The Green Bay Packers are in rebuilding mode at the wide receiver position after trading Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday night.
The team has only seven receivers under contract on the roster as of Friday morning: Randall Cobb, Allen Lazard, Amari Rodgers, Malik Taylor, Juwann Winfree, Chris Blair and Rico Gafford.
Of the seven, only Cobb and Lazard have meaningful NFL experience, and neither is a legitimate No. 1 target. Rodgers played only sporadically as a rookie, Taylor and Winfree have 15 combined catches and Blair and Gafford have never been on the field in a regular-season NFL game.
The team had two free agents at receiver: Equanimeous St. Brown signed with the Chicago Bears, while Marquez Valdes-Scantling is still available and could return to Green Bay.
Returning Valdes-Scantling would help provide the deep threat the offense needs, but he’s just a role player and a secondary target. Spending cap space and/or draft picks on rebuilding the position is going to be necessary without Adams, a two-time All-Pro, on the roster.
Cobb turns 32 in August and is strictly a slot receiver. He’s also missed at least five games in three of the last four seasons. Lazard took off late in the 2021 season, but he’s averaging 36 catches for 480 yards per year over the last three seasons. Expecting him to emerge as a go-to weapon is optimistic. Like Valdes-Scantling, he’s a strong complementary option.
The draft looks like the best bet for restocking the position and potentially hitting on a legit No. 1.
Potential first-round options include Chris Olave, Treylon Burks, Drake London, Jameson Williams and Garrett Wilson. In the second round, George Pickens, Skyy Moore, Jahan Dotson, Christian Watson, Justyn Ross, Alec Pierce and John Metchie could be available.
The Packers now have four picks in the first and second rounds. Amazingly, the team hasn’t used a first- or second-round pick on the wide receiver position since taking Adams in the second round in 2014.
The investment at wide receiver is overdue.
Can the Packers find a difference-maker?
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Considering this:
– Adams was the 53rd overall pick in the 2014 draft. The Packers got pick No. 53 from the Raiders.
– In 2020, the Vikings traded Stefon Diggs to the Bills for a first-round pick and took Justin Jefferson at No. 22 overall. The Packers got pick No. 22 from the Raiders.
Finding a good starter is doable. And in this case, it might be worth using two of the team’s top four picks at receiver, both to increase the chances of hitting on a star and helping build the depth at the position for years into the future.
The Packers recommitted to Aaron Rodgers on a big deal but traded away his favorite all-time target. Now, the Packers must use the resources afforded by dealing Adams – cap space and premium draft picks – to restock the weaponry for the four-time NFL MVP. If the Packers want to contend for the Super Bowl in 2022, the receiver position has to improve. Significantly. A lot of work is ahead for Gutekunst.
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