 2024 at 01:43 pm
I would say that this is the inverse order of positions that we should draft.
QB
WR
TE
DL
Now these would depend on what we get in free agency.
CB
Edge
ILB
RB
OL
S
Not that we will not draft someone from the top but it would have to be a player that is just too good to pass up.
WestCoastPackerBacker
March 05, 2024 at 01:50 pm
Yeah, they drafted 6 WRs in the last 2 drafts, plus Melton and Heath, who look like they belong. And we haven't even seen Grant DuBose. Maybe the talent is too good to pass up at some spot, but there's no many other needs.
dblbogey
March 05, 2024 at 04:59 pm
What seems like a deep receiver group in March could be very thinned out by December with injuries, an off year, etc. You can't pass up WR if you love one at your pick and he's the best player available. You don't need to lose any of the young receivers, they've kept 6 and 7 before.
SicSemperTyrannis
March 07, 2024 at 11:24 am
GB isn't burning through 8 WRs due to injury.
cdoemel
March 05, 2024 at 06:01 pm
Yes absolutely!! It’s a game of replacement! Have you really fallen in love with Grant, Dubose, Toure and those guys at the bottom of the depth chart? If we can get a stud in the 4th or 5th to push Wicks, Heath and Melton to get better, hell yes!
murf7777
March 05, 2024 at 12:18 pm
If Luke McCaffrey is available when the Packers select in the 5th round, I'd run up to the podium and pick him. He has great Pedigree, athletic (Shuttle, 10 yard and 3 cone were very good) and good size, need I say more! I don't think we need to take a WR in the 1st three rounds but would like to see them take one during this draft. Need to keep building depth for the future.
cdoemel
March 05, 2024 at 05:20 pm
You’re in love with his last name
Leatherhead
March 05, 2024 at 12:22 pm
I look at Doubs, Reed, Watson, Wicks, Melton and I feel we're in a good situation at WR. Plus, we have Musgrave and Kraft and RBs who catch out of the backfield. Anybody we draft late on Day 3 is headed towards the practice squad.
LLCHESTY
March 05, 2024 at 04:25 pm
They would be competing against injuries and Heath. I'd take those chances of I was a Day 3 guy, especially if I played a lot of STs.
Coldworld
March 05, 2024 at 04:59 pm
We will carry 10 or 11 WRs into the summer.
Reed,
Watson,
Doubs
Wicks
Melton
Heath
Toure
Dubose
That’s 8 that we’re drafted or active last year. All of whom likely make the 90 (I’m not sure about Pitts who is on a futures deal).
Realistically, we keep maybe 5 or 6 on the active (if one is a returner). I’m not sure we improve that list a lot among the top 5 by any pick I see realistically. I think we will struggle to get a couple of that 5 a lot of snaps due to playing TEs without injuries. None of these guys are out of what should be their growth phase as players either.
I wouldn’t be shocked if we pick up one WR on day 3, especially if Nixon is gone and we need a kick returner due to changes. I would t be at all shocked if we don’t sign one till UDFAs. Dubose is essentially a draft pick already in hand. The only gap in role related back up coverage I see is for a bigger perimeter WR with some speed.
Leatherhead is right on this one. Not a lot of obvious net gain from a WR pick this year. Plenty of opportunities elsewhere.
SicSemperTyrannis
March 07, 2024 at 04:23 pm
Correct.
A big fast guy, basically a better substitute for #9 when he's out due to injury, will go early in the draft. I'm hoping that's how MLF uses Bo Melton, even if only to keep JL10 dialed in to that much speed.
Leatherhead
March 05, 2024 at 05:08 pm
They would be competing against injuries, Heath, Toure, Dubose and Thyrick Pitts, and anybody else we'd bring in as a UDFA. Currently, we have 61 players on the roster and 9 of them are WRs, none of which are rookies, so anybody we'd draft on Day 3 would be up against that, too.
It's not impossible, but IMO it's pretty long odds for a Day 3 WR to make the 53 this year.
The combo of Doubs/Reed last year got 73 first downs and an incredible 16 TDs. Add in Watson and Wicks and we should have 40 passing TDs this year. Toure, Melton, and Heath are fighting for scraps.
