Green Bay Packers: Skill position players to target early in the draft
It has been a long time since the Green Bay Packers drafted a skill position player in the first round of the draft and if they do this year, these are the likely candidates.
Adam Schefter tweeted out an interesting fact about the Green Bay Packers on Thursday morning. He stated that Green Bay has not drafted a non-QB skill position player since trading up to select wide receiver Javon Walker all the way back in 2002.
The last time the Packers selected a non-QB offensive skill position player was when they chose Florida St. WR Javon Walker in 2002. That 16-year drought is the longest active streak without selecting a non-QB offensive skill position player in the 1st round.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 28, 2019
Walker was a productive player before hurting his knee and demanding a trade from Green Bay.
The Packers have typically had success in drafting players after the first round, which is likely part of the reason they have not selected a skill player in the first round.
However, 2019 is a different year. The Green Bay Packers have two first round picks. They also have an offense that is not nearly as dominant as it has been since Aaron Rodgers took over as the starting quarterback.
The receiving core could use an infusion of talent and the tight end room has nobody guaranteed to be under contract following the 2019 season.
It’s unlikely they would select a running back in the early rounds, but with a new regime, anything is possible.
With those facts in mind, let’s take a look at some of the players the Packers could target in the first round to end the skill position drought.