Packers would be smart to prioritize this draft target for Aaron Rodgers

If the Green Bay Packers are smart, they will be looking to add this top level receiver in the NFL Draft.

In two seasons, Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has gone 26-6. Both seasons ended with Aaron Rodgers going deep into the postseason and Green Bay looking like a contender in the NFC.

In the same two seasons, LaFluer and Rodgers have gone 0-2 in conference championships and missed the Super Bowl by one quarter in 2020. A bad call against Tampa Bay negated Rodgers’ role, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Packers are still one step short of reaching their ultimate goal.

The reasoning? A lack of a sturdy No. 2 wide receiver.

In both conference championships, one receiver recorded over 100 receiving yards (Davante Adams 138 in 2020, Marquez Valdes-Scantling 115 in 2021), but the secondary target could not surpass 70. That was the same during the regular season, but it felt more so as Adams was the only consistent weapon.

The Packers haven’t had a pair of 1,000-yard targets since 2014. The only time since they’ve come close was in 2016 when Adams fell just three yards short. The Packers explosive passing attack can return with the right secondary receiver.

On Day 1 or Day 2 of the 2021 NFL Draft, Brian Gutekunst’s job is simple; add Ole Miss’ Elijah Moore and prosper.

Elijah Moore is an ideal target for Aaron Rodgers

In a class of loaded wide receivers, it’s easy to forget that Moore is a high-upside player at the position.

Moore averaged 13 receptions and over 200 yards per game in the final three games of the year. He also recorded 51 rushing yards on jet sweeps and designed runs.

Perhaps the biggest difference between Moore and Florida’s Kardarius Toney is their route-running skills. The former Rebel is more polished on complex routes such as comebacks and sluggos that allow him to win towards the corner of the sideline.

Toney, who is more of a human joystick, might fit the Curtis Samuel or Percy Harvin-type role, but is that what Green Bay needs?

Moore recorded 18 broken tackles, two less than Toney. He also tallied over 200 more receiving yards than the former Gator and averaged just under one yard less per catch.

Thanks to that success, Moore entered the Ole Miss record books for the program’s most single-season receptions set by Tennessee Titans Pro Bowler A.J. Brown.

Rodgers needs speed in both the short and vertical game. Moore has shown that and can be used in a variety of ways other than just a prototype slot weapon.  One of the better contested catchers in the game, the former Rebel also has sure-fire hands to win in either man or zone coverage.

It’s no secret that Green Bay needs a weapon. However, Moore could be a secret gem in LaFleur’s system and the missing piece to send the Packers back to the final showdown as the NFC’s representative.