SicSemperTyrannis
March 07, 2024 at 04:25 pm
DuBose should be held in reserve as a substitute for Wicks if he goes down due to injury.
relleum61
March 05, 2024 at 12:45 pm
This piece gives insight into some of the articles (clickbait?) that have circulated about trading C. Watson.
https://lombardiave.com/posts/packers-mock-draft-2024-nfl-combine-christ...
https://wisportsheroics.com/green-bay-packers-christian-watson-giants-2024/
A new, receiver with Watson's measurables would remove the risk of Watson's hamstring problems. I like Watson and would lean toward keeping him, but it will be interesting to see what happens with those options that seem to be out there.
Cheezehead72
March 05, 2024 at 01:45 pm
If we trade Watson we would probably have to include the tub.
cdoemel
March 05, 2024 at 05:25 pm
That’s supposed to be funny I know, but the Packers are making a concerted effort to get the hamstring thing fixed. Didn’t a staff member go with him somewhere to work things out? They’re not trading Watson this year. Maybe next.
WestCoastPackerBacker
March 05, 2024 at 02:18 pm
Yeah, those are just speculation. Who would trade for Watson with his injury history. Nobody is going to give a pick as high as he was taken, so it's a loss of draft capital to trade him.
And having another WR, doesn't remove the risk of that guy having hamstring issues; it just removes having Watson in rehab.
cdoemel
March 05, 2024 at 05:34 pm
Watson had more TD’s than most of the healthy WR in the league. Same the year before. Why can’t we just give this guy a chance to get healthy? Hamstring injuries are not a new thing for young players in the NFL. It’s called patience. And we have other players in the room to afford patience.
Leatherhead
March 05, 2024 at 05:15 pm
I'm sorry,did we just become Cleveland?
Christian Watson is the only WR the Packers have that makes the defenses adjust for his presence, and that creates opportunities for others. I find it difficult to believe that the best nutritionists, physiologists, trainers, and medical experts can't put him on a program that would address pulled hammys.
We're loading up for multiple Super Bowl runs during the Love Window. Watson is under contract for 3 more years, and we have other very good WRs besides him, and we shouldn't be unloading any weaponry at this point.
Bitternotsour
March 05, 2024 at 05:26 pm
Perhaps there is a website that has breakdowns of coverage, but I don't recall defenses rolling coverage to Watson or that he was a target of any particular exotic packages. Never saw an interview that suggested that another team's primary focus was "we're going to take away Watson" That they might be aware he can get deep hasn't prevented him from getting deep. Watson is a nice receiver with great speed and size, but he has not shown anything similar to what Jefferson provides at Minnesota, or Ja'Marr Chase does in Cincinatti.
When Watson is on the field they have to cover him. Same for the firm of Wicks, Melton, Reed and Doubs. Watson isn't Bob Hayes or Randy Moss, he is a prospect, true, but he's not changing defenses.
Leatherhead
March 06, 2024 at 11:43 am
OK. I understand your point here, I think. I agree that he's not Bob Hayes or Randy Moss, or even Jordy Nelson. He doesn't have an impact like Jefferson or Chase, but his absence isn't missed as much as theirs are, either. I'd rather have 5 guys than one main dog, like we had with Adams, over a 20 game season.
Watson starts when he's healthy, and in those games, he's touched the ball 80 times in his career. 14 of those touches resulted in TDs. That's a pretty high rate. He moves the safeties back, and when he goes deep he draws a second defender....I've seen this with my own eyes. Very much in the same way that MVS made defenses adjust and he wasn't even the best, or second best, WR on the team.
14 TDs on 80 touches. We should be trying to get him more touches, but he'll have to stay healthy enough to practice and play.
Bitternotsour
March 07, 2024 at 09:22 am
I don't argue at all that he's dynamic, and I also think there may be an added element with his additional yard per forty yards of speed. He is as close as he could be to a #1 wideout, if we didn't have potentially 3 of them already on the roster. We have a roster of riches at wideout and I just don't think that Watson changes the way defense is played.
