We're just weeks away from what might be the most exciting NFL Draft that Packers fans have witnessed in years. With four picks in the first two rounds, GM Brian Gutekunst may choose to overlook needs and pounce on the class's top talent.
And while the Packers have traditionally been known to follow this Best Player Available (“BPA”) philosophy in the draft, they've diverted from that approach on more than a handful of occasions. When certain positional needs have been so pronounced, the Green Bay brass chose not only to ignore top talent on the board, but also elected to double down on those positions of need over the course of draft weekend.
Dating as far back as the beginning of the Ted Thompson era, here are some such moves.
2006 - IOL: Daryn Colledge (R2), Jason Spitz (R3)
2006 - WR: Greg Jennings (R2), Cory Rodgers (R4)
2012 - DT: Jerel Worthy (R2), Mike Daniels (R4)
2013 - OL: David Bakhtiari (R4), J.C. Tretter (R4)
2013 - RB: Eddie Lacy (R2), Johnathan Franklin (R4)
2015 - CB: Damarious Randall (R1), Quentin Rollins (R2)
2018 - CB: Jaire Alexander (R1), Josh Jackson (R2)
Where They Could be Seeing Double in 2022
The clear area for Gutekunst to invest multiple picks this year is at wide receiver, where the Packers lost the best in the game in Davante Adams, as well as deep threat Marquez Valdes-Scantling, this offseason. And while bagging two wide outs early on may be more of a fan draft fantasy, this year’s loaded receiver class - plus the increasingly powerful influence of Aaron Rodgers - could ultimately force the hand of Gute, especially if talented names make it to one of seven Green Bay selections before Round 5.
Imagine this: the Packers end a 20-year drought of passing on wide outs in the first round by nabbing TWO of them to kick off the 2022 draft.
So, who might the Packers target to replace Adams, specifically? Gutekunst will first need to determine which traits of Adams' full package to prioritize in his future WR1. Table stakes requirements probably begin with size - with height of at least 6’0” and weight exceeding 185 pounds. Combine that with demonstrated blocking ability for Matt LaFleur's run-heavy offense. Finally, LaFleur, himself, has been vocal in his interest in adding speed at wide receiver this offseason.
Those requirements will be difficult to meet with a single player, even in this year's WR class.
And they would seem to eliminate Penn State's Jahan Dotson, Western Michigan's Skyy Moore and Purdue's David Bell, of the dozen or so receivers that are expected to come off the board before Day 3. Let’s categorize the remaining upper class of prospects based on their greatest strength as a pass catcher, acknowledging that many of these players are highly versatile in nature.
Big and Physical | Possession / YAC | Deep Threat |
Drake London (USC) | Garrett Wilson (Ohio State) | Christian Watson (NDSU) |
Treylon Burks (Arkansas) | Chris Olave (Ohio State) | Justyn Ross (Clemson) |
George Pickens (Georgia) | Alec Pierce (Cincinnati) | Tyquan Thornton (Baylor) |
Jalen Tolbert (So. Alabama) | Khalil Shakir (Boise State) | Danny Gray (SMU) |
Pros and Cons of a Double Dip at WR
Adding more than one wide receiver has its benefits, even if it comes at the expense of passing on best-available talent. When the Packers have doubled up on positions, it's often served as a safety net for ensuring they land at least one capable player. We saw that happen in 2018 when they struck gold on CB Jaire Alexander but missed badly on Josh Jackson.
Willingness to draft more than one receiver over the course of the draft also allows the front office to architect the future of the position at a single point in time, affording them to mix and match complementary skill sets. For example, the Packers could land their burner in Tyquan Thornton while finding more of an every-down possession receiver in Chris Olave.
Double dipping has its downsides, though. By using the extra picks acquired from the Adams trade to backfill his role on offense, the Packers could sacrifice depth at crucial positions on the roster. Without reinforcements from the draft, the team would likely enter training camp with only four capable defensive linemen - one Kenny Clark injury away from disaster - and without an every-down tight end on the roster.
With 11 total picks in this year's draft, the Packers have the opportunity to get ahead of, not only these near-term needs, but also looming gaps at offensive tackle, safety, outside linebacker and inside linebacker. Addressing many of those gaps now could provide a talented foundation that keeps the team competitive beyond the Aaron Rodgers era.
Such will be the opportunity cost of ponying up two or more picks toward their greatest near-term need, wide receiver.
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