What are the Packers’ biggest needs entering 2022 NFL Draft?
The great news for the Green Bay Packers is that they only have one diehard position that they need to fill.
The rest of their needs are simply based on depth. I don’t know which specific players the Packers want.
But I do know what positions they are going to address Thursday-Saturday.
Wide receiver is Packers’ biggest need in 2022 NFL Draft
Their first and most pressing need of all is at the wide receiver spot.
Veterans Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard are back in the Green and Gold for another season. The team also signed veteran Sammy Watkins to a one-year deal.
But the big move was trading Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders.
The team should be looking to draft a talented WR in either Round 1 or 2. If they do that, they can beat teams by a committee instead of relying on one superstar WR, which got predictable in the postseason.
With Cheesehead TV’s Aaron Nagler reporting that the Packers are targeting tight end Darren Waller via a trade, the team appears to be going big-game hunting as well during draft season.
That should fire up every single player and member of this team.
Packers’ biggest draft needs outside of wide receiver
Wide receiver is the only massive need that Green Bay has to address.
There are a couple of positions that need depth on defense, starting with the edge rush spot.
Green Bay locked up Preston Smith to a four-year deal this offseason and Rashan Gary appears to be a Defensive Player of the Year candidate this upcoming season.
After that, the team has inexperienced players in Jonathan Garvin and Tipa Galeai. All-Pro pass-rusher Za’Darius Smith signed with the rival-Minnesota Vikings in free agency.
The Packers managed fine without him last season as he was out due to injury, but the team needs more athletes on the edge. Green Bay should look to address that position in the middle rounds (2-4).
The next defensive need is inside linebacker.
Yes, Green Bay locked up All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell this offseason. Yes, Krys Barnes appears to be improving next to Campbell.
But the Packers need depth behind those two, especially after losing Oren Burks to San Francisco this offseason. Ty Summers is more of a special teams piece at this point. Isaiah McDuffie is coming off of a rookie season in which he did not get much playing time.
GM Brian Gutekunst could look to address this spot as early as the first round.
Finally on defense, safety should be a priority.
Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage are both looking at free agency next offseason. The team needs to be prepared unless they let one walk.
Vernon Scott, Shawn Davis, and Innis Gaines are all young backups that haven’t quite emerged yet. Unless there is something we don’t know, look for defensive coordinator Joe Barry to have a beat on which safeties he likes.
Lastly, the other offensive need that Green Bay always seems to address through the draft multiple times over is the offensive line.
With the Packers releasing veteran tackle Billy Turner and letting center/guard Lucas Patrick walk to the Chicago Bears, the team is in need of more depth.
While Elgton Jenkins is returning from his ACL tear, Green Bay definitely has a general idea of who their starters are (LT David Bakhtiari, LG Jon Runyan, C Josh Myers, RG Royce Newman, RT Yosh Nijman). That is a solid starting five.
But Green Bay will almost certainly add multiple offensive linemen. No team churns out solid offensive lines like the Green Bay Packers.
Again, the Packers are in a great spot because they only have one serious need at WR.
But they will likely address each of these positions. They could also look to draft a few special-teamers as well for new coordinator Rich Bisaccia.
The Packers also still have roughly $15 million in cap space. This is an elite NFC team and is far from done this offseason. That is a scary, scary thing for the rest of the league.