We have a lot of star quality in the wide receiver room, even more if we include the tight ends. Not a bad spot to be.
jannesbjornson
March 06, 2024 at 04:06 pm
The Cowpokes rolled coverage to his side in the playoffs. He was walled off by the 49rs' secondary on the misfire by Love. He is exceptional. Now get him on a healthy program. He went to the specialist at UW Hospital.
SicSemperTyrannis
March 07, 2024 at 07:14 pm
#9 gets double and even triple covered.
Bitternotsour
March 07, 2024 at 08:32 pm
most teams play zone. if you run a route deep enough another guy shows up. it appears to a layman as double coverage, but it's just coverage.
LLCHESTY
March 05, 2024 at 07:44 pm
Two more years, FA in 2025
SicSemperTyrannis
March 07, 2024 at 07:12 pm
You'd have to pick very high to get that. And of course there's no guarantee he doesn't get injured, or that he plays well.
Turophile
March 05, 2024 at 12:52 pm
This years wide receiver class is really very easy to ignore. It is a very good class, lots of receivers will go off the board, especially in the first two rounds. So, for every receiver that goes off the board, a good player at another position is left on the board.
The Packers could do with upgrading at IOL, S, ILB, CB, RB and even Edge and DL wouldn't hurt. That means that as the WRs fly off the board, one or more players at these positions will drop to the Packers. This isn't rocket science.
The Packers have a lot of picks in the first three rounds, but picks there are very valuable, don't be wasting them at positions that are already strong, unless there is a big drop to the next best player.
GregC
March 05, 2024 at 01:20 pm
Another WR ugh, after drafting six in the past two years and hitting on four of them, plus Bo Melton and Malik Heath. If the best player on the board in any round is a WR, please trade back if at all possible.
WestCoastPackerBacker
March 05, 2024 at 02:19 pm
Agree; and they haven't even seen what Grant DuBose can do. They liked him a lot.
cdoemel
March 05, 2024 at 05:46 pm
Agreed also. With a twist. I’ve done a bazillion mock drafts. There a nothing at 25 that we can’t get at 30-32. Trade back and add another (late 3rd or) 4th round pick. From what I’ve seen BAP will also meet our needs with those 6. Then you can add depth and yes, pick up a WR to add competition to the room. I picked up Luke McC and Travis Jordan like that and added depth.
Turophile
March 06, 2024 at 04:49 am
I've done at least two bazillion, maybe even three. I have used PFN, nflmockdraftdatabase, Draft Buzz and Fanspeak.
The likes of Cooper DeJean, Graham Barton, Jer'Zhan Newton, Jackson Powers-Johnson, even Byron Murphy, are sometimes there at 25, but usually not at 41.
However, I have absolutely no problem with trading back if the right guys don't drop. Maybe a team wants to move up for one of the tier 2 QBs. For me, given where the Packers are drafting, the value of this draft is in rounds 2 and 3. The more picks you get in that area, the better.
golfpacker1
March 06, 2024 at 09:38 am
"However, I have absolutely no problem with trading back if the right guys don't drop. Maybe a team wants to move up for one of the tier 2 QBs. For me, given where the Packers are drafting, the value of this draft is in rounds 2 and 3. The more picks you get in that area, the better."
Turophile, that statement hits what should be the 2024 Packers NFL draft plan 1000%. We are so well positioned the first 3 rounds to kill all of our needs with upgrades in the first 5 picks. The only way this could start better is if we ended up making a small trade back while picking up at least another Day 2 pick, and still get one of our top OL targets like King Sua, or one of the top Safeties, or CBs, with our first pick.
The one draft killing mistake we should avoid at all costs is trading up for someone and wasting premium picks this year or next. Rounds 2 and 3 could rebuild our secondary & OL, and fill 2 big needs @ RB & LB. If this falls right for GB this could be a top 3 draft alltime.
jannesbjornson
March 06, 2024 at 04:12 pm
If Xavier Legette shows up in the third round would you turn him down?
golfpacker1
March 06, 2024 at 08:15 pm
I think Legette is going to be a star, Jannes. He is Deebo all over again. He has really strong hands and catches everything. I always picked him in my early mocks, but no I would not take him in the 3rd round. If he would be in the 2025 draft, yes I would.
