The Green Bay Packers were one game away from the Super Bowl last season. They played the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Championship game, where they would go on to lose 31-26.
Even though the Packers have the NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, there were some glaring holes on the team. Those two holes are at wide receiver and linebacker. With the 29th pick in the NFL Draft coming up, they have some decisions to make.
Wide Receiver Options For The Packers
The Packers have been notorious for drafting positions that will not help out Aaron Rodgers at all. One of those positions is wide receiver. They have time and time again not drafted a wide receiver in the first round. With their most recent first round selection, the team drafted quarterback Jordan Love. This was to speed up the transition from Aaron Rodgers to the next quarterback. They believed that Rodgers was on the decline. We all see how that turned out.
Now the Packers have a solid group of wideouts on their roster. Most noticeably pro bowler, Devante Adams. They also have contributions from Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, and Equanimeous St. Brown. The question is though, how many of these players are legit? Or is it just Aaron Rodgers making his guys look good?
Let us not forget that the Packers Pro Bowl snub TE, Robert Tonyan, was on a tear all season long. He was the extra man if the receivers weren’t able to get going. Tonyan was a force and brings a little cushion to the wide receiver needs. Even though you have a stud tight end, you still need the receivers to do their job.
In the draft, most of the top guys at receiver will already be gone by the time the Packers pick. Pick #29 is never fun when you have some big needs. The Packers will have to do some digging to find their right guy to pick if they choose this route. They’ll have to find someone who didn’t get as much attention as some of the other guys in the class. I am sure that the Packer scout team has been all over it.
Linebacker Options For Green Bay
If you watched the NFC Championship game, you will see that the offense wasn’t nearly the problem. Tom Brady and the Buccaneers did anything they wanted to against that Green Bay defense.
Now the linebacker position for the Packers isn’t the problem. The main issue for the Packers is the secondary. They literally got burned on every possession during that championship game. Scotty Miller was looking like Tyreek Hill out there. With this being said, I don’t believe that they should focus on their linebackers until the later rounds. I think the main cause for concern is the secondary. If Green Bay wanted to go after building their secondary up along with their secondary, I believe Aaron Rodgers, and the fans, would be very happy.
Where Should They Go?
If the Packers did feel the need to boost their middle up before anything else, there are going to be some viable options this year. This year’s NFL Draft Class is loaded at linebackers and wideouts. They would be able to draft solid talent in the late first, second, and third rounds for all positions of need.
With the NFL Draft coming up, there are so many rumors and theories flying around. Even though these are going around, there is no predicting draft night. Teams trade up and trade down all night. The Green Bay Packers could possibly be one of those teams if they find someone they really like. It will definitely be a situation to keep an eye out on.