Packers: Devin Funchess signing could cause problems for draft strategy

The Packers signed Devin Funchess in the offseason, with the hopes that he’ll suddenly resurrect his career. Here’s why it’s backfiring.

It’s been well established that this draft class is bursting at the seams with wide receiver talent. Left and right there are receivers that are worth snatching up with any one of Green Bay’s 10 draft picks. But, the “addition” of Devin Funchess is not helping matters right now.

For one thing, Green Bay just cannot get over the taller variety of wide receivers. The team has an absurd six wide receivers over six-feet tall. If you’re going to be that large, you better be pretty good at hauling in 50/50 balls whenever they present themselves, and other than Davante Adams and Allen Lazard at the end of the season, they got none of that all of last year.

Further complicating things, this draft, while full of receiver talent, is almost exclusively rich in taller receivers. Packer fans shouldn’t even cross their fingers for Henry Ruggs III, who will be gone eons before the draft makes its way to the end of the first round.

K.J. Hamler will likely be the best slot receiver available at that point, and beyond Hamler and Jalen Reagor, there just isn’t a whole lot for Green Bay to look for at the slot receiver position, assuming they don’t overlook it as much as they have for years.

K.J. Hill of Ohio State fits the mold, as does Miami’s Jeff Thomas, but without a tight end threat, the middle of the field is not going to be much of a concern for defenses anyway. So it made lots of sense for the Packers to pursue a smaller, faster wide receiver in free agency right? Well, as we know, the team invested in band-aids at both linebacker and offensive tackle, while the team was bleeding profusely at receiver.

Now, having signed Funchess, it’s hard to know exactly how much the Packers want to add to the receiving corps this offseason, as he is taking up another valuable roster spot. While he had some good moments with the Panthers, Funchess is yet another tall, slow wide receiver who has trouble after the catch and in the open field. Where have we seen this before?

If the Packers want to draft Denzel Mims, Reagor, Hamler, or even Laviska Shenault Jr. in the first round, it will leave them with seven wide receivers having only drafted a single one. Their ability to overhaul a position group clearly in need of new blood is very limited.

The Packers can’t really cut Marquez Valdes-Scantling unless he absolutely bombs in training camp, and the same goes for Equanimeous St. Brown. Jake Kumerow was also tendered and brought back, sucking up another spot. Right now, the Packers aren’t exactly in a position to come away with multiple players from what is a great receiver class, without having enough talent to back up that reality.

Furthermore, the signing of Funchess is part of a troubling trend showing up in Green Bay. Several times now, we’ve seen the Packers add players that they don’t necessarily want. Brian Gutekunst’s first move of any note was signing Jimmy Graham, after prioritizing two other receivers ahead of him.

The Packers were pursuing Sammy Watkins and came close to signing Allen Robinson, who ended up in Chicago. It’s not a problem to miss out on a target if the numbers get too high, but it is less than advisable to throw millions at a player that was at best your third choice at receiver.

The Packers hardly had any interest in Funchess. The team pushed for Austin Hooper and didn’t sign him. Finally, the Packers seemingly just threw up their arms and brought in Funchess, who all this time later, hasn’t even passed his physical yet with Green Bay.

If Funchess has a big, breakout season and becomes a true number two receiver, the Packers won’t even be able to re-sign the guy next year. David Bakhtiari, Corey Linsley, and Aaron Jones are all free agents and will take precedent over Funchess, before mentioning Kevin King and Jamaal Williams.

Best-case scenario, Funchess has a good year on a “prove-it” contract where he rehabilitates his career. Worst-case scenario, he sucks up another roster spot and is just the next huge, out-of-position wide receiver who will continue to give defenses a clear formula for how to deal with Green Bay’s poor receiving corps.