3 Players the Packers Should Draft in Second and Third Round to Bolster Super Bowl Hopes
The Packers seemingly trolled the world, including Aaron Rodgers, in the first round of the NFL Draft last night, selecting a linebacker and defensive tackle with their two first-round picks instead of adding some much-needed help at wide receiver for Rodgers. It's the millionth straight year the Packers didn't pick a wide receiver in the first round of the draft and, after trading superstar WR Davante Adams this offseason, it left a lot of people wondering, in the words of the great Vince Lombardi, what the hell is going on out here.
The good news for Packers fans is the draft continues tonight and they have two second-round picks and a third rounder to add some weapons to a currently-sparse skill-position unit. Defense is great and it can win championships. But in the offensive-focused 2022 NFL landscape, you gotta score to get a ring and the Packers will have to beef up their offense to win a Super Bowl in 2022.
Currently the Packers are currently tied for the fifth-shortest odds to win the Super Bowl at +1200 (bet $100 to win $1,200) at WynnBET. None of these players will change those odds, but they could change the Packers chances of cashing that bet.
Players the Packers Should Draft in Second and Third Round
Alec Pierce, WR, Cincinatti
Pierce has a lot of Jordy Nelson in him. He's 6-3, over 200 pounds, has strong hands and great at winning 50-50 balls. The difference is Pierce is faster (4.41 40 time) and better at the deep ball but needs to improve as a route runner. Still, this would be a great pick up for the Packers.
Pierce had 8 TD catches last year and averaged 17 yards per catch. He's a field stretcher who uses his big body to gain position on opposing DBs and go get the ball. I'm not sure he'll be around in the second half of the draft when the Packers pick. If he is, or if the Packers move up to pick him, fans should be excited at the prospect.
George Pickens, WR, Georgia
The Packers sat and watched as wide receivers flew off the board last night. They can't afford to do that again. Not with Allen Lazard and Sammy Watkins as their top guys right now.
Pickens is 6-3 and plucks passes out of the air at the high point. He's lanky and has strong hands. He's a good route runner. I'm not saying he's Davante Adams, but he does have a lot of similar characteristics. It'll be dangerous for the Packers to sit until the 53rd pick and hope Pickens is still available. I would move up and snag him if I were them. He's got the potential to impact the team immediately.
Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State
The Packers almost certainly will need to move up to snag McBride, but he could be worth the price. At 6-4, 250 pounds and having run a 4.54 40, he's got the size and speed to be a matchup nightmare for opposing NFL defenses. The biggest question I have around McBride is can he be a dominant red-zone threat, which is what the Packers desperately need after losing Adams, who is a touchdown monster. Pickens, in my opinion, is better suited for that role. But tight end is another position of need for Green Bay, and if McBride is the pick, Rodgers would be happy.