We have bigger needs right now, and if we hit on these Day 1 & Day 2 pick as well as Free Agency, that will complete this team for a long run @ playing for it all.
SicSemperTyrannis
March 07, 2024 at 07:18 pm
Grant DuBose should be used as a substitute for Wicks when he's out injured.
splitpea1
March 05, 2024 at 01:44 pm
I would only be adding a WR if Gute was to happen upon a serious value opportunity, like someone dropping like a stone for an overblown, non-injury reason. There's only one football to go around, and when you consider the talent we already have at both the WR and TE positions, we're better off investing our draft capital elsewhere this time.
By the way, you've covered everything in the past month except the defensive backfield, arguably the area of greatest need. So I'll be looking forward to that.
Alberta_Packer
March 05, 2024 at 02:44 pm
So what if Gutekunst traded Christian Watson for a 2nd and 3rd in this year's draft - then selected a WR at 25 - leaving 3 second round picks and 3 third round picks for the Packers? Any thoughts?
splitpea1
March 05, 2024 at 03:02 pm
Interesting but probably unlikely. First we'll need to find a venturesome dance partner, but second we'll want to give the hamstring specialist and new conditioning coach a chance to see if they can keep Watson available for most of the season.
Alberta_Packer
March 05, 2024 at 03:35 pm
Agree - unlikely. However to your point and my primary thought - is the health of Christian Watson. For 3 seasons in a row (including college) he has incurred hamstring injuries - which now may be thought as a chronic problem. I certainly do. No doubt his availability is a big question mark for the Front Office - even with the hamstring specialist(s) and new conditioning coach. That is why I would not be too surprised if Gutekunst took a WR in Day 1/ Day 2 - like a Watson - such as Brian Thomas Jr., Devontez Walker or Xavier Legette.
SicSemperTyrannis
March 07, 2024 at 08:24 pm
There's no advantage to bailing, and it would be very costly.
cdoemel
March 05, 2024 at 05:50 pm
Guaranteed Gutey is not trading away a top pick like that. Good Lord!! With his injuries Watson still has more TD’s than most of the league when healthy!! Give the kid a chance! He’s shown what he can do. Are you really gonna trade that then watch it explode in front of you? Hell no!! Patience.
Alberta_Packer
March 05, 2024 at 07:37 pm
Watson is getting less healthy - not more. He would not be the first player to have a promising career derailed by injuries. He's now going into his third year with no apparent solution to his hamstring problems.
Cheezehead72
March 05, 2024 at 01:53 pm
The draft is not an exact science and determining what players will be successful is a crapshoot. The one thing that tends to happen is for the most part teams use the first three rounds to pick the BAP at the position groups they need. Now that is not all the time but it is a general rule. When you get to the 6th and 7th rounds they are looking for players that they believe can play STs and that will get good enough to be one the game day roster in 2 to 3 years just when our WRs we have now will be looking for their second contract and we may not be able to afford them
Yes if there is a good WR on the board in the 6th and 7th and I would even go with the 5th get him. Successful race horse owners always have a stable of horses.
cdoemel
March 05, 2024 at 05:56 pm
Correct. The draft is not an exact science. But we see that we hit on Watson. He’s special. When he’s healthy. Sooo, get him healthy! And they will I believe. Us chronically, impatient fans need to be patient.
Alberta_Packer
March 05, 2024 at 08:26 pm
However, what is an exact science are medical records.
Coldworld
March 06, 2024 at 01:12 am
None of us have seen those, Including you. This is an outlandishly negative take founded on a lingering hamstring injury. That’s seldom something that ends a career. Yes, all thinks are possible but some seem improbable.
Writing this, it occurred to me that all of us want Jones back, yet he missed as much if not more time with a hamstring. I think we need to get this back in proportion.
jannesbjornson
March 06, 2024 at 04:21 pm
Jefferson was out Seven games for the vikes this past season with a hamstring injury. Will the viqueens trade an All Pro?
golfpacker1
March 06, 2024 at 08:17 pm
No J, as a matter of fact they are on the verge of giving him a new contract for $30 million per year. WOW!
