We've officially gone full circle on Packers draft speculation.
At the beginning, everyone seemed awfully sure that the Packers were going to take a wide receiver in the first round this year. 20 years of precedent starts to look way less important when you lose Christian Watson for a major chunk of next season, and hosting more wide receivers during the pre-draft process than any other position tipped the Packers' hand a little bit.
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But that idea got too trendy, and all of a sudden people got real bearish on the idea. Another edge rusher was more important, they argued. Replacing Jaire Alexander – who, by the way, is still on the team – was priority #1, they cried. And now that we're less than two weeks away from the actual draft, suddenly a wide receiver doesn't look like such a bad idea – especially after reading Matt Miller's latest prospect rankings on ESPN. Miller had a lot of good things to say about a certain wide receiver who may or may not be ranked in the exact slot that the Packers pick on Thursday night.
The Packers could finally land their next #1 WR on Thursday night
ESPN comparison: Ladd McConkey
"If a team wants a do-it-all receiver, Egbuka should be the target. He can play either outside alignment or do damage from the slot. He's a specialist on slant routes and has the toughness to make plays in traffic, which he also shows off as a punt returner. Egbuka doesn't look like a true speed player on tape, but his route-running prowess and sure hands are ideal for NFL offenses. He had 1,011 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns last season."
I imagine a do-it-all receiver is exactly what the Packers want, especially considering how every receiver on their roster right now tends to thrive in a more specific role. The McConkey comp has to have Packers fans raising their eyebrows at least a little bit: as a rookie least season, he caught 81 balls for over 1,000 yards (1149) with seven touchdowns. If you put those stats on the Packers, McConkey would lead the team in catches and yards by a BIG OL' margin, and be tied for the lead in touchdowns.
Brian Gutekunst, I hope you're listening. There will be edge rushers next year, and cornerbacks the year after that. You only get [checks notes] two chances, apparently, to get Ladd McConkey. You know what you have to do.