The Green Bay Packers’ concerted approach to assembling a young, dynamic group of wide receivers and tight ends is paying dividends on the field. Not only is it fun to watch, it provides an added off-the-field benefit, in that Brian Gutekunst and the front office can largely ignore those positions in the 2024 NFL Draft. There may be an exception where there’s an undeniable talent on the board as the best available player. But hitting in these position groups over the past two drafts will allow Gutekunst to focus on other areas of need.
By now, everyone knows that Green Bay’s pass-catching group is all first- and second-year players. Gutekunst has added an incredible arsenal of talented players into the fold over the past two seasons. Starting with Christian Watson as the 34th selection in the 2022 draft, Green Bay has added Romeo Doubs, Samori Toure, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Grant DuBose as wideouts. They’ve also taken Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft at tight end. Add in a few undrafted free agents like Bo Melton, Malik Heath, and Ben Sims, and the group is a complete and total transformation from what the Packers looked like as recently as 2021.
Player after player from the current group continues to show flashes of brilliance. They’ve answered the questions that a self-evaluating front office would have from a team-building perspective. It’s not a perfect group, and the collective unit needs to show its ability to remain healthy throughout an NFL season. But the Packers have absorbed short-term injuries to players like Reed and Wicks and longer-term ailments in players like Watson and Musgrave. It’s a testament to the depth of the group. The night that Bo Melton had against Minnesota this past Sunday is Exhibit A of what that truly looks like.
On that team-building note, there are still plenty of areas where Green Bay needs help. There are questions across the board, from the secondary to offensive line depth to the future at running back. However, wide receiver and tight end are two places that Gutekunst can forget about for 2024, which is significant. The Packers have had 24 draft selections over the past two seasons, and eight have been wideouts or tight ends.
That means one out of every three Packers draft picks has been a pass catcher, which is a large percentage. Green Bay’s current active roster has six wide receivers and three tight ends. Nine slots on the 53-man roster add up to 17% of the collective unit. Spending 33% of your draft inventory to fill 17% of your roster was necessary for transitioning the group to the current generation. Still, they could have spent a significant portion of draft capital elsewhere.
The first round of the 2024 draft is shaping up to be receiver-heavy, with talents like Marvin Harrison Jr., Rome Odunze, and Malik Nabers highlighting the group. You can also throw Brock Bowers in there as a tight end for good measure. The Packers are slotted to draft in the late teens. But if they have their druthers, they will be drafting in the early 20s with another win this weekend, and those top-end talents would be off the board by then. Perhaps they fall in love with Keon Coleman from Florida State or Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State. So many other teams focusing on pass catchers before Green Bay would be on the clock only raises the caliber of cornerback or offensive lineman who might be waiting there when Gutekunst is ready to submit his choice.
The Packers have been exceptional at identifying later-round talents, such as Doubs and Wicks. But Green Bay can stockpile options at other positions with their selections instead this year. You’ll always be looking for dynamic game-changers in the first few rounds, but adding in a few more Karl Brooks, Carrington Valentine, and Rasheed Walker-types is what this team needs even more. Being satisfied with a position group that is still green and growing isn’t the same as being complacent. From a holistic draft approach, though, being able to direct your draft capital elsewhere will be hugely beneficial for the Packers this draft season.
