The Packers Cap Off The Worst Draft In NFL History And Fail To Take a Wide Receiver In The Deepest WR Class Ever
Before entering the 2020 NFL Draft Packers GM Mike Gutekunst told everyone he pretty much couldn't wait to take a receiver. It had been heralded as the deepest WR class in draft history. Guys would be available in the 2nd round who could easily have gone in the first. If you needed wideout help this was your draft and Gutekunst knew that.
The draft came and went. The Packers did not select ONE wide receiver. After skipping out in the first round everyone tried to say there was plenty of time to take on. Well here is everyone they passed on. Truly astonishing.
Ruggs, Jeudy, Lamb, Reagor, Jefferson, Aiyuk, Higgins, Pittman, Shenault, Hamler, Claypool, Van Jefferson, Mims, Gibson, Bowden. Jr, Bryan Edwards, Duvernay, Gabriel Davis, Antonio Gandy-Golden, Joe Reed, Tyler Johnson. (why they couldn't even draft him is insanity), Collin Johnson, Cephus, Hightower, Coulter, Mooney, KJ Osborn, Peoples-Jones, Quez Watkins, Proche, Hodgins, Patmon, Swain, Jennings, KJ Hill (how do you not at least take this guy as late as he went)
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So just a recap here's what they decided to do.
1st round: QB Jordan Love - Traded up to take a project QB who pretty much has to take over in two years, telling Aaron Rodgers he's lost commitment from the team and it's time for a change despite being one game away from the Super Bowl last year after adjusting to a new offense. Basically tells the whole team that the front office has no faith in them to repeat what they did last year. This is so far from the same thing with Favre-Rodgers. Anyone who brings that up is just being lazy. Favre had hinted at retirement. It could have happened any year. Rodgers wants to play into his 40s. Nonsense.
2nd round: RB A.J. Dillon - Just when it seemed like they couldn't make a worse pick than the first round, they do just that. Green Bay drafted the most replaceable position in football despite having a running back who led the league touchdowns. Oh that running back that they have by the way, Aaron Jones, was drafted in the 5th round. You can find running backs anywhere!
Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are both free agents at the end of next season so this pretty much means they're letting both of those guys go. Awesome. Oh also AJ Dillon had over 800 carries in 3 seasons at BC and was no expected to go on Day 2. Gutekunst said he didn't think Dillon would fall to them in the draft. That's because everyone else was taking wide receivers in the deepest WR class in NFL history you fucking moron.
3rd round: TE Josiah Deguara - Drafted a tight end who had absolutely no business going on Day 2. Might be a made up person.
4th round: Didn't pick because they used that 4th rounder to trade up for a backup quarterback
5th round: ILB Kamal Martin - Drafted an inside linebacker who will probably find most of his time on special teams. Not the worst pick in the world because defense is something Green Bay certainly needed no matter what position. If the picks before this one actually made a lick of sense then this would be fine, but instead it was just another opportunity to let more wide receivers slide by.
6th round (192): OG Jon Runyan - From all regards this was the best pick of the draft. It would be viewed even better if the team had drafted competently in the first two days, but they didn't.
6th round (208): C Jake Hanson - This was the first of back to back picks Green Bay had in the 6th round. What did they do? Oregon Center Jake Hanson. Power running game baby!
6th round (209): OT Simon Stepaniak And the second part of the back to back went to Indiana Offensive Tackle Simon Stepaniak. Shoot me in the face.
7th round (236): S Vernon Scott. Safety. Defense, yay! Would have been cool if they attacked this early on.
7th round (242): Miami DE Jonathan Garvin. Defense again. Again, too little too late.
So the plan moving forward appears to be a drastic shift from an Aaron Rodgers passing offense to a power running game. Green Bay is going to run the ball 55 times a game and Rodgers will be out of town in less than two years. The front office has sent a clear message to the current players that they have no faith in them repeating what they did last year. Forget the receivers, they didn't bother to upgrade the defense that gave up 10 a carry to the Niners in the NFC championship game. They took a few guys later on but they'll just end up on special teams unless a miracle happens.
If they spent the whole draft on defensive upgrades I would have been ecstatic. If they traded up for Patrick Queen instead of Jordan Love I would have been so on board. Nope, nothing. I wouldn't be shocked if Belichick is on the phone trying to see what it would take get 12. He's clearly lost all the faith from the organization, I imagine his trade value is astronomically low and it would be just be a salary dump. Can't wait!