As we near closer to the draft, we have seen a flurry of declarations around college football, several of which are projected first round picks.
This week, another Nittany Lion has been selected in the first round yet again by Pro Football Focus.
This would certainly be a shocker to many. As much of a need as it is for the Packers, they almost never select a pass catcher in the first round.
The last time Green Bay took a wide receiver in the first round was during the 2002 draft when they took Florida State receiver Javon Walker.
The Packers didn’t select a pass catcher in the past two drafts, which came as a surprise, especially with how deep the wide receiver class was those two years.
If the Packers do take a receiver in the first round, Dotson would be a nice fit for a team that lacks a consistent wide receiver outside of Davante Adams.
Reports have said that the Packers are expected to use their franchise tag on Adams. When was the last time Green Bay used their franchise tender on a player? That came in 2011, when they tagged defensive tackle Ryan Pickett after an impressive season in the green and gold.
This also poses two questions for the Packers: “Will Dotson be the one or the two receiver in Green Bay?” and “Will Aaron Rodgers be the starting quarterback of the Packers next season?”.
The Packers also have multiple receivers that will be free agents after this season outside of Adams, including Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
Regardless of the future of Adams in Green Bay, drafting a receiver should in the first round should be a need for the Packers. It’s just a matter of if they will actually do it.
They traded up in the third round last year for Clemson wide receiver Amari Rodgers, which did surprise some to say the least.
Whether Dotson has Rodgers or Jordan Love throwing him the ball, he still has the potential to flourish, especially on an offense like Green Bay, who will likely be losing some key pass catchers to free agency.
Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford also struggled for much of the season. But, that didn’t stop Dotson from performing at a high level and putting up productive numbers.
It would be exciting to see Dotson as a top target in Green Bay. However, if they can manage to lock in Adams for their future on top of drafting Dotson in the first round, that would make for an even scarier offense that has struggled for find consistency outside of Adams.
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