Coming off a tough loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Green Bay Packers have now dropped four games in a row, the longest losing streak of Aaron Rodgers’ Hall of Fame career.
During this stretch, the Packers have averaged a measly 17 points per game, a far cry from last year’s mark of 25 points.
A huge part of that decline in offensive production has been the departure of All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders back in March. Rodgers has been sorely missing his No. 1 target, and the Packers haven’t done much to replace him.
Despite a loaded class at the position, and two first-round picks to work with (one of which they received in the Adams trade, the Packers double-dipped on defense on Day 1 of the 2022 NFL draft. Instead, they traded up to the top of the second round for a talented but raw pass-catcher in North Dakota State’s Christian Watson, then spent a fourth-round pick on Nevada’s Romeo Doubs.
Doubs has certainly been the more impressive of the two so far, and has quickly become Green Bay’s WR1, if only by default. He’s made a few impressive plays, and has shown a knack for getting open, but Doubs has also made a few crucial drops, and has been inconsistent at getting separation. Watson has been plagued by multiple injuries, and still seems a long way from being a refined, consistent receiver in the NFL.
This isn’t the first time in recent memory that the Packers passed on a talented receiver class with their first-round pick.
Back in 2020, Green Bay traded up for Utah State quarterback Jordan Love, passing on pass-catchers like Tee Higgins, Michael Pittman Jr., and Chase Claypool. In 2019, they once again spent both of their first-round picks on defense, passing on receivers like Deebo Samuel, Terry McLaurin, A.J. Brown and D.K. Metcalf.
It’s a harsh reality that here in the twilight of Aaron Rodgers’ career, one can only imagine the position the Packers would be in had they drafted George Pickens, or traded up for Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson or Drake London. All of those rookie pass-catchers have already made an immediate impact for their respective teams, while the Packers have even struggled on defense, despite the addition of two first-round picks on that side of the ball.
There’s no quick fix here, and the Packers will have to hope for further development from Watson and Doubs in short order. No amount of creativity can truly fix the problem the Packers are experiencing, and they might have to wait until next year’s first round, when they can make sure they avoid making the same mistake again.
