If you believe the tea leaves that the Green Bay Packers are laying out leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft, it's becoming quite obvious what their plans might be. General manager Brian Gutekunst and head coach Matt LaFleur have been doing extensive work on the top wide receivers in the draft, which, combined with an offseason push for more help at the position, indicates that selecting a first-round receiver is very much in play.
There is no shortage of options that the Packers could target, though it does depend on how the draft falls with any picks before them. As of now, it seems like Ohio State standout Emeka Egbuka or Arizona star Tetairoa McMillan might be the likeliest options for Green Bay to target. However, Matthew Golden or Luther Burden III could also be available as well. The point is, the Packers should have their pick of the litter.
Adding any of these draft prospects to the receiving corps would be a stellar decision from Green Bay. At the same time, it could also put quite a bit of pressure on a Packers newcomer, Mecole Hardman, and frankly put the veteran pass-catcher on the chopping block before minicamps start.
Mecole Hardman will be on thin ice after the Packers draft
Hardman, a second-round pick by the Chiefs in 2019, signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal with the Packers this offseason after his second stint with Kansas City following a brief tenure in New York with the Jets.
The former Pro Bowler hasn't quite been able to match his early-career production in recent years, though. After reaching at least 500 yards each year and totaling 17 touchdowns over his first three seasons, he hasn't eclipsed 300 receiving yards in a single season since.
Having said that, in a pre-draft look at the Packers receiver room, he could fit the mold as a gadget playmaker and potentially a special teams threat. While the draft prospects in the first round might not be in that mold, the simple truth of the matter is that a first-round pick and Hardman ultimately combine to give Green Bay too many cooks in the kitchen at the position.
Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are well-established, while Jayden Reed still has plenty of fans. Dontayvion Wicks has also proven to be a reliable piece when called upon in the offense. And obviously, the Packers would have the incoming first-round prospect as well. That would ostenisbly push Hardman into a battle for the sixth wide receiver spot — if Green Bay even chose to keep that many on the initial 53-man roster — with Malik Heath.
This isn't to say that Hardman is as good as gone. One thing to consider is certainly his value as a special teamer and return specialist, especially as the team eyes moving Keisean Nixon out of that role. At the same time, though, one has to ask if that's enough to justify keeping him on the roster in the midst of a crowded receiver room. That's only amplified by the fact that Reed is also an option to step into that returner role.
Hardman, on the surface, could bring some exciting dynamics to the Packers offense and special teams. The draft, however, seems to be shaping in a way that could change his value for this team in the upcoming season. Subsequently, if Green Bay goes through with drafting a receiver early, it'll be a proverbial call to action for Hardman that he's fighting for a roster spot.