The first mock draft of the offseason from ESPN’s Todd McShay has the Green Bay Packers getting help for quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the first round.
McShay sent LSU receiver Justin Jefferson to the Packers at No. 30 overall.
According to McShay, Jefferson “excels in adjusting his routes to find windows” and can generate “late separation,” which helped him become one of the most productive receivers in college football in 2019.
As a junior, Jefferson caught 111 passes for 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns for the national champions. He was Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow’s favorite target. In Green Bay, he’d be a complementary weapon to Davante Adams and Aaron Jones for the Packers’ offense.
Jefferson would likely solve two problems in Green Bay. Not only would he provide the offense with another playmaker in the passing game, but he’d also give the Packers a legitimate weapon in the slot and a creator in the middle of the field. Geronimo Allison was one of the NFL’s least efficient receivers while operating from the slot for the Packers in 2019.
Last season, Jefferson led college football in catches from the slot. It’s possible he could develop into a Keenan Allen-like playmaker at the next level.
The Packers haven’t picked a receiver in the first round of a draft since 2004. They’ve struck gold on receivers in the second round (see: Adams, Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb), but Jefferson might be too good and too good of a fit to pass up if he’s still there at No. 30 overall in April.