Apr 28, 20226 min read

Grades and Reactions from the 2022 Packers Draft

Updated: May 1, 2022

It's May and the offseason's biggest event is officially a wrap. The Packers came into draft weekend with glaring holes at more than one position. They exited the draft with two of those needs fully addressed.

The first round saw Green Bay draft two players who've already been wearing a 'G' on their helmet for plenty of time. With both picks, the Packers tapped arguably the most NFL-ready program in college football, extending their active streak of first-round Bulldogs to three. While their draw to size and athleticism is consistent with GM Brian Gutekunst's prior drafts, the interesting part of this year's first round selections was the fact that the positions selected had been some of the most neglected since they transitioned to a 3-4 defense in 2009.

Let's examine each pick in depth.

No.22: Quay Walker - ILB, Georgia

With their first pick, the Packers the nabbed the first inside linebacker of the 2022 draft, which happened to be the first time they selected the position in Round 1 since 2006. Like fellow Georgia product Eric Stokes - who the Packers took in last year's first round - Walker put on a show during his Pro Day. He brings explosiveness, sure tackling and speed to a defense that's already been ascending in that domain.

The obvious 'loser' with this BPA pick is veteran ILB Krys Barnes, who earned a starting spot on the Green Bay defense in 2020 after joining the team as an undrafted free agent. Though Barnes will surely retain plenty of snaps, the spot beside De'Vondre Campbell already seems to be Walker's to lose while he's simultaneously employed in a broader role on Joe Barry's defense.

Grade: B-

No.28: Devonte Wyatt - DT, Georgia

With their second pick of the first round, the Packers put character concerns aside and selected Walker's teammate at Georgia. Like his running mate at UGA, Jordan Davis, Wyatt brings uncanny speed at a position that was never meant to see 4.7 times in the 40-yard dash. And, despite being amongst the fastest D-linemen in the draft, Wyatt is nearly the same size as Packers NT Kenny Clark.

While the addition of Walker was more of a depth play, Wyatt's selection filled a desperate need on the Green Bay roster. Though Dean Lowry and 2022 free agent Jarran Reed figure to stand in front of Wyatt on the depth chart, the 24 year-old Wyatt should see plenty of playing time from Day 1.

Grade: B

No.34: Christian Watson - WR, North Dakota State

Head coach Matt LaFleur expressed an interest in adding speed on offense this offseason and that wish was granted on Day 2 of the draft. Gutekunst traded both second round picks to snag the talented Christian Watson at No.34 overall. While Watson has a history of dropped passes, he more than offsets that risk with elite size and speed (4.36 time in the 40-yard dash).

Two second round picks - one of which was acquired from the Davante Adams trade - was a hefty price to pay for Watson, especially when the Packers could have used one of those picks to get in on the rally of edge rushers that flew off the board on Friday. But, at very minimum, the selection of Watson should appease a certain future hall of fame quarterback, who could desperately use a pass catcher of Watson's caliber to replace his former WR1.

Grade: C

No.92: Sean Rhyan - OL, UCLA

It seemed almost inevitable that - with the many injuries experienced in 2021 - the Packers would go O-line early in the draft. Sure enough, Gutekunst pounced on a versatile lineman from the PAC-12 in the third round. While Rhyan played left tackle almost exclusively as a Bruin, he projects better as a guard at the pro level, where he could help backfill for veteran Elgton Jenkins in the interim.

When Jenkins returns to the lineup midway through the regular season, the Packers could have one of the most cross-functional offensive lines in the game. Rhyan, second-year lineman Royce Newman and Jenkins himself are all capable of playing four of the five starting O-line positions. While Rhyan may have been the best lineman on the board in Round 3, his selection also fills a big hole for a front five still very much on the mend.

Grade: A-

No.132: Romeo Doubs - WR, Nevada

After being late to the receiver party early in the draft, Gutekunst doubled up on the position early on Day 3. With the selection of Nevada's Doubs, the Packers were first to move on the third tier of wide receivers drafted over the weekend, in a way hedging the big bet they made on Christian Watson just 18 hours earlier.

Doubs possesses the skills to be both a downfield threat and possession receiver, also bringing the added benefit of punt returning experience. While the Packers have had plenty of fourth round flame-outs (remember J'Mon Moore?), Doubs already seems like a roster lock, competing with aging Randall Cobb and still unproven Amari Rodgers for immediate playing time.

Grade: B+

No.140: Zach Tom - OL, Wake Forest

With Billy Turner, Lucas Patrick and Dennis Kelly all fleeing Green Bay this spring, we knew that Rhyan wasn't going to be the Packers' only addition on the O-line. Gutekunst used their second pick of the fourth round to nab a talented O-lineman that can truly do it all. At Wake Forest, the majority of his playing time was spent at tackle, but he also played plenty of snaps at center.

Don't let this versatility paint him as simply a jack of all trades, though: Tom was the highest graded pass blocker in college football last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He'll compete with Rhyan, Newman and Yosh Nijman in training camp for starting spots on the right side of the offensive line. All in all, Tom is an incredible value for the Packers to capture late in the fourth round.

Grade: A+

No.179: Kingsley Enagbare - OLB, South Carolina

Since the turn of the century, the Packers have had mixed success drafting pass rushers on Day 3 of the draft. Next to modest hits on Brad Jones and Jonathan Garvin are Jeremy Thompson, Ricky Elmore and Vince Biegel, all of whom never found a way to make an impact. But, this year, the Packers were presented with a chance to capture significant value at the position in the fifth round.

While Gutekunst didn't love South Carolina's Enagbare enough to take him with the Packers' original fifth round pick, the talent was too tempting to pass up when back on the clock with 179th overall. Many draft experts had Enagbare coming off the board as early as the second round, but a poor combine dropped his draft stock. While his 40 time lags that of DL Devonte Wyatt by nearly two tenths of a second, Enagbare's mere presence affords the Packers a viable rotation at the defense's most important position.

Grade: C+

No.228: Tariq Carpenter - S / LB, Georgia Tech

With four seventh round picks, the Packers were destined to renovate their special teams in the draft. They kicked off that effort with a Georgia Tech safety that's big enough to flex into a pass-defending linebacker role, but whose primary value responsibilities will likely reside on punt and kick coverage units.

Grade: B

No.234: Jonathan Ford - DT, Miami

Late on Day 3, Gutekunst opted to add the middle school teammate of current D-lineman T.J. Slaton. While Ford's size and senior year stats are impressive, the reality is that the Packers don't regularly use three down linemen on defense. This pick gets a checkmark for depth but I would have preferred to see Gute go with a top kicker or punter here.

Grade: C-

No.249: Rasheed Walker - OT, Penn State

With the selections of Rhyan and Tom in earlier rounds, the Packers got the versatility they needed to field capable O-line unit for Week 1. Late in the seventh round, they decided to go a different direction, snagging a project lineman with the prototypical left tackle build, who had the potential to go much earlier in the draft. Like tackle Yosh Nijman, Walker is a work in progress, who will need to develop his game at the pro level before setting foot in live action as a Packer.