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Chris Olave Packers
NFL

Packers Must Target These 3 WRs in NFL Draft After Davante Adams Trade

  • Bryan Perez
  • March 18, 2022
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The Green Bay Packers actually did it. They traded superstar wide receiver Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders for a first- and second-round pick in the 2022 NFL draft. This, just days after quarterback Aaron Rodgers signed a four-year extension to continue his Hall-of-Fame tenure with the team.

Adams, who’s generally considered the best all-around wide receiver in the NFL right now, made it clear earlier in the week that he wouldn’t play under the franchise tag in 2022. The relationship was obviously damaged, but it still came as a shock when news broke Thursday night that the Packers sent Adams to the west coast.

Reports suggest Rodgers was aware of the pending doom and that he signed his extension knowing he wasn’t going to be throwing to Adams in 2022. Whether you believe that or not is up to you, but if we assume those reports are true, then there’s no doubt Green Bay assured Rodgers that he’ll have reinforcements in the wide receiver room. And by reinforcements, I mean first-round picks.

The Packers now have the 22nd and 28th overall picks in a first round that should have more than a couple of quality wide receivers on the board by the time Green Bay is on the clock. Here are three prospects the Packers could target with those selections in an effort to survive the aftermath of the Adams trade.

CHRIS OLAVE, OHIO STATE

Chris Olave has moved into my WR1 spot for the 2022 NFL Draft and is currently ranked 21st in the latest update to TDN’s prospect rankings. He’s a silky smooth route-runner who can make plays on all three levels of the passing game and whose veteran savvy will play well with a diva quarterback like Rodgers. He doesn’t offer the same physical profile as Adams but his ability to win against any kind of coverage would make him a favorite for Rodgers right away as a rookie.

TREYLON BURKS, ARKANSAS

Treylon Burks’ draft stock has suffered a slow but steady descent throughout draft season and it didn’t stop at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. His slower-than-expected 40-yard dash and underwhelming athletic scores have flipped the narrative around his scouting report from a Deebo Samuel-like playmaker to, perhaps, an underwhelming Laviska Shenault offensive ‘weapon.’

Don’t believe the (lack of) hype. Burks is a better football player than a t-shirt and shorts guy and if he’s paired with Rodgers, fireworks will ensue. In fact, if the Packers end up with Burks in the first round, he’d be a prime candidate to win 2022’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award.

JAHAN DOTSON, PENN STATE

Jahan Dotson profiles as a quality three-level player whose explosive twitch reminds me quite a bit of Chicago Bears WR1, Darnell Mooney. He isn’t the biggest guy—he weighed just 178 pounds at the combine—but as Mooney’s proven through his first two seasons in the league, the spacing of today’s NFL passing game allows for leaner players like Dotson to produce at a high level. Dotson should be hanging around toward the end of the first round and would provide a jolt of speed and field-flipping ability to Titletown.

Written By

Bryan Perez