The Pittsburgh Steelers rocked the football world on the eve of NFL free agency on Sunday night, landing star receiver DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a second-round pick (and a massive four-year contract extension to boot). But arguably no team, or at least no team's fans, were more shaken than the Green Bay Packers, who had locked on to Metcalf as a trade target of their own in recent days.
The playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles laid bare Green Bay's lack of a true go-to wideout for Jordan Love to rely on, and with Christian Watson dealing with another long-term injury, Metcalf figured to bring some much-needed vertical juice as well. Now that dream is dead, and it's on GM Brian Gutekunst to look elsewhere and give this offense the help it needs entering 2025.
The good news is that, even after a flurry of activity in recent weeks, there remain plenty of options to do so. And in reality, some of them figure to be a far better fit for what the Packers actually need than Metcalf would have been.
4. Matthew Golden
Maybe this one is a bit of a stretch; you'd rather have an established star with Metcalf's track record than take a shot on an unknown in the NFL draft, and Gutekunst is notoriously unwilling to spend serious capital on the wide receiver position. But Golden could be an intriguing fit for Green Bay toward the end of Round 1, finishing strong during his final season at Texas and then lighting up the NFL Combine with a 4.30 40 time.
Golden is necessarily the most complete receiver in this draft class. But then again, Metcalf could hardly be called a complete receiver either. What both of them bring is the ability to take the top off a defense, something that this offense could really use in Watson's absence. Golden overtook Isaiah Bond as the go-to weapon in Texas' passing game toward the end of 2024, and he could be a valuable addition to the Packer passing game.
3. Cooper Kupp
Yes, Kupp's injury history is as long as a football field, and he's become increasingly difficult to rely on. But when healthy, he's exactly the sort of efficiency option that would help Love reach the next level as a quarterback, with sharp route-running, reliable hands and a familiarity with the motion-heavy offense utilized by Matt LaFleur (and Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay).
Plus, now that Davante Adams is on board, L.A. figures to be even more motivated to find a landing spot for Kupp. There's risk here, undoubtedly, but amid all the tantalizing potential of Green Bay's current crop of receivers, someone to bring some toughness and reliability over the middle of the field could be just what the doctor ordered.
2. Chris Godwin
Again, there's injury risk; the last time we saw Godwin, he was suffering a devastating ankle injury on Monday Night Football against the Baltimore Ravens. But before getting hurt, he was in the midst of a career year, revitalized out of the slot in Liam Coen's offense with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A lot will depend on Godwin's medicals, but if those check out, there's a lot to like here for Green Bay: He just put up 50 catches, 576 yards and five touchdowns in less than half a season, and he brings versatility, toughness and big-play ability.
1. Garrett Wilson
Far-fetched? Maybe a bit, but hey, we can dream. With Tee Higgins seemingly off the market, Wilson would be the Packers' new white whale, the sort of true X receiver that Metcalf has yet to consistently prove that he can be despite all of his flashy highlights. It would take even more than the Seahawks gave up for Metcalf to land him, in addition to a contract even richer than the one Metcalf just got. But Wilson has proven that he's among the most promising young talents in the sport, and he and Love could make some real magic together on back-shoulder throws for years to come.