Would Green Bay Packers take WR in first round?

LSU Tigers wide receiver Odell Beckham

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

At least one NFL Mock Draft has the Green Bay Packers selecting a player at a position other than safety, linebacker or defensive line. Yes, this particular mock has the Packers taking a wide receiver with their pick at #21.

As a matter of fact, this particular mock has seven wide receivers being taken in the first round – that’s what Todd McShay is projecting with his most recent mock (subscriber access).

Seven?

Yes, seven.

As we inch closer to the NFL Draft May 8, mocks are really beginning to morph from the pre-Jadaveon Clowney-as-the-first-overall-pick days. Quarterbacks have come and gone as the most popular position and have moved over for the most recent trend – a whole bunch of wide receivers in the first round.

And you really can’t argue with the notion. It’s a pass-first league and will continue to be so. The Packers – even with its burgeoning run game – is still a pass-centric team. Any time Aaron Rodgers hits the field, there are going to be balls being flung all over the yard.

So maybe the high value being attributed to wide receivers is spot on.

Maybe not.

When you consider the Packers, Ted Thompson has never taken a wide receiver in the first round and we don’t expect him to do so this time around. Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Greg Jennings were second-rounders; James Jones was a third-rounder.

McShay’s projection of Odell Beckham Jr. out of LSU going to the Packers is simply not going to happen.

Here is how Andrew Garda describes Beckham:

"If he were more consistent or fought harder for the ball, Beckham would probably be higher on the list, but that, his height and lack of elite game speed drag his value down. It will be interesting to see how the acceleration and extra gears he shows on film are enough to get past faster corners in the NFL. I could see him out of the slot or maybe as the “Z” if he can show that the speed he flashed at the combine—and what he showed on tape—combine to work at the pro level."

The Packers will go after a wide receiver, but it won’t be in the first round. There are too many other positions that must be addressed – positions that will need first-round talent. With Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Jarrett Boykin manning the first line, the Packers are well stocked for at least one more season.

Drafting a wide receiver is a great idea; bringing in a wide receiver or even a tight as free agents would also be good ways to address the backup receiver/special teams needs.

We know about value and how TT likes utilizing all avenues of player acquisition.

So, will the Packers draft a wide receiver in the first round? Only if they go by the name of Sammy Watkins or Mike Evans. Something tells me that they won’t get out of the top 15 picks, maybe even the top 10.

Wide receivers are needed in Green Bay and always will be as long as Mike McCarthy is the coach. But they don’t need to draft one in the first round to make it happen.

Todd McShay’s Mock Draft 4.0