The Green Bay Packers just have a certain way of doing things. Look no further than their quarterback succession plan. They went from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love, with the younger quarterback sitting a couple of years before getting their shot at starting. But there's also another thing that's a given for the Packers, and that's that they don't draft offensive skill players in the first round.
The last time the Packers took an offensive skill player in the first round of the NFL Draft was in 2002 when they selected wide receiver Javon Walker out of Florida State. That's right, Rodgers didn't have a single wide receiver, tight end, or running back selected in the first round during his tenure. That has also been the case for Love early on in his career as their starting quarterback. But it appears that that is changing.
The Athletic's Matt Schneidman noted in a recent article that the Packers have been doing a ton of homework on the top wide receiver prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft. Schneidman notes that general manager Brian Gutekunst was at the Pro Days for Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka and Texas' Matthew Golden. Both prospects were invited to Green Bay for Top 30 visits. Oh, and Gutekunst was the ony general manager in attendance for Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan private workout.
Packers pre-draft actions signal WR could be the move in first round of NFL Draft
The Packers haven't prioritized using a first-round pick on wide receivers, as Schneidman notes, because they believed they could find them in Days 2 and 3. But with the current state of the Packers, they need to make a move for a top receiver.
Look no further than the Packers' NFC Wild Card Round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Their wide receiver depth was tested as Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed left the game due to a concussion and shoulder injury, respectively. Add that to Christian Watson being out for the game due to a torn ACL suffered in Week 18. The Packers really had no chance to keep up with the Packers.
Running back Josh Jacobs expressed that he would like to see the Packers bring in a No. 1 receiver this offseason to help them contend. After all, their entire division improve this offseason. But this offseason, the Packers haven't done so. The only way they can add a top wide receiver is to draft one...early.
Travis Hunter is going to be off the board within the first three picks. That leaves McMillan, Golden, Egbuka, and Missouri's Luther Burden III as the best available. The Packers hold the 23rd pick in the first round, and it's not a guarantee that any of those receivers will be on the board when they select in the second round with the 54th overall pick.