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Packers predicted to finally draft a first-round wide receiver (and it's perfect)

Perfect!
Cameron Ellis
Cameron Ellis

Lombardi Ave

2025 NFL Scouting Combine / Justin Casterline/GettyImages

The Green Bay Packers are going to get Josh Jacobs a wide receiver one way or another.

For a while there, it really felt like DK Metcalf was headed to the Packers. The stars were aligned. It was going to be a whole thing. Then he got traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers, which was totally fine because Davante Adams was coming back. Then Adams signed with the Los Angeles Rams, which was totally fine because they were just going to get Cooper Kupp for half the cost anyways.

Then Cooper Kupp signed with the Seattle Seahawks, which was totally fine because his best years are behind him already and honestly, he probably did the Packers a favor.

Now all eyes are on the draft, which was definitely the Packers' plan this entire time.

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In a recent Packers mock draft over at Sports Illustrated, the team fixes all their wide receiver problems (presumably) with a first-round pick that'll be perfect in Matt LaFleur's offense.

Packers take Texas WR Matthew Golden in latest Mock Draft from Sports Illustrated

The Packers haven't drafted a receiver in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002. Sports Illustrated's Bill Huber believes this could be the year, with Texas' Matthew Golden going to Green Bay in his latest mock draft.

"The need is immediate, with Christian Watson having the game-breaking speed of the unit. So does Golden, the second-fastest player at the Scouting Combine with a 4.29 in the 40," writes Huber. "Golden caught 58 passes for 987 yards (17.0 average) and nine touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus, he caught 13-of-22 passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield – his 59.1 percent success rate ranking third among receivers in the draft class with 12-plus targets."

Sounds good to me! At this point the Packers just need to do something interesting at wide receiver, so if using their first-rounder on someone at that position is what we're going to get, so be it.

The roster reasons make a ton of sense, and adding some elite speed to an offense always looks good on paper. And the first bullet point in his "strengths" scouting report on *NFL.com* mentions how he "meets the moment with big plays in big games," so I'm sold.

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Cameron Ellis

Cameron Ellis

Cam Ellis is an NFL staff writer for FanSided, specializing in covering all 32 teams across the league, including the Las Vegas Raiders. He has a decade of experience in sports media, having spent time at 680 The Score in Chicago, ABC Denver, and NBC Sports Washington. Since 2014 his work has been featured on NBC Sports Chicago, The Ralphie Report, and various sites across Minute Media and FanSided. In his career he has covered the Super Bowl, NFL Draft, free agency, and is a regular part of gameday coverage.