The Twitterverse began to perk up when the Green Bay Packers traded to move up in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. One of the biggest needs, at least according to everyone outside the room where the decisions were being made, was at wide receiver. Aaron Rodgers led the Packers to a 13-3 record and an NFC Championship appearance, despite the fact that he really only had one target — Davante Adams — with elite speed and route-running skills. In a draft that had a ton of wide receiving talent, though, the Packers picked a quarterback — Jordan Love — in the first round. Then they picked a tailback and a tight end on the second day. On the third day, they picked a linebacker, three offensive linemen, a safety and a defensive end. So the team had seven rounds…and picked exactly zero wide receivers. Their sports betting odds of winning Super Bowl LV now sit at 25/1, so let’s take a look at their prospects after the dust has settled from the draft.
NFL Betting: Green Bay Packers 2020 Super Bowl Odds & Analysis After the Draft
Why start with Jordan Love?
Well, Jordan Love could be the quarterback of the future. Aaron Rodgers will not play forever, and he could turn into the next franchise signal-caller. The team already lucked out by having Rodgers take over from Brett Favre smoothly, keeping the team a contender even after seeing a Hall of Famer head out the door. That kind of transition is exceedingly rare, and it would be even more singular to pull it off with three straight quarterbacks. While it might be a long-term winner, though, for now it meant leaving such elite receivers as Tee Higgins and Denzel Mims available, as well as such defensive stalwarts as linebacker Patrick Queen.
The logic behind AJ Dillon
By the time the Packers had their second-round pick, the elite wide receivers were gone, as Denzel Mims had been picked a couple of slots before Green Bay got to pick. The Packers did not trade up to get him. However, coach Matt LaFleur had spoken about the necessity to add depth at the tailback position — and Dillon also adds positional versatility. The Packers have Aaron Jones, who has explosive speed, while Dillon is now the pounding, physical back who will break tackles. Pro Football Focus reports that Dillon forced 81 missed tackles while carrying the ball, third-best in all of college football last year. LaFleur wants to add some more running to the game, and now the Packers have the speed back and the bruising back.
No wide receivers, but a tight end…
Well, if the Packers are about to go run-heavy, tight end Josiah Deguara, a Cincinnati product, should be able to help with that. He can line up at fullback, he can run routes, and he can also run-block and provide pass protection. However, he was projected to last until the sixth round, but the Packers plucked him three rounds earlier on that. They left linebacker Malik Harrison on the board, along with Akeem Davis-Gaither.
Thoughts on Day 3
The Packers really needed an inside linebacker, and they got that in the fifth round when they took Kamal Martin from Minnesota. He has received rave reviews for his hustle, which is a must for a run-and-chase position. In the sixth round, they picked up a trio of offensive linemen: Jon Runyan (Michigan), Jake Hanson (Oregon) and Simon Stepaniak (Indiana). Runyan has played all the positions on the O-line in college, but scouts have him projected as a guard, where the Pack could use depth. Hanson is a center, and the Packers have Corey Linsley going into his contract year, so this makes sense as insurance. Stepaniak is another worker bee who will add depth. In the seventh round, they added Vernon Scott to their depth chart at safety, and they needed depth in the pass rush, so they brought in Jonathan Garvin, an edge rusher from Miami. Day 3 might have been Green Bay’s best day, depending on how things work out.