Cheezehead72
March 06, 2024 at 05:32 am
Watson is only worthwhile when he is on the field. He does the team no good by sitting in the tub. Now I have nothing against Watson and I supported the Packers drafting him. I hope he does heal up and that he can keep playing even if it is for a nother team.
By the way I am very patient and i believe in developing young players and building a team. I also believe it is better to get rid of a player a year early rather than a year too late. My point is that we always need replacements for those players leaving the team.
Alberta_Packer
March 05, 2024 at 02:16 pm
This being one of the best WR classes in years - it seems unfathomable that Gutekunst will not make at least one selection. Either it will be a mid round pick. Or, if one of the top tier WRs falls into the 2nd, then...
As the WR cupboard is currently well-stocked - I would prefer a brutish, run blocking TE - who can also catch across the middle. So the replacement for Deguera. My hope is Tip Reiman - a 6'5" 270 lb TE - who is relatively athletic and a potential upgrade to Ben Sims. Possibly available in Day 3.
Coldworld
March 05, 2024 at 06:34 pm
What makes you think it’s one of the best in years? Which one is it better than? Looks middle if the road to me.
Alberta_Packer
March 05, 2024 at 07:57 pm
Last year the first WR off the board was #20 to Seattle. This year it looks like that 4 of the top 10 picks may be WR - with up to 8 drafted in the first round - which could be a record.
Coldworld
March 06, 2024 at 01:22 am
Yes, there are some projected early picks absent last year, none of which are likely relevant to us, but you stated class. That’s not an assessment that I’ve noticed echoed elsewhere. If anything it’s cited as a somewhat weaker group, in part because of the lower number commuting to the draft this year it is true. So again, what makes this class one of the best in any sense relevant to us?
jannesbjornson
March 06, 2024 at 04:27 pm
Harrison,Jr and Odunze are the two guys likely to go in the top ten. Nabers and Thomas may go in the top 20? Coleman may be over-rated.
SicSemperTyrannis
March 07, 2024 at 08:35 pm
We need our Kyle Juscyk. Could be somebody already on the team?
PackEyedOptimist
March 05, 2024 at 03:50 pm
There are some great WRs in this draft, so I wouldn't be "shocked" if Gute picked one high, but I'd rather see him pick a different position. I expect the top WRs in each round to go before the Packers selections. Other teams will want/need them more than we will.
Hopefully, a need for us will drop to us because others are selecting receivers.
A perfect example is running back: I think it's possible that guys like Trey Benson, Jaylen Wright, Ray Davis, and Isaac Guerrendo will drop a little because of the WR depth.
I wouldn't be upset if we picked a WR at ANY point, but unless one does a CRAZY drop (and that won't happen at WR), I wouldn't do it.
SicSemperTyrannis
March 07, 2024 at 08:38 pm
Guerendo is the fastest of the bunch, I don't think he'll wind up as a "value pick." All day Ray might?
PackEyedOptimist
March 05, 2024 at 03:57 pm
On a somewhat related side note, I've been thinking more about a replacement for DeGuara. Any fellow draftniks have a favorite H-Back/FB that you like in this draft?
My interest piqued by De'Corian Clark and Carson Steele...
Coldworld
March 05, 2024 at 06:47 pm
Do we want an H Back at all? We really never use one as such. I’m all in on a true FB if we can find one that can carry the ball.
How about Jakobi Buchanan from Army. 250-260 pounds. 27 rushing TD on 399 attempts. Only about 4 yards a carry, but tough yards. Nice situational change up for a few snaps and looks late in the draft or UDFA. Not used as a passing target, but do we need that? Deguara rarely was and Davis or Sims can be that. A nice short yardage boost for our OL whether carrying or lead blocking.
PackEyedOptimist
March 05, 2024 at 07:57 pm
I don't feel we need one, but maybe LaFleur wants one. I don't know.
Thanks for the Buchanan tip.
PackEyedOptimist
March 05, 2024 at 08:09 pm
Buchanan was a fun watch. He reminds me of Jerome Bettis--he moves too fast and fluidly for a guy with his build. He seems like a great kid, too--a good locker room fit.
Maybe an UDFA?
Coldworld
March 06, 2024 at 01:34 am
Wouldn’t that be a great variation to improve our short yardage and goal line options? If nothing else he’d dare teams to spread which only helps our many options outside if they declined. Maybe help kill games late when the run is obvious. That’s would be worth a roster spot in my opinion even if only for a handful of snaps a game.
jannesbjornson
March 06, 2024 at 04:32 pm
Ben Sinnott and Cade Stover are the best guys to fill a Juszczyk role, if the Packer want to get more physical out front of the RB and/or iso these guys as the Lead dogs on LBs/DBs on the perimeter. I wouldn't turn them away.
golfpacker1
March 05, 2024 at 06:41 pm
Hey PackEyed, earlier in the mock process when I looked at a Deguara replacement, I singled out Dallin Holker-Colorado State. He is a little bigger @ 6'4.5, he catches better too. After much contemplation, I determined that we don't need to draft a replacement, why not get your best players on the field by putting Kraft or Simms in on the few snaps that Deguara got. Bigger, better blockers & pass catchers for Love.
PackEyedOptimist
March 05, 2024 at 07:55 pm
I don't disagree; I'm just not sure LaFleur/Gute don't want a replacement, so I'm looking...
:-D
Coldworld
March 06, 2024 at 01:40 am
If they replace what Deguara did last year, then the replacement is 80% FB and 20% blocking, TE increasingly performed by Sims as the season progressed. That’s what got me thinking about how we could do the remainder with greater effect.
golfpacker1
March 05, 2024 at 06:53 pm
We have much bigger needs and the WR room is now a team strength so drafting one makes no sense. But.....
In my earlier mocks 3 guys I always looked at were: Johnny Wilson, because I think he could be a real weapon playing a hybrid WR/TE. 2 for the price of 1. He runs 4.5s and blocks like a TE. And he is 6'6 240lbs. If he was still there in the 4th round I would have serious thoughts. Especially if we had an extra 4th from a trade back.
Brenden Rice was intriguing because of his size and speed combo, but also because he is Jerry "Freaking" Rice's kid. Wouldn't it be cool to have Jerry hanging out at the Packer' facilities. And what WR nuggets he could pass on.
The other was Leggette. Kind of a one-year wonder and he's not as tall as earlier thought, but his highlights are money. And he considers every pass throw in his area is his.
Bottom line is all three would be gone in the 2nd round and we have real needs to fill. It's an easy grab in the mocks when we have 15 picks.
Put me down for our first 5 picks to be OL first, then some order of S, RB, LB, and CB. Don't deviate from the needs. 2025 draft priorities will be DT for Clarks replacement and Edge for Smiths replacement. The Packers roster will be so young.
SicSemperTyrannis
March 07, 2024 at 08:44 pm
Exactly. There's going to be a run on O linemen, and we need some good ones.
golfpacker1
March 06, 2024 at 09:51 am
I love searching for sleeper picks at all positions. Who does everyone like @ WR sleeper?
Mine is Josh Cephus-UTEP. He played 5 years. He is 6'2 200lbs and run 4.5s. He caught over 300 passes for 3500 yards and his profile says "QBs best friend because he catches everything." A 7th round flyer or even better UFDA.
golfpacker1
March 07, 2024 at 09:51 am
I am shocked that no posters in this article have suggested that the Packers now shove the WR group into our top 2 picks. Every article that come out that's what happens. Suddenly the DT group, or the Edge group, or with this article the WR group gets pushed up the list of needs. Hell, recently after an article about GB maybe drafting a QB in 2024, got people saying if a higher rated QB fell to the Packers @ #25, we should grab him because maybe we can trade him later.
WOW! In the 2024 draft, before free agency, GB has 5 big needs in no order: S, OL, RB, CB, and LB.
Not DT, QB, Edge, TE, water boy, ticket taker, beer vendor, or custodian.
2025 big needs will be DT, and Edge. Maybe OL, LB, RB, D-Back, depending on how this draft goes are down the list.