Packers 2022 mock draft: Wide receiver in first round

Will this be the year the Green Bay Packers finally draft a wide receiver in the first round?

They may need to.

Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown, Allen Lazard, and Malik Taylor are all free agents this offseason, and Randall Cobb could be released to create cap room.

Even if Aaron Rodgers returns and the Packers franchise tag Adams, they could lose a lot of their receiving talent this offseason.

John Blair of NFL Mocks helps solve this problem in his latest mock draft. Blair has Green Bay selecting Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave with the 28th overall pick.

Blair wrote that “Ohio State’s Chris Olave is a polished route receiver who consistently makes the tough catch”.

It looks set to be another strong wide receiver class, and Olave could be one of many first-rounders at the position.

Playing in 11 games for Ohio State this past season, Olave caught 65 passes for 936 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Olave could be just what the Packers’ offense needs, especially if Valdes-Scantling signs elsewhere in free agency. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah has Olave at No. 26 in his prospect rankings, writing that he is a “home-run hitter with outstanding route polish”.

If MVS is gone, the Packers would lose a player capable of stretching defenses vertically. Olave could help.

He also has the talent to step into the WR2 role early on in his career, although it’s possible the Packers will be able to bring back Lazard, who is a restricted free agent.

The benefit of playing in the same offense as Adams — assuming he’s back — is Olave would see a lot of one-on-one opportunities. Covering Adams is priority number one for defenses. The Packers need another receiver who can consistently take advantage of that, and Olave could be that player in this